IEM Melbourne Day 1: Opening Round Results and Semi-Final Schedule Revealed

Monday, April 21 marked the start of IEM Melbourne 2025 with eight opening round matchups across Groups A and B.

Group Stage Results – Opening Round (April 21)

Here is a full recap of Day 1, along with a preview of the upcoming semi-finals scheduled for April 22.

Group A – Upper Bracket

2 - 1

3DMAX vs GamerLegion

0 - 2

FaZe vs paiN

2 - 0

The MongolZ vs Complexity

2 - 1

Group B – Upper Bracket

2 - 0

Liquid vs Virtus.pro

2 - 1

Falcons vs SAW

2 - 0

NAVI vs MIBR

2 - 1

The opening day of the tournament delivered strong performances from the favorites, notable upsets from underdog teams, and high-level CS2 action that set the stage for the days ahead.

Semi-Final & Lower Bracket Schedule – April 22 (Tuesday)

The exact time depends on your time zone, but you can also open Live Events on our website to find out, maybe one of these matches is already underway.

Round

Match

Format

Group A

Upper Semi-Final

MOUZ vs GamerLegion

BO3

Group A

Upper Semi-Final

FaZe vs The MongolZ

BO3

Group A

Lower Bracket Round 1

paiN vs Complexity

BO3

Group A

Lower Bracket Round 1

BIG vs 3DMAX

BO3

Group B

Upper Semi-Final

Vitality vs Liquid

BO3

Group B

Upper Semi-Final

Falcons vs Natus Vincere

BO3

Group B

Lower Bracket Round 1

FlyQuest vs Virtus.pro

BO3

Group B

Lower Bracket Round 1

SAW vs MIBR

BO3

Group Stage Overview (April 21)

FaZe 2-0 paiN

FaZe’s struggles point to paiN’s preparation, although neither team really looks like a grand final contender.

FaZe started their Melbourne run with a solid 2-0 over paiN, though both maps were tight. On Anubis, they overcame a 4:8 halftime deficit with a dominant 9:3 CT side to win 13-11. Inferno played out similarly—this time FaZe led 8:4 at half and held off a late comeback to close it 13-11 again. Both maps saw clutch heroics from the FaZe side, with karrigan and deemO showing up big when it mattered.

The MongolZ 2-1 Complexity

Complexity’s confidence from securing a slot at the Austin Major 2025 only got them one map against a calm and collected young Mongolian squad.

The MongolZ bounced back from a shaky start to edge Complexity 2-1. They dropped Anubis 11-13 after a strong first half but turned it around on Ancient, surviving a mirrored 10:2/2:10 half with a 4:1 overtime finish for a 16-13 win. Inferno was the decider, and the MongolZ held steady with a tight 13-10 victory. Not the cleanest series, but clutch play and mental resilience carried them through.

GamerLegion 2-0 3DMAX

It’s hard to tell what exactly played into GamerLegion’s hands here; either 3DMAX misread their opponent completely or just weren’t ready for their first match in Melbourne.

GamerLegion made quick work of 3DMAX, dominating Ancient 13-4 behind a ruthless 10:2 T-side, then closing out Inferno 13-8 in a game they controlled from start to finish. With solid map vetoes and sharp aim, GamerLegion looked a cut above across both maps, never really letting 3DMAX into the series.

MOUZ 2-1 BIG

BIG is holding on to tier-1 aspirations, but they’re still not quite there. Then again, it’s hard to blame them when you’re up against MOUZ, a team that’s been showing textbook championship gameplay lately. If they don't win this event, they’re bound to take one soon.

MOUZ had to grind for it, but they edged out BIG in a close 2-1 affair. BIG started strong with a 13-6 win on Inferno, but MOUZ bounced back on Mirage, pulling away late for a 13-9 win. On the decider Ancient, the teams were tied 6:6 at half, but MOUZ pulled ahead 13-8 thanks to tighter CT setups and some crucial clutches from torzsi and JDC.

Liquid 2-1 Virtus.pro

Two pro teams we usually see in lower brackets or not at all, a solid match, and an expected win for Liquid.

Liquid opened strong on Dust2, winning 13-8 behind a dominant second half (7:2). They stumbled on Mirage, however, as Virtus.pro’s CT side locked them out in a 13-8 reverse. The deciding Ancient was a nail-biter—Liquid edged it 13-10 thanks to a solid 8:4 start and a late AWP clutch from ultimate to seal the deal.

Vitality 2-0 FlyQuest

The favorites of recent tournaments are showing that their championship level isn’t going anywhere anytime soon — no compromises.

Vitality were in full control against FlyQuest, sweeping the series 2-0. On Anubis, they stormed to a 10:2 lead and didn’t drop a round after the switch, taking it 13-2. Nuke was more competitive, but a 7:5 T-half from Vitality gave them enough momentum to close it 13-8. This one wasn’t close—FlyQuest never looked comfortable.

Falcons 2-0 SAW

Falcons’ lucky streak continues, and Monesy’s debut under their banner is working out so far. The team seems to be building the core of a stable top-2 to top-5 contender.

Falcons showed why they’re a dark horse in Group B with a clean 2-0 over SAW. They took Nuke 13-8 behind consistent half control, then edged Dust2 13-9 in a map filled with tense gun rounds. The third map, Inferno, wasn’t needed—Falcons looked solid and composed throughout both games.

Natus Vincere 2-1 MIBR

Dangerous MIBR managed to pressure NAVI, but the European roster’s win showed their downfall has been paused for now. They’ve entered a recovery phase, though they still don’t look like a team that could make it to the final.

NaVi had a shaky start against MIBR, losing Anubis 9-13 after a 6:6 half, but they turned it around on Mirage with a flawless 6:0 CT half to win 13-5. On Inferno, NaVi jumped out to a 9:3 lead and held off a late surge to take it 13-9. Not their cleanest match, but NaVi's depth carried them past a scrappy MIBR side.

Author’s Prediction for IEM Melbourne 2025 2025 Semi-Finals on Tuesday, April 22

MOUZ vs GamerLegion

MOUZ have shown consistent, championship-level form and appear more confident than the unstable GamerLegion. A win for MOUZ is expected, likely with a 2:0 or 2:1 scoreline.

FaZe vs The MongolZ

Despite a solid performance from The MongolZ, FaZe remain the favorites thanks to their experience and ability to control clutch situations. The most likely result is a 2:1 victory for FaZe.

paiN vs Complexity

paiN came well-prepared against FaZe, but Complexity appeared mentally boosted after qualifying for the Austin Major. A close match is expected, with Complexity having the edge—prediction: 2:1.

BIG vs 3DMAX

BIG is not yet at a Tier-1 level, but 3DMAX looked completely unprepared. BIG is favored to win with a 2:0 scoreline.

Vitality vs Liquid

Vitality looks composed and disciplined, whereas Liquid continues to struggle with consistency. A 2:0 victory for Vitality is the most probable outcome.

Falcons vs Natus Vincere

NaVi came through a tough match against MIBR, but Falcons currently appear more structured and confident. This should be a tight contest, with Falcons slightly favored—prediction: 2:1.

FlyQuest vs Virtus.pro

FlyQuest has looked underwhelming compared to the competition, while Virtus.pro has more individual firepower. Expected result: 2:0 in favor of Virtus.pro.

SAW vs MIBR

MIBR gave NaVi a tough fight, while SAW was convincingly defeated by Falcons. MIBR is expected to take the win, most likely 2:0 or 2:1.