Eighth Time's the Charm: MOUZ Upsets Vitality to Reach IEM Cologne Final

Eighth Time's the Charm: MOUZ Upsets Vitality to Reach IEM Cologne Final

MOUZ finally broke through their long-standing jinx against Team Vitality, defeating the French powerhouse 2‑0 in the IEM Cologne 2025 semi‑finals, in what was their eighth attempt this year–the first time they have beaten them after seven earlier losses.

🎯 Match Recap: Mirage and Train

Map 1 – Mirage (MOUZ pick): Vitality led 8‑4 at halftime, but MOUZ swung the momentum post‑side swap. With a dominant 9‑1 CT half, they sealed it 13‑9.

Map 2 – Train (Vitality pick): MOUZ struck early and never let up, carrying their lead through even rounds to win 13‑8, completing the sweep.

📉 Vitality’s Streak Comes to an End

Vitality’s vaunted 37-series BO3/BO5 win streak—dating back to January at IEM Katowice—ended in this semi‑final loss.

This is their first defeat in a BO3/5 format since that January loss, and their first missed final since BLAST Bounty 2024.

🧑‍🏫 Player Highlights

ZywOo had a night to forget with one of his worst performances—posting a 0.63 series rating, second‑lowest on Vitality, and admitted “almost everything went wrong” in the semi‑final.

flameZ struggled violently on Train, finishing with a scoreline of 1/18 and a dismal rating of 0.27.

🗣️ MOUZ Reaction: At Long Last

Brollan, MOUZ’s in‑game leader, reflected: “Tonight we celebrate and tomorrow we go again.” He noted the emotional significance of breaking the losing streak against Vitality—the “curse” at the eighth attempt.

🛤️ MOUZ’s Road to the Semifinal

Before facing Vitality, MOUZ had qualified for playoffs with wins over Liquid, NAVI, and FURIA. They originally dropped to the lower bracket after losing to Spirit, then rallied through FURIA in the quarters to set up the Vitality clash.

🏆 What’s Next: The Grand Final

Now, MOUZ will face Team Spirit in a best-of-five grand final, scheduled for Sunday, August 3 at 17:00 CEST (18:00 EEST). Earlier in the event, MOUZ lost narrowly to Spirit 2‑1, making the upcoming final a de facto rematch.

Vitality conclude their run in 3rd‑4th place, walking away with US $80,000 in prize money for the team and an additional US $28,000 organizational bonus.

✅ Context & Significance

This landmark victory not only ended Vitality’s dominance over MOUZ (7‑0 series record earlier in 2025), but also snapped Vitality’s unmatched run of trophies—seven in a row—making this outcome one of the biggest upsets of the tournament.

With momentum firmly on their side, MOUZ appear motivated and confident heading into the final. Analysts and fans are asking: Is MOUZ ready to capture their first IEM Cologne title? All eyes will be on the grand final showdown with Spirit