Aurora claw back to eliminate HEROIC in tense IEM Dallas showdown
Aurora are through to the IEM Dallas 2025 quarter-finals after surviving a brutal series against HEROIC. The Turkish squad dropped the opening map 3-13 on Train but flipped the switch on Dust2 and Mirage, winning both maps to complete the comeback 2-1. The loss sends HEROIC home, while Aurora live to fight another day.
Things started off disastrously for Aurora. HEROIC ran riot on Train behind a monstrous 4k round from tN1R and a flawless CT half. The Belarusian rifler was lights out all series long, finishing with a 98.1 ADR and a 1.38 rating—but his impact wasn’t enough. Aurora bounced back hard on Dust2, with XANTARES and jottAAA leading the way to a clean 13-8 win. jottAAA even pulled off a slick 1v3 clutch in Round 3 that set the tone.
On Mirage, it was neck and neck at halftime (6-6), but Aurora took control late. jottAAA struck again with consistent impact, and XANTARES sealed rounds with clinical spraydowns. HEROIC kept it close, but lacked firepower outside of tN1R. Despite a promising Train, their coordination fell apart under pressure, and Aurora punished every opening.
Player |
Team
K-D
+/-
ADR
KAST
Rating
XANTARES
Aurora
48-43
+5
91.1
72.9%
1.23
jottAAA
Aurora
51-40
+11
85.2
74.6%
1.22
Wicadia
Aurora
45-44
+1
80.2
72.9%
1.11
woxic
Aurora
34-41
-7
69.6
67.8%
0.87
MAJ3R
Aurora
30-43
-13
52.8
69.5%
0.76
tN1R
HEROIC
57-39
+18
98.1
71.2%
1.38
xfl0ud
HEROIC
44-45
-1
83.6
74.6%
1.12
SunPayus
HEROIC
36-40
-4
67.4
76.3%
1.02
LNZ
HEROIC
37-42
-5
69.2
74.6%
0.99
yxngstxr
HEROIC
36-42
-6
67.9
66.1%
0.93
Aurora may have stumbled out of the gate, but once they hit their stride, they looked like a top-five team for a reason. With XANTARES firing and jottAAA stepping up as the match MVP, they're shaping up to be a dark horse in the playoffs. As for HEROIC, this one stings—they had a chance to close it out early, and now they're out of the tournament.
Vitalii Diakiv writes gaming blogs and guides, focusing on the latest announcements and games matched with pop-cultural phenomena. Second, he covers esports events Counter-Strike 2, Marvel Rivals, League of Legends, and others.
1217vitaliiD
Vitality won MOUZ in IEM Dallas 2025 Grand Final, Claim Fifth Straight TitleVitality crushed MOUZ 3-0 in the IEM Dallas 2025 grand final, claiming their fifth title in a row. ZywOo dominates again. Are they ready to win two Grand Slams back-to-back?
780vitaliiDMOUZ eliminate The MongolZ 2–0 in the semi-final at IEM Dallas semi-finalMOUZ take down The MongolZ 2–0 to reach the IEM Dallas 2025 grand final.
883vitaliiDVitality defeat Falcons in a tense 2–1 series to reach IEM Dallas 2025 Grand FinalVitality edge out Falcons 2–1 in the IEM Dallas 2025 semi-finals! ZywOo clutches up on Inferno to push his team into yet another grand final—this time against The MongolZ!
966stawraith
Team Falcons Advance to IEM Dallas 2025 Semifinals After Defeating GamerLegionTeam Falcons secured a victory over GamerLegion in the quarterfinals of the playoff stage at IEM Dallas 2025, a Counter-Strike 2 tournament. The match ended with a 2-1 scoreline.1185vitaliiDThe MongolZ cruise past Aurora, set up rematch with Vitality at IEM Dallas 2025The MongolZ shut down Aurora 2–0 in the IEM Dallas 2025 quarter-finals! A dominant Mirage and a strong Dust2 give the Mongols another shot at Vitality. Senzu steps up as the match MVP!
2284vitaliiDIEM Dallas 2025: Playoffs Schedule and TeamsThe IEM Dallas 2025 Playoffs are here! Check out the full schedule with local times, team matchups, and hype ahead of the quarter-finals and semi-finals. Can The MongolZ go all the way?
534vitaliiDNAVI Promotes Makazze to Main CS2 Roster, Junior Squad Listed for TransferNAVI promotes Makazze from NAVI Junior to main CS2 roster. Remaining players listed for transfer amid major team changes. A new NAVI Junior lineup is on the way. #NaVi #CS2 #Transfer
657stawraithOfficial: kyousuke Joins Team FalconsOn June 23, 2025, Team Falcons officially announced the signing of 17-year-old Maksim "kyousuke" Lukin from Spirit Academy. He will replace Emil "Magisk" Reif.732stawraithTeam Vitality Crowned Champions of BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 After Dramatic Final Against The MongolZIn a thrilling grand final, Vitality defeated The MongolZ with a score of 2–1, securing their second Major title following their win in Paris in 2023.926stawraithThe MongolZ Advance to the Grand Final of BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 After 2–0 Victory Over paiN GamingOn June 21, 2025, the second semifinal of the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 took place, where The MongolZ secured a confident 2–0 win over South American team paiN Gaming.444stawraithVitality Defeat MOUZ 2:1 and Advance to the Grand Final of BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025On June 21, 2025, a tense semifinal playoff match took place at the BLAST.tv Austin Major, featuring Team Vitality and MOUZ. In this Best-of-3 series.729stawraithThe MongolZ Shock FaZe Clan with 2–0 Victory at BLAST Major Austin 2025 PlayoffsOn June 20, 2025, the playoff stage of the BLAST.tv Major Austin began with a shocking result as The MongolZ defeated FaZe Clan 2–0 in a best-of-three series.
