{"id":294422,"date":"2025-11-13T15:14:24","date_gmt":"2025-11-13T15:14:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/?p=294422"},"modified":"2025-11-13T15:14:24","modified_gmt":"2025-11-13T15:14:24","slug":"hltv-confirmed-chengdu-top-teams-major-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/news\/hltv-confirmed-chengdu-top-teams-major-2025","title":{"rendered":"HLTV Confirmed after IEM Chengdu: who\u2019s ready for the Major and who\u2019s falling apart"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The first big post-tournament episode of HLTV Confirmed after IEM Chengdu 2025 turned into more than just a breakdown of a single event \u2013 it became a compact snapshot of the entire CS2 elite. In one show you had: the rise of FURIA and the \u201cFalleN effect\u201d, question marks around Vitality, the crisis in Spirit, the chaos of The MongolZ without Senzu, the roller coaster of Falcons and MOUZ, troubled NaVi, a tired FaZe, and a pale-looking Astralis. In parallel \u2014 a look towards StarLadder Major Budapest 2025 and BLAST Rivals Hong Kong, where Major storylines are already being seeded.<\/p>\n<h3>The Budapest Major: the bracket as a weapon<\/h3>\n<div class=\"article__media y-red-dif-4\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/pZ1DvCRtJWk?si=lsQUf3sJOCTJrFTq\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>Analysts agreed that the playoff bracket structure could be just as decisive as the form of the teams. In a format with a final Swiss stage:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"article-list-pink\">\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">a 3\u20130 record gives the most favorable seeding;<\/li>\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">3\u20131 \/ 3\u20132 can immediately throw a team into a \u201cgroup of death\u201d in the quarterfinals;<\/li>\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">specific matchups (Falcons vs Spirit, MOUZ vs Vitality, FURIA vs G2, etc.) can completely break all pre-event predictions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>FURIA are currently on the best stretch of their season, but even they lost to MOUZ in Chengdu. Vitality, Falcons, MOUZ, Spirit all look like teams that:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"article-list-pink\">\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">can win the Major,<\/li>\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">and just as easily crash out in the quarterfinals after one bad series.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote class=\"custom-bq\"><div class=\"custom-bq-q\"><p>Going 3\u20130 in Swiss isn\u2019t about style points anymore, it\u2019s about survival, the desk summed up harshly.<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n<div class=\"article__content grid-cards-col xl-w-100\">\n    <p class=\"article-h3\">read more<\/p>\n    <div class=\"grid-1 gap-12 mb-12 load-parent xl-w-100\">\n        <div class=\"type3 y-red-dif hover-card card-more\">\n        <a class=\"type3__left up-to-card hover-el\" href=\"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/news\/team-spirit-crisis-zweih-donk-chopper-analysis\">\n        <div class=\"bg-bottom-abs-short\"> <\/div>\n        <picture class=\"picture object-fit-cover\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"picture__img object-fit-cover\" src=\"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/image-35-1-1.webp\" alt=\"Mauisnake, Thorin &#038; Flashy on Spirit\u2019s Fall After IEM Chengdu\">\n        <\/picture>\n    <\/a>\n        <div class=\"type3__right main-structure p-20\">\n        <div class=\"type3__top\">\n            <a class=\"type3__title title-24 hover-el\" href=\"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/news\/team-spirit-crisis-zweih-donk-chopper-analysis\">Mauisnake, Thorin &#038; Flashy on Spirit\u2019s Fall After IEM Chengdu<\/a>\n            <a class=\"go-arrow hover-el\" href=\"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/news\/team-spirit-crisis-zweih-donk-chopper-analysis\">\n                <div class=\"go-arrow__left go-arrow__part\">\n                    <svg class=\"icon\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\">\n                        <use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/themes\/skinclub-v3\/assets\/images\/sprites\/main.stack.svg?v=1779703590#image-blue-arrow\"><\/use>\n                    <\/svg>\n                <\/div>\n                <div class=\"go-arrow__center go-arrow__part\">\n                    <svg class=\"icon\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\">\n                        <use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/themes\/skinclub-v3\/assets\/images\/sprites\/main.stack.svg?v=1779703590#image-blue-arrow\"><\/use>\n                    <\/svg>\n                <\/div>\n                <div class=\"go-arrow__right go-arrow__part\">\n                    <svg class=\"icon\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\">\n                        <use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/themes\/skinclub-v3\/assets\/images\/sprites\/main.stack.svg?v=1779703590#image-blue-arrow\"><\/use>\n                    <\/svg>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/a><\/div>\n        <div class=\"type3__bottom blue-labels mt-auto\">\n            <div class=\"blue-label disabled\">Nov 07 2025<\/div>\n            <a class=\"blue-label\" href=\"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/news\">News<\/a>        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3>FalleN: 13\u20130 in BO5s and a historic streak<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-286912\" src=\"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/FalleN_at_PGL_Bucharest_2025.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"607\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/FalleN_at_PGL_Bucharest_2025.