The opening day of IEM Chengdu 2025 brings an intriguing clash between two contrasting Counter-Strike schools — Brazil’s paiN Gaming and Russia’s Team Spirit. The format is a Best of 3 (LAN). Both teams enter the tournament with different objectives: Spirit aim to reaffirm their status as one of the world’s elite, while paiN seek to prove that their 2025 progress was no fluke.
Current Form and Context
paiN continue to show consistency on the international stage following a solid run at PGL Masters Bucharest. The Latin American squad has won three of their last five series, including victories over B8 (2–0) and GamerLegion (2–1). Their only painful loss came against Legacy (1–2), where late-round composure failed them.
The team’s main weapon remains nqz, their AWP anchor with a 1.12 rating, who dictates tempo and opens up space for his riflers. Newcomer dgt has integrated seamlessly, taking over as the team’s entry-fragger, while veteran biguZera continues to be the backbone in clutch scenarios.
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Spirit, on the other hand, enter Chengdu in mixed form. They’ve won three of their last five series — defeating G2 (2–0), Inner Circle (2–1), and HOTU (2–0) — but have shown occasional inconsistency. Even in losses, like the 0–2 against FaZe, their individual skill level remained remarkably high.
Young prodigy donk continues his reign of dominance with a 1.39 rating and 97.7 ADR over the past three months. sh1ro has regained his trademark consistency and composure, while chopper ensures balance between calculated aggression and structured play.
Head-to-Head
The two teams have met only once — at BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025, where Spirit crushed paiN 13–3 on Dust2. It was a one-sided affair in which donk and sh1ro completely dismantled the Brazilian defense.
Map Pool and Veto Analysis
Map stats (past three months):
- Dust2: paiN 44% | Spirit 71%
- Mirage: paiN 57% | Spirit 77%
- Inferno: paiN 50% | Spirit —
- Nuke: paiN 50% | Spirit 33%
- Ancient: paiN 40% | Spirit 78%
- Overpass: — | Spirit 100% (2 maps)
Likely vetoes:
- paiN will likely remove Overpass to avoid Spirit’s structured map control.
- Spirit are expected to ban Nuke, where paiN’s CT setups and economy management are strongest.
Possible picks:
- paiN: Mirage — a comfort pick for nqz, where his aggressive AWPing often dictates the pace.
- Spirit: Ancient — a map where donk and sh1ro consistently win most opening duels.
Potential decider: Dust2 — a neutral battleground where paiN can compete, but Spirit’s superior mid-round structure gives them the edge.
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Key Duels
- donk vs nqz — a battle of young stars, where tempo control and early openings could decide the series.
- biguZera vs chopper — experience clash: composure versus fiery leadership.
- snow vs sh1ro — the AWP duel; paiN’s chances depend heavily on whether snow can match sh1ro’s consistency in clutch rounds.
VRS Forecast
According to the updated Valve Regional Standings (VRS):
- paiN (#19, 1560 pts) would rise to #14 (+63 pts) with a win, but could fall to #21 with a loss.
- Spirit (#8, 1785 pts) could strengthen their position to #7 (+26 pts) if victorious, or drop out of the top eight with a defeat.
Prediction
paiN arrive disciplined and motivated after a strong showing at Bucharest, but Spirit operate on another level right now. chopper’s squad has a deeper map pool, sharper individual form, and relentless aggression led by donk. paiN could steal one map with a smart veto and early momentum, but in a Best of 3, Spirit’s tactical and mechanical superiority should prevail.
Predicted score: Spirit 2–1 paiN.
