Welcome to all esports and Counter-Strike 2 fans! From November 3 to November 9, 2025, one of the biggest tournaments of this autumn — IEM Chengdu 2025 will take place. Sixteen teams will compete for the championship title and a prize pool of $300,000. Among the matches of the first game day, we highlight Vitality VS Virtus.pro. While the teams are preparing, we’ll share our CS2 betting tips and insights for this match.
How the Bookies View It: Vitality Heavily Favoured
As the first day of Intel Extreme Masters Chengdu 2025 gets underway, bookmakers have made their stance clear — Vitality are the overwhelming favorites. With odds of 1.06 on Vitality and 8.64 on Virtus.pro, the gap between the two sides is enormous. Vitality enter the tournament with high expectations, featuring a roster brimming with skill, experience, and tactical depth. Meanwhile, Virtus.pro will aim to challenge the favorites and capitalize on any opportunities, but given the disparity in form and consistency, Vitality are expected to dominate from start to finish. Despite the lopsided odds, surprises can occur on opening day, though the bookies clearly see this as a match tilted heavily in favor of the French squad.
Vitality form. What result can be expected from Vitality
Team Vitality in 2025 has firmly established itself as one of the most dominant organizations in the European CS2 scene, combining elite individual talent, strategic depth, and a proven winning mentality. Founded in 2013 and transitioning successfully into Counter‑Strike 2, Vitality has consistently demonstrated its ability to compete at the highest level, blending experienced leadership with young stars capable of turning games around in crucial moments.
The 2025 roster features some of the biggest names in competitive Counter-Strike: Dan “apEX” Madesclaire serves as the captain and IGL, providing tactical guidance and leadership; Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut stands out as one of the world’s top AWPers and riflers; Shahar “flameZ” Shushan and William “mezii” Merriman bring flexibility and consistent firepower to the rifling positions; and Robin “ropz” Kool, signed in early 2025, adds star-level skill and stability. This combination of experience and raw talent gives Vitality the ability to execute complex strategies and adapt to opponents at all levels.
- Team Vitality 2025 roster: apEX, ZywOo, flameZ, mezii, ropz.
Vitality’s 2025 campaign has been marked by sustained success across premier tournaments. They kicked off the year with victories at BLAST Rivals Spring 2025 (3:2) and IEM Melbourne 2025 (3:2), followed by dominant performances at Intel Extreme Masters Dallas 2025 (3:0) and BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 (2:1), claiming large prize pools and reinforcing their status as one of the top global squads. In August, Vitality competed at IEM Cologne 2025 (3rd–4th, $80,000) and the Esports World Cup 2025 (4th, $70,000), while also reaching the finals at BLAST Open Fall 2025 (2nd, $60,000). The team consistently proved its strength online as well, qualifying through BLAST Open Fall 2025: Closed Qualifier (2:1). Their autumn campaign was capped with a commanding victory at ESL Pro League Season 22 (3:0, $100,000), demonstrating both tactical superiority and mechanical precision. Additionally, their triumph in ESL Grand Slam Season 5 earlier in the year, earning $1,000,000, underlined their sustained dominance across multiple S-tier events.
Throughout the year, Vitality’s success has relied on the synergy of its roster. apEX provides in-game leadership and decision-making; ZywOo’s exceptional aim and versatility make him a constant threat; ropz adds calm and consistency in pressure situations; flameZ and mezii contribute crucial rifling depth and flexibility. Together, this balance of experience and talent allows Vitality to maintain control over maps, execute complex strategies, and adapt to opponents’ playstyles.
Vitality Map Pool
Over the past three months, Team Vitality has demonstrated clear strengths across its map pool, with Dust2 emerging as their most dominant map, particularly as a first pick, boasting a remarkable 90% win rate. Inferno has also proven to be a reliable choice, with a 75% success rate reflecting strong mid-round control and site execution. Nuke and Overpass remain solid options at 62.5% and 60% respectively, showing tactical flexibility and good defensive setups. Mirage presents moderate success with a 54.5% win rate, indicating room for refinement in both utility usage and entry strategies. Train has been more challenging, with a 42.9% win rate, suggesting the team may prioritize adjustments and practice to strengthen performance on this map. Overall, these statistics highlight Vitality’s adaptability and strategic depth, making them a formidable opponent across a wide range of maps.
Virtus.pro form. What result can be expected from Virtus.pro
Virtus.pro in 2025 continues to assert itself as a prominent organization in the global CS2 scene, blending seasoned veterans with promising young talent. Founded in 2003 and now headquartered in Yerevan under Armenian management, the team carries a legacy of Major victories and international recognition, including the ESL One Katowice 2014 title. Their transition to CS2 has involved careful roster restructuring, targeted acquisitions, and strategic coaching to regain a place among the world’s elite.