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/FalleN_at_PGL_Bucharest_2025-300x178.jpg 300w, https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/FalleN_at_PGL_Bucharest_2025-768x455.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>In the \u201cWhat are the odds?\u201d segment, the panel broke down FalleN\u2019s insane streak in BO5 grand finals:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"article-list-pink\">\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">his last loss in a BO5 final came back in 2016;<\/li>\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">since then \u2014 13 straight BO5 wins;<\/li>\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">the key question now: will he finish 2025 without a single BO5 defeat?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The odds from the show:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"article-list-pink\">\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">SPUNJ \u2014 roughly 33%;<\/li>\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">Striker and Prof \u2014 around 80%;<\/li>\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">chat \u2014 about 91% \u201cyes\u201d.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The logic is simple: FURIA don\u2019t have to reach every BO5 final at BLAST or the Major. But if they do get there, in a long series their structure, map pool and FalleN\u2019s ice-cold leadership give them a serious edge.<\/p>\n<h3>The MongolZ without Senzu: Deagles, force buys and controlled chaos<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-294427\" src=\"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/54920538426_717b7e3f9c_b.webp\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/54920538426_717b7e3f9c_b.webp 1024w, https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/54920538426_717b7e3f9c_b-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/54920538426_717b7e3f9c_b-768x512.webp 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The current version of The MongolZ with controlez instead of Senzu leaves a mixed impression:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"article-list-pink\">\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">the team can still win important series against the likes of Spirit or paiN, and make playoffs;<\/li>\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">but their style has become even more \u201cMongolian\u201d: questionable force buys on Dust2, and rounds where the plan basically sounds like \u201ccontrolez will hit three headshots\u201d.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote class=\"custom-bq\"><div class=\"custom-bq-q\"><p>Half of their forces looked like the only strat was \u2018controlez kills three with a Deagle\u2019, the desk admitted bluntly.<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<p>Controlez was a pleasant surprise and played better than many expected, but:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"article-list-pink\">\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">he doesn\u2019t provide the same impact as Senzu;<\/li>\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">this version of The MongolZ is not at the level of a true Major title contender.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The ceiling the analysts are willing to give them right now is reaching the playoffs \u2014 nothing more.<\/p>\n<h3>Falcons: talent + ego vs discipline<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-291309\" src=\"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/54577681339_0b8954db98_k.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/54577681339_0b8954db98_k.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/54577681339_0b8954db98_k-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/54577681339_0b8954db98_k-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/54577681339_0b8954db98_k-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/54577681339_0b8954db98_k-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Once again, Falcons ended up as the prime example of a team with \u201ctwo faces\u201d:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"article-list-pink\">\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">in groups \u2014 total dominance, NiKo and m0NESY look like the scariest duo in the world;<\/li>\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">in playoffs \u2014 key map failures and a painful series against FURIA, where:\n<ul class=\"article-list-pink\">\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item article-list-pink__item\">their main trump card Ancient never even made it into the veto;<\/li>\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item article-list-pink__item\">Inferno collapsed yet again.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Coach Sonic openly acknowledged the ego problem:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"custom-bq\"><div class=\"custom-bq-q\"><p>We have players with big egos. When something doesn\u2019t work, they go for repeat peeks to \u2018prove themselves\u2019, and it breaks our structure.<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<p>Analysts compared Falcons to G2 in the \u2018wild aim + fragile discipline\u2019 era: one bad BO3 late in the tournament is enough for everything to fall apart. At the same time, everyone agrees: with a favorable bracket and Ancient in the pool, Falcons absolutely can win the Major.<\/p>\n<h3>MOUZ: world-class on a good day, \u201cmood team\u201d on a bad one<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-289129\" src=\"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/54766616842_03b377f362_k.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1087\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/54766616842_03b377f362_k.