At the Chengdu International Convention Center, fans are set for a classic European clash between old-school experience and modern firepower. Vitality, the current world No.1, enter the IEM Chengdu 2025 playoffs as the tournament favorite, while Astralis — rebuilt under HooXi — seek to prove they can once again challenge the elite. The format is Best of 3 (LAN).
Current Form and Context
Vitality arrive in excellent form: five wins in their last six series, including confident victories over G2 (2–0), Lynn Vision (2–0), and Falcons (3–0). Their only setback came against MOUZ (1–2), which served more as a wake-up call than a real concern.
ZywOo remains the heartbeat of the team — his three-month average rating of 1.29 with 85.1 ADR is elite even by his standards, once again putting him in MVP contention. ropz has fully integrated into apEX’s system since his transfer, while flameZ and mezii keep up the tempo with proactive entries and mid-round control.
Astralis, on the other hand, are showing slow but steady progress. The Danes went 2–1 in groups, beating Natus Vincere (2–1) and The MongolZ (2–0), but fell to Falcons (0–2), exposing weaknesses in late-round coordination.
Staehr (1.10 rating) has been the team’s statistical standout, device is gradually regaining his peak form, while Magisk and jabbi provide consistency in clutch moments. The main question remains whether Astralis can sustain their rhythm against faster, sharper top-tier teams.
read more
Road to the Quarter-Finals
Vitality advanced to the playoffs from second place in Group B. apEX’s team defeated Virtus.pro (2–1), Lynn Vision (2–0), and G2 (2–0), but lost the group decider to MOUZ (1–2), sending them to the lower half of the bracket. Their performances on Mirage and Nuke were solid, while Dust2 — with a staggering 92% win rate — remains their ace card.
Astralis progressed from Group A with a 2–1 record, taking down Natus Vincere (2–1) and The MongolZ (2–0), but losing to Falcons (0–2) in the upper final. Despite that loss, the team looked organized and tactically flexible, particularly on Nuke, where HooXi’s tempo calls kept opponents guessing.
Head-to-Head — Vitality’s Clear Dominance
Vitality and Astralis have faced each other 22 times over the past two years, with Vitality leading decisively — 15 wins to 5. Their last four encounters (IEM Cologne 2025 and BLAST Open Lisbon 2025) all ended in Vitality’s favor, with round differences ranging from +4 to +9. Astralis last defeated Vitality back at BLAST Premier Spring Groups 2024. Since then, apEX’s squad has consistently exploited Astralis’s slower pacing, neutralizing device through positional shifts and dynamic map control.
Map Pool and Veto Analysis
Last 3 months — Win Rates:
- Dust2: Vitality 92% | Astralis 0%
- Mirage: Vitality 67% | Astralis 30%
- Inferno: Vitality 69% | Astralis 50%
- Nuke: Vitality 70% | Astralis 65%
- Overpass: Vitality 50% | Astralis 29%
- Ancient: Vitality — | Astralis 67%
- Train: Vitality 50% | Astralis 20%
Likely vetoes:
- Astralis will likely remove Dust2, where Vitality have been unbeatable (11 straight wins).
- Vitality should ban Ancient, avoiding Astralis’s structured, slow-paced game.
Possible picks:
- Vitality: Nuke or Inferno — both maps showcase their strong defensive setups.
- Astralis: Overpass, where HooXi can play around device’s control and mid-round calls.
Potential decider: Mirage — the most balanced map, where opening duels between ZywOo and Staehr could decide the flow.
Key Duels
- ZywOo vs device — a duel of eras: the modern prodigy versus the legendary veteran.
- ropz vs jabbi — a technical clash of lurkers with opposite approaches.
- apEX vs HooXi — captains with different philosophies: apEX’s emotion and chaos versus HooXi’s structure and restraint.
VRS Outlook — A Battle for Status
According to the Valve Regional Standings (VRS):
- Vitality (#2, 1951 pt) will climb back to #1 (+11 pt) with a win, overtaking Falcons.
- Astralis (#12, 1711 pt) could rise to #11 (+32 pt) if victorious, but would lose 10 points and remain outside the elite tier in case of defeat.
read more
Prediction
Vitality look faster, sharper, and more cohesive than ever. Their map pool is deeper, and the form of ZywOo, ropz, and flameZ provides unmatched consistency across all phases of the game.
Astralis can put up a fight, but to do so they must win early duels and limit ZywOo’s impact — something no one has managed to do in the past two months.
Predicted score: Vitality 2–0 Astralis
