IEM Melbourne 2025 Play-off: Quarter Finals

In the playoffs, we saw two very expected quarter-final match-ups, which put together what turned out to be great games with the best of the best vying for a chance at the semi-finals.

Falcons did very well, defeating the GamerLegion in a large blowout. At the same time, the MongolZ had a very tough but in the end very rewarding victory against Liquid in what was a 3-map thriller.

That which transpired was also a stage for some amazing individual plays, which included great AWP performances and a nearly successful comeback on Inferno. Also to note is how both matches played out.

Falcons defeat GamerLegion

This series was over faster than anyone expected. Falcons came in with confidence and crushed GamerLegion 2-0 without ever needing Mirage. The match started on Train, GamerLegion’s pick, but Falcons didn’t care; they stomped their way to a 13-3 win, fueled by back-to-back multi-kill rounds from TeSeS and a sharp m0NESY. Nuke was more of the same. GamerLegion barely got a foothold as Falcons closed it out 13-4 with clean executions and suffocating CT setups.

Falcons 2-0 GamerLegion

The entire Falcons squad was locked in, but m0NESY was on another level, ending with a 1.55 rating and more than 30 frags across just two maps. NiKo and TeSeS weren’t far behind either, both delivering some absurd highlight plays. GamerLegion’s stars, especially REZ and sl3nd, were completely neutralized, with no one breaking a 0.80 rating. Falcons now head into semis looking like the team to beat.

MongolZ beat Liquid at IEM Melbourne 2025

Liquid came out swinging on Anubis with a confident 13-5 win, led by Twistzz and NertZ doing serious work on both bombsites. But The MongolZ bounced back hard on Ancient, with 910 and bLitz dominating the second half and locking it down 13-6. Inferno turned into a nail-biter. Despite being down early, Liquid clawed their way back with a late resurgence, but it wasn’t enough. The MongolZ closed it 13-10 to seal the series 2-1.

The MongolZ 2-1 Liquid

Player of the match Usukhbayar ‘910’ Banzragch was the difference-maker. Across all three maps, he stacked up 56 kills, held bombsites with pinpoint AWP shots, and clutched out key rounds. Twistzz gave Liquid hope with a 4k and a 1v3 clutch on Inferno, but the team lacked consistency when it mattered most. With this win, The MongolZ continue their dream run and now head into semis full of momentum.

Tomorrow's semi-finals are set to deliver more intense action as the remaining teams battle for a place in the grand final. MOUZ will face off against Falcons, followed by Vitality taking on The MongolZ.

Both best-of-three matches promise high-stakes gameplay as these top teams look to secure their spot in the final. But of course, I lean towards a victory for Vitality and MOUZ, however, Falcons will show their new form, so MOUZ will have a tough three maps.