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/54766616842_03b377f362_k-300x170.jpg 300w, https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/54766616842_03b377f362_k-1024x580.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/54766616842_03b377f362_k-768x435.jpg 768w, https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/54766616842_03b377f362_k-1536x870.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>MOUZ received both praise and a cold reality check. Their two series against Vitality in Chengdu (especially the semi-final) were called some of the highest-level matches of the year:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"article-list-pink\">\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">the team looked like an established top contender, not a \u201cyoung underdog\u201d;<\/li>\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">xertioN confidently took initiative;<\/li>\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">their structure looked mature and well-defined.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>But the core issue, according to SPUNJ, hasn\u2019t gone anywhere:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"custom-bq\"><div class=\"custom-bq-q\"><p>If xertioN is taking his duel every round, siuhy simply doesn\u2019t have space to build the macro.<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<p>At their peak, MOUZ can win any tournament, if three things line up:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"article-list-pink\">\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">star players are in form;<\/li>\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">the map pool matches their opponents well;<\/li>\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">the bracket doesn\u2019t troll them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>But in terms of stability, this is still a \u201cteam of mood\u201d, not a consistent championship-level contender like Vitality or FURIA.<\/p>\n<h3>Spirit: from dynasty talk to full-on crisis<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-288735\" src=\"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/G4_nwdbWcAAbgpo.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1281\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/G4_nwdbWcAAbgpo.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/G4_nwdbWcAAbgpo-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/G4_nwdbWcAAbgpo-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/G4_nwdbWcAAbgpo-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/G4_nwdbWcAAbgpo-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The harshest criticism went to Team Spirit. Not long ago they were:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"article-list-pink\">\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">champions of Katowice,<\/li>\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">Major winners,<\/li>\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">Cologne champions \u2014 the main candidate to become a CS2 dynasty.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Now they\u2019re a team that\u2019s genuinely painful to watch.<\/p>\n<p>Key issues highlighted:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"article-list-pink\">\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">weak T sides;<\/li>\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">positional mistakes from chopper in important moments;<\/li>\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">donk increasingly looking like a \u201cvery strong player\u201d rather than an unstoppable monster;<\/li>\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">tN1R, who added more chaos than structure;<\/li>\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">brainless 3v5s on Nuke where they get info and then have no idea what to do with it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote class=\"custom-bq\"><div class=\"custom-bq-q\"><p>There\u2019s no point taking information if you do nothing with it. They just walk, die, and give info to the opponent. That\u2019s not high-level CS, SPUNJ said sharply.<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n<p>Against the backdrop of their previous streak of constant finals, this slump looks like a systemic crisis rather than a brief dip in form.<\/p>\n<h3>NaVi, FaZe, Astralis: big brands, quiet results<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-285634\" src=\"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/DSC09129.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1281\" srcset=\"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/DSC09129.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/DSC09129-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/DSC09129-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/DSC09129-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/DSC09129-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>NaVi, FaZe and Astralis were mentioned briefly but tellingly:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"article-list-pink\">\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">NaVi \u2014 their Chengdu showing was called a failure, and long-term belief in the project is almost gone;<\/li>\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">FaZe \u2014 look exhausted, and rain is less and less able to carry the historic role that made him a symbol of the org;<\/li>\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">Astralis \u2014 their playoff appearance says more about the weakness of the group than about the strength of the Danes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>All three are seen more as spoilers and dark horses than as true favorites for the Major.