Falcons secured their spot in the IEM Melbourne 2025 playoffs after a thrilling 2-1 comeback win against Natus Vincere. The team, led by the star duo of Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov and Nikola “NiKo” Kovač, showcased resilience, coordination, and individual brilliance throughout the match.
The series began on Inferno, Falcons’ map pick designed to pressure NAVI’s weaker pool. They started strong on the CT side, taking a 7-1 lead, but NAVI answered back. Strong performances from b1t, Aleksib, and w0nderful turned the tide as NAVI closed out the map 13-9.
On Mirage, NAVI looked in complete control, storming to a 9-3 first-half lead and pushing the score to 11-3 after the pistol round. But Falcons refused to fold. m0NESY took over the server with an explosive performance, leading a ten-round streak that flipped the map on its head. Falcons edged out a 13-11 victory, forcing the decider.
Dust2 saw Falcons ride their momentum with sharp defense and confident executes. NiKo delivered a highlight ace while locking down the B site, helping the team to an early 8-1 lead. Unlike NAVI’s stumble on Mirage, Falcons maintained their dominance and closed the map convincingly. m0NESY finished with a 1.39 rating, with NiKo close behind at 1.20.
Falcons flying high in Melbourne
With this win, Falcons advance to the upper bracket final to face Vitality. NAVI, now in the lower bracket, will battle FlyQuest in a must-win match to keep their playoff hopes alive.
In the lower bracket face-off between SAW and MIBR, the Brazilians came out on top with a 2-1 win, keeping them alive in the stacked Group B, where NAVI and Liquid are among the teams fighting for survival in the lower bracket.
IEM Melbourne 2025 schedule:
Wednesday: (CEST)
03.15: FaZe – 3DMAX
03.30: Complexity – GamerLegion
05.45: FlyQuest – Natus Vincere
06.00: Liquid – MIBR
08.15: MOUZ – The MongolZ
08.30: Group A – Lower Bracket Final
10.45: Vitality – Falcons
11.00: Group B – Upper Bracket Final