The 2025 roster combines experience and youth: Evgeniy “FL1T” Lebedev provides veteran stability; Petr “fame” Bolyshev brings reliable performance and leadership; Ilya “Perfecto” Zalutskiy serves as the new IGL with Major-winning experience; Vadim “tO0RO” Arkov and Vladimir “b1st” Krasikov add fresh energy and versatility from the academy. Head coach Ivan “F_1N” Kochugov oversees tactical preparation, mid-round decision-making, and team cohesion, ensuring the roster adapts quickly to the demands of top-tier CS2 competition.
- Virtus.pro 2025 roster: FL1T, fame, Perfecto, tO0RO, b1st.
The 2025 season has been a mix of learning and competitive challenges. On the international stage, Virtus.pro placed 9th–11th at PGL Astana 2025 and BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025, 17th–20th at IEM Cologne 2025, and 7th–8th at CS Asia Championships 2025. They also participated in S-tier offline tournaments such as FISSURE Playground #1 and #2, finishing 13th–16th and 9th–11th respectively. Online, the team competed in BLAST Open Fall 2025: Closed Qualifier (13th–16th), and in BLAST Bounty Fall 2025: Closed Qualifier (1st–8th). These results reflect ongoing adaptation to CS2 and the integration of new players into the team structure.
Virtus.pro’s strengths lie in its combination of legacy and fresh talent. Veterans like FL1T and fame provide composure and experience, while Perfecto’s leadership as IGL enhances tactical depth. tO0RO and b1st inject energy and flexibility, making the team unpredictable in mid-round situations. The organization’s willingness to make roster changes and adapt strategies demonstrates its commitment to reclaiming top-tier status.
Challenges remain, particularly in achieving consistent S-tier results and building roster synergy with recent additions. The team must maintain stability, refine communication, and overcome strong competition from elite European and North American squads.
Virtus.pro Map Pool
Over the past three months, Virtus.pro has shown clear preferences and strengths across their map pool. Train and Overpass have proven to be their most reliable battlegrounds, each with a 66.7% win rate, reflecting strong coordination and mid-round control. Dust2, when chosen as the first pick, and Inferno sit at a 50% win rate, showing moderate consistency and adaptability. Mirage and Ancient have been more challenging for the team, with win rates of 20% and 16.7% respectively, highlighting areas for improvement and tactical refinement in upcoming matches. Overall, Virtus.pro demonstrates strong performance on their favored maps, while facing opportunities to strengthen weaker picks.
Head-to-head: Vitality vs Virtus.pro
Looking at historical encounters, Vitality have the edge over Virtus.pro. According to one source, Vitality hold 7 wins out of 11 recorded matches, giving them an approximate 64% win rate, while another source reports 14 total encounters with Vitality winning 9 and Virtus.pro 5. Recent results reinforce this trend: on 4 February 2025 and 21 March 2025, Vitality defeated Virtus.pro 2‑0 in both matches, demonstrating clear control. Virtus.pro did claim victories in earlier meetings, notably on 12 June 2024 and 19 July 2024, both 2‑1 wins, showing they can compete when the matchup favors them. Overall, Vitality appear dominant in head-to-head statistics, particularly in recent CS2 encounters, though map choice and roster adjustments could influence outcomes in future clashes.
Predicted result of the match Vitality – Virtus.pro at IEM Chengdu 2025
Given current form, map pool performance, and head-to-head history, Vitality are heavily favored to secure a straight‑map victory over Virtus.pro. The French squad enters IEM Chengdu 2025 in exceptional shape, demonstrating dominant performances across premier S-tier events throughout 2025 and a strong winning rate on key maps such as Dust2 (90%) and Inferno (75%). Their synergy, individual skill, and tactical depth give them a clear edge in controlling both mid- and late-round scenarios.
Virtus.pro, while showing promise with veterans like FL1T and leadership from Perfecto, have struggled to achieve consistent results in recent S-tier tournaments, with weaker performances on maps such as Mirage (20%) and Ancient (16.7%). Head-to-head trends further favor Vitality, who have claimed the majority of recent encounters, including decisive 2‑0 victories earlier in 2025.
Considering all factors — roster strength, map pool advantages, tournament momentum, and historical dominance — the most probable outcome is a convincing 2‑0 win for Vitality, with Virtus.pro facing an uphill battle to disrupt the French team’s rhythm or secure a map win.
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