<\/p>\n<h3>BLAST Rivals Hong Kong: rematches, upsets and a fresh test<\/h3>\n<p>At the end of the show, the focus shifted to BLAST Rivals Hong Kong:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"article-list-pink\">\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">Vitality and FURIA are preparing for a BO3 rematch \u2014 another test of their growing rivalry;<\/li>\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">Passion UA blew up the bracket by beating The MongolZ and advancing to a match for first place in the group against Falcons;<\/li>\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">Spirit now have a chance to embarrass themselves against the same MongolZ for a second time, just at a different event.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>They also mentioned the integration with Refrag \u2014 a platform where viewers can replay tournament highlights on their own server and feel what it\u2019s like to face a professional execute in real time.<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"article__content grid-cards-col xl-w-100\">\n    <p class=\"article-h3\">read more<\/p>\n    <div class=\"grid-1 gap-12 mb-12 load-parent xl-w-100\">\n        <div class=\"type3 y-red-dif hover-card card-more\">\n        <a class=\"type3__left up-to-card hover-el\" href=\"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/news\/furia-vs-vitality-grand-final-iem-chengdu-2025\">\n        <div class=\"bg-bottom-abs-short\"> <\/div>\n        <picture class=\"picture object-fit-cover\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"picture__img object-fit-cover\" src=\"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/image-36.webp\" alt=\"FURIA defeat Vitality 3\u20130 to triumph at IEM Chengdu 2025\">\n        <\/picture>\n    <\/a>\n        <div class=\"type3__right main-structure p-20\">\n        <div class=\"type3__top\">\n            <a class=\"type3__title title-24 hover-el\" href=\"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/news\/furia-vs-vitality-grand-final-iem-chengdu-2025\">FURIA defeat Vitality 3\u20130 to triumph at IEM Chengdu 2025<\/a>\n            <a class=\"go-arrow hover-el\" href=\"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/news\/furia-vs-vitality-grand-final-iem-chengdu-2025\">\n                <div class=\"go-arrow__left go-arrow__part\">\n                    <svg class=\"icon\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\">\n                        <use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/themes\/skinclub-v3\/assets\/images\/sprites\/main.stack.svg?v=1779703590#image-blue-arrow\"><\/use>\n                    <\/svg>\n                <\/div>\n                <div class=\"go-arrow__center go-arrow__part\">\n                    <svg class=\"icon\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\">\n                        <use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/themes\/skinclub-v3\/assets\/images\/sprites\/main.stack.svg?v=1779703590#image-blue-arrow\"><\/use>\n                    <\/svg>\n                <\/div>\n                <div class=\"go-arrow__right go-arrow__part\">\n                    <svg class=\"icon\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\">\n                        <use xlink:href=\"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/themes\/skinclub-v3\/assets\/images\/sprites\/main.stack.svg?v=1779703590#image-blue-arrow\"><\/use>\n                    <\/svg>\n                <\/div>\n            <\/a><\/div>\n        <div class=\"type3__bottom blue-labels mt-auto\">\n            <div class=\"blue-label disabled\">Nov 09 2025<\/div>\n            <a class=\"blue-label\" href=\"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/news\">News<\/a>        <\/div>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3>The scene before the storm<\/h3>\n<p>In the end, this episode of HLTV Confirmed became a compact but comprehensive map of the CS2 landscape heading into Budapest:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"article-list-pink\">\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">FURIA with FalleN \u2014 a top-3 team of the year candidate and the main chaos factor;<\/li>\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">Vitality \u2014 champions by trophies, but with questions around motivation and leadership;<\/li>\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">Falcons and MOUZ \u2014 \u201cperfect tournament\u201d teams that can win the Major if form and bracket align;<\/li>\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">Spirit \u2014 a live warning of how fast a superteam can fall apart;<\/li>\n<li class=\"article-list-pink__item\">MongolZ, NaVi, FaZe, Astralis \u2014 stuck between a great past and an unconvincing present.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>And all of this is happening on the eve of a Major where the main character may not be a single superteam \u2014 but the chaos of the bracket itself.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The first big post-tournament episode of HLTV Confirmed after IEM Chengdu 2025 turned into more than just a breakdown of a single event \u2013 it became a compact snapshot of the entire CS2 elite. In one show you had: the rise of FURIA and the \u201cFalleN effect\u201d, question marks around Vitality, the crisis in Spirit, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":294488,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[496,1118,509,518,460,548,551,367],"class_list":["post-294422","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-astralis","tag-falcons","tag-faze","tag-furia","tag-mouz","tag-navi","tag-team-spirit","tag-the-mongolz"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>HLTV Confirmed Top Team Form After Chengdu Ahead of the Major<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"HLTV Confirmed recap: team form after IEM Chengdu and key storylines ahead of StarLadder Major Budapest 2025.