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<\/p>\nThe first two days of the Esports World Cup 2025 playoffs in Riyadh have already gone down in history. A tournament that gathered the world\u2019s strongest teams began with a series of upsets: four giants \u2014 Natus Vincere, Astralis, Spirit, and FaZe \u2014 were eliminated as early as the Round of 16. Instead of the expected dominance of favorites, we witnessed the triumph of\u00a0 \u2014 3DMAX, TYLOO, Heroic, and Aurora \u2014 while Vitality and The MongolZ confirmed their consistency.<\/p>\n
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The clash between Vitality and Liquid opened the playoffs with tension right from the start. On Mirage (13:11), Liquid showed a confident T-side and controlled the game for long stretches. However, in the closing rounds, Vitality\u2019s stars stepped up: ZywOo (51\u201334, 1.46 rating) shut down every comeback attempt, while ropz (49\u201335, 1.36 rating) added consistency. Liquid pushed the map to the limit but failed to secure the finishing blow.<\/p>\n
On Dust2 (19:16), the game went into overtime. Here Vitality demonstrated composure while Liquid faltered in crucial late rounds. Despite a phenomenal performance from Twistzz (53\u201338, 1.49 rating), the North Americans couldn\u2019t find a way past the French-led discipline. Vitality\u2019s victory proved they can withstand heavy pressure, while Liquid once again highlighted their lack of LAN stability.<\/p>\n
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The meeting between TYLOO and Astralis delivered the tournament\u2019s first major upset. The Danes started the series confidently, winning Inferno (13:8) thanks to device\u2019s experience and a solid defense. It seemed Astralis would comfortably advance, but the Chinese squad had other plans.<\/p>\n
On Overpass (13:7), TYLOO unleashed their aggressive offense. Moseyuh (55\u201346, 1.30 rating), alongside JamYoung (47\u201340), tore through Astralis\u2019 defenses, and every clutch win eroded the Danes\u2019 confidence. The decider, Train (13:10), turned into a nail-biting affair: TYLOO remained ice-cold in tight rounds, while Astralis crumbled under pressure and lost initiative.<\/p>\n
For the first time in years, TYLOO delivered a result that may shift global perceptions of Asian CS. Astralis, meanwhile, displayed a familiar weakness \u2014 strong starts but a lack of depth when opponents change tempo.<\/p>\n
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French squad 3DMAX stunned the world by eliminating NAVI. The series began in NAVI\u2019s favor: they took Ancient (13:10) behind a brilliant showing from makazze (58\u201346, 1.27 rating), who almost single-handedly carried them. At that point, NAVI looked in control.<\/p>\n
But on Inferno (9:13), the French seized momentum. Maka (47\u201338, 1.12 rating) closed rounds with precision, while NAVI repeatedly lost critical situations against low buys. The decider, Nuke (11:13), was the final blow: NAVI couldn\u2019t convert advantageous positions on defense, and their leaders faltered. Particularly underwhelming was Aleksib (-15 K\/D, 0.94 rating), whose in-game leadership failed to produce results.<\/p>\n
For 3DMAX, this was a historic victory \u2014 their deepest run at a top-tier event in years. For NAVI, it was yet another sign the roster needs a reset.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Screenshot_65.webp\")
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The MongolZ left no chance for GamerLegion, once again proving they are among the strongest teams in the world. On Overpass (13:7), GamerLegion tried to control the pace, but MongolZ\u2019s fast and aggressive T-side consistently exploited weaknesses.<\/p>\n
The second map, Inferno (13:3), was a complete demolition. The Mongolian squad shut down every attack, with bLitz (39\u201323, 1.68 rating) and 910 (36\u201320, 1.30 rating) locking down the map. GamerLegion ran out of ideas, and their stars collapsed: Kurzy (17\u201331, 0.69 rating) and ztr (17\u201331, 0.77 rating) couldn\u2019t find their rhythm.<\/p>\n
The MongolZ look like a team destined for at least the semifinals, while GamerLegion bowed out with little resistance.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Screenshot_69.webp\")
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Day two brought the tournament\u2019s biggest shock: the elimination of Team Spirit, the consensus favorite.<\/p>\n
For Spirit, this loss was a disaster \u2014 a team led by donk was seen as the frontrunner for the trophy. Heroic, on the other hand, proved they can still surprise at the top level.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Screenshot_70.webp\")
<\/p>\n
The final match of day two delivered another upset \u2014 the elimination of FaZe at the hands of Aurora.<\/p>\n
Aurora\u2019s victory marks a huge step forward, proving Turkish CS can compete on the global stage. For FaZe, it was yet another disappointment in a streak of underwhelming results.<\/p>\n
After the first two days, the picture is astonishing:<\/p>\n
The Esports World Cup 2025 has shattered predictions and shown that modern CS2 is utterly unpredictable. Favorites fall, while new stars rise and announce themselves to the world. The upcoming quarterfinals promise to be even more explosive.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The first two days of the Esports World Cup 2025 playoffs in Riyadh have already gone down in history. A tournament that gathered the world\u2019s strongest teams began with a series of upsets: four giants \u2014 Natus Vincere, Astralis, Spirit, and FaZe \u2014 were eliminated as early as the Round of 16. Instead of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":233968,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[511,496,580,509,486,463,512,548,551,367,502,507],"class_list":["post-233966","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-3dmax","tag-astralis","tag-aurora","tag-faze","tag-gamerlegion","tag-heroic","tag-liquid","tag-navi","tag-team-spirit","tag-the-mongolz","tag-tyloo","tag-vitality"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n