Vitality miss out on a final for the first time since January

Vitality miss out on a final for the first time since January

Cologne, August 3, 2025 — Team Vitality’s months‑long run of consecutive grand‑final appearances ended at IEM Cologne 2025 after a 0–2 semi‑final loss to MOUZ (Mirage 9–13, Train 8–13) on August 2. HLTV’s live coverage noted the milestone explicitly: “Vitality miss out on the final for the first time since January.” 

MOUZ finally broke their Vitality curse at the eighth attempt this year, earning a spot in the final against Team Spirit. HLTV’s match report framed it as “eighth time is the charm,” underlining that MOUZ had lost seven prior series to Vitality in 2025. 

Player reactions & key details

Vitality IGL Dan “apEX” Madesclaire was candid on broadcast afterward: “We s** ourselves… I’m not too upset with the loss but with the way we played.”* (post‑match desk comments, summarized by Escorenews). He also told HLTV the same evening that MOUZ “wanted it more… in the communication, in everything.”

Individual form dipped: HLTV reported ZywOo struggled on Mirage, while flameZ “went missing on Train,” and Escorenews highlighted flameZ’s 1–18 KD on Train and ZywOo’s season‑worst Mirage rating.

From the winners’ side, new MOUZ IGL Brollan told HLTV: “Tonight we celebrate and tomorrow we go again,” stressing they had finally ended Vitality’s seven‑tournament title streak. 

Context
Vitality’s semifinal exit ends a remarkable first half of 2025 in which they reached—and typically won—event finals after a mid‑January setback. HLTV recently chronicled the dominance, including a historic BO3/BO5 win streak that defined the spring. 

What happened next
In the grand final, Team Spirit swept MOUZ 3–0 to lift the Cologne trophy, with donk starring and sh1ro delivering crucial rounds.