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/news\/hltv-confirmed-chengdu-top-teams-major-2025\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"HLTV Confirmed Top Team Form After Chengdu Ahead of the Major\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"HLTV Confirmed recap: team form after IEM Chengdu and key storylines ahead of StarLadder Major Budapest 2025.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/news\/hltv-confirmed-chengdu-top-teams-major-2025\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"CS2 &amp; CS:GO Articles, News, Events | Skin.Club Community\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-11-13T15:14:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/image-36-5.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"magic\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"magic\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.skin.club\\\/en\\\/news\\\/hltv-confirmed-chengdu-top-teams-major-2025#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.skin.club\\\/en\\\/news\\\/hltv-confirmed-chengdu-top-teams-major-2025\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"magic\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.skin.club\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/f557fddfc7400fe311b594ed77688366\"},\"headline\":\"HLTV Confirmed after IEM Chengdu: who\u2019s ready for the Major and who\u2019s falling apart\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-11-13T15:14:24+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.skin.club\\\/en\\\/news\\\/hltv-confirmed-chengdu-top-teams-major-2025\"},\"wordCount\":1293,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.skin.club\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.skin.club\\\/en\\\/news\\\/hltv-confirmed-chengdu-top-teams-major-2025#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.skin.club\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/image-36-5.webp\",\"keywords\":[\"Astralis\",\"Falcons\",\"FaZe\",\"FURIA\",\"MOUZ\",\"NAVI\",\"Team Spirit\",\"The MongolZ\"],\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"copyrightYear\":\"2025\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.skin.club\\\/#organization\"},\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-13T15:14:24+00:00\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.skin.club\\\/en\\\/news\\\/hltv-confirmed-chengdu-top-teams-major-2025\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.skin.club\\\/en\\\/news\\\/hltv-confirmed-chengdu-top-teams-major-2025\",\"name\":\"HLTV Confirmed Top Team Form After Chengdu Ahead of the Major\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.skin.club\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.skin.club\\\/en\\\/news\\\/hltv-confirmed-chengdu-top-teams-major-2025#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.skin.club\\\/en\\\/news\\\/hltv-confirmed-chengdu-top-teams-major-2025#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.skin.club\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/image-36-5.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-11-13T15:14:24+00:00\",\"description\":\"HLTV Confirmed recap: team form after IEM Chengdu and key storylines ahead of StarLadder Major Budapest 2025.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.skin.club\\\/en\\\/news\\\/hltv-confirmed-chengdu-top-teams-major-2025#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/community.skin.club\\\/en\\\/news\\\/hltv-confirmed-chengdu-top-teams-major-2025\"]}],\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-13T15:14:24+00:00\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.skin.club\\\/en\\\/news\\\/hltv-confirmed-chengdu-top-teams-major-2025#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.skin.club\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/image-36-5.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.skin.club\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/11\\\/image-36-5.webp\",\"width\":1280,\"height\":720},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.skin.club\\\/en\\\/news\\\/hltv-confirmed-chengdu-top-teams-major-2025#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Community\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.skin.club\\\/en\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"News\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.skin.club\\\/en\\\/news\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"HLTV Confirmed after IEM Chengdu: who\u2019s ready for the Major and who\u2019s falling apart\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.skin.club\\\/en\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.skin.club\\\/en\\\/\",\"name\":\"Skin.Club Community \u2014 CS2 News, Articles & Events\",\"description\":\"CS2 &amp; CS:GO Articles, News, Events | Skin.Club Community\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.skin.club\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"alternateName\":\"CS2 Community\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.skin.club\\\/en\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.skin.club\\\/en\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"SkinClub\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.skin.club\\\/en\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.skin.club\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.skin.club\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/07\\\/logo-1-1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.skin.club\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/07\\\/logo-1-1.png\",\"width\":512,\"height\":490,\"caption\":\"SkinClub\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.skin.club\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.skin.club\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/f557fddfc7400fe311b594ed77688366\",\"name\":\"magic\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.skin.club\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/MAGIC-01.png\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.skin.club\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/MAGIC-01.