MOUZ, Vitality secure semifinal spots at IEM Melbourne

Field Level Media|published: Wed 23rd April, 11:47 2025

YMCA member Austin Manengu works the keyboard as he plays a game of Fortnite during the unveiling of the new gaming lab at the Maplewood Family YMCA in Rochester Thursday, June 20, 2024. YMCA of Greater Rochester in partnership with Metro Sports & Entertainment Group will open two gaming labs for youth and teens this year.

MOUZ and Team Vitality earned direct berths into the semifinals of the $300,000 Intel Extreme Masters Melbourne 2025 event in Australia on Wednesday.

In the upper-bracket final of Group A, MOUZ defeated The MongolZ 13-9 on Mirage and 13-7 on Nuke to advance.

In the same round in Group B, Vitality topped Team Falcons 16-13 on Mirage and 13-8 on Inferno.

MongolZ and Falcons moved into the quarterfinals of the Counter-Strike 2 tournament.

There, Falcons will meet GamerLegion, which qualified by defeating FaZe Clan in a hotly contested lower-bracket final in Group A. GamerLegion opened with a 19-16 win on Mirage, followed by a 13-11 triumph on Nuke.

In Group B, Team Liquid swept MIBR 2-0 in the lower-bracket semifinal, then topped Natus Vincere 2-1 in the final to advance.

Liquid sandwiched a 13-6 win on Anubis and a 13-8 victory on Ancient around a 13-10 loss on Inferno to qualify for the playoffs.

Liquid will face MongolZ in the quarterfinal round.

The top three teams from each group advanced to the single-elimination playoffs, which begin Friday. All matches are best-of-three until Sunday's best-of-five grand final, with the winner earning $125,000.

Friday playoff schedule:

--Team Falcons vs. GamerLegion (quarterfinal)

--The MongolZ vs. Team Liquid (quarterfinal)

Saturday playoff schedule:

--MOUZ vs. winner of Team Falcons vs. GamerLegion (semifinal)

--Team Vitality vs. winner of The MongolZ vs. Team Liquid (semifinal)

IEM Melbourne prize pool:

1. $125,000

2. $50,000

3-4. $25,000

5-6. $12,500

7-8. $7,000 - FaZe Clan, Natus Vincere