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.skin.club\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/10\\\/MAGIC-01.png\",\"caption\":\"magic\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/community.skin.club\\\/en\\\/members\\\/magic\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"HLTV Confirmed Top Team Form After Chengdu Ahead of the Major","description":"HLTV Confirmed recap: team form after IEM Chengdu and key storylines ahead of StarLadder Major Budapest 2025.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/news\/hltv-confirmed-chengdu-top-teams-major-2025","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"HLTV Confirmed Top Team Form After Chengdu Ahead of the Major","og_description":"HLTV Confirmed recap: team form after IEM Chengdu and key storylines ahead of StarLadder Major Budapest 2025.","og_url":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/news\/hltv-confirmed-chengdu-top-teams-major-2025","og_site_name":"CS2 &amp; CS:GO Articles, News, Events | Skin.Club Community","article_published_time":"2025-11-13T15:14:24+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1280,"height":720,"url":"http:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/image-36-5.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"author":"magic","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"magic","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/news\/hltv-confirmed-chengdu-top-teams-major-2025#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/news\/hltv-confirmed-chengdu-top-teams-major-2025"},"author":{"name":"magic","@id":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/f557fddfc7400fe311b594ed77688366"},"headline":"HLTV Confirmed after IEM Chengdu: who\u2019s ready for the Major and who\u2019s falling apart","datePublished":"2025-11-13T15:14:24+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/news\/hltv-confirmed-chengdu-top-teams-major-2025"},"wordCount":1293,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/news\/hltv-confirmed-chengdu-top-teams-major-2025#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/image-36-5.webp","keywords":["Astralis","Falcons","FaZe","FURIA","MOUZ","NAVI","Team Spirit","The MongolZ"],"articleSection":["News"],"inLanguage":"en-US","copyrightYear":"2025","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/#organization"},"dateModified":"2025-11-13T15:14:24+00:00"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/news\/hltv-confirmed-chengdu-top-teams-major-2025","url":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/news\/hltv-confirmed-chengdu-top-teams-major-2025","name":"HLTV Confirmed Top Team Form After Chengdu Ahead of the Major","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/news\/hltv-confirmed-chengdu-top-teams-major-2025#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/news\/hltv-confirmed-chengdu-top-teams-major-2025#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/image-36-5.webp","datePublished":"2025-11-13T15:14:24+00:00","description":"HLTV Confirmed recap: team form after IEM Chengdu and key storylines ahead of StarLadder Major Budapest 2025.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/news\/hltv-confirmed-chengdu-top-teams-major-2025#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/news\/hltv-confirmed-chengdu-top-teams-major-2025"]}],"dateModified":"2025-11-13T15:14:24+00:00"},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/news\/hltv-confirmed-chengdu-top-teams-major-2025#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/image-36-5.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/image-36-5.webp","width":1280,"height":720},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/news\/hltv-confirmed-chengdu-top-teams-major-2025#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Community","item":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"News","item":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/news"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"HLTV Confirmed after IEM Chengdu: who\u2019s ready for the Major and who\u2019s falling apart"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/","name":"Skin.Club Community \u2014 CS2 News, Articles & Events","description":"CS2 &amp; CS:GO Articles, News, Events | Skin.Club Community","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/#organization"},"alternateName":"CS2 Community","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/#organization","name":"SkinClub","url":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/logo-1-1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/logo-1-1.png","width":512,"height":490,"caption":"SkinClub"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/f557fddfc7400fe311b594ed77688366","name":"magic","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/MAGIC-01.png","url":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/MAGIC-01.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/MAGIC-01.png","caption":"magic"},"url":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/members\/magic"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/294422","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/34"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=294422"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/294422\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":297095,"href":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/294422\/revisions\/297095"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/294488"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=294422"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=294422"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=294422"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}