IEM Dallas 2025 Power Rankings – Another Win for Vitality? Maybe Not
IEM Dallas 2025 is about to begin, and the lineup of teams is stacked. With eight out of the top ten teams present, this North American event promises top-tier Counter-Strike. If you want to take advantage of the CS2 odds, here’s how the 16 teams stack up heading into the event.
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IEM Dallas 2025 Power Rankings
The 2025 iteration of IEM Dallas boasts a prize pool of $1,000,000, a huge jump from the previous year’s distribution of $250,000. Every team is looking to bring their A-game, and you should also do your research before betting on the CS2 markets.
For our power rankings, we’ll divide the 16 participants into four categories:
- Favorites: the best teams with the strongest likelihood of walking away as champions
- Contenders: middle-of-the-pack teams with the capability of going the distance
- Underdogs: teams that are unlikely to make it far unless they undergo a drastic change in form
- Long Shots: the participants who will likely face an early elimination
Favorites at IEM Dallas 2025
- Team Vitality: The clear favorites heading into Dallas, Vitality are riding one of the longest win streaks in CS history, having won five events in a row. The French organization is looking to extend its era, and every other team is playing catch-up.
- Team Falcons: The Saudi-backed squad has been on a steady rise since m0NESY ed, whose firepower has taken the roster to another level. They came close to toppling Vitality, making the dominant squad look vulnerable for the first time. With m0NESY settling in, the Falcons could seriously win this event.
- MOUZ: Acting as the definition of consistency in 2025, MOUZ has been making deep runs at every event they’ve attended this year. They pushed Vitality to the brink as well, proving they’re not far off from taking a title on their own. With their current form, anything less than a podium finish in Dallas would be a disappointment.
Contenders at IEM Dallas 2025
- Aurora: The Turks turned in a relatively disappointing performance at a weak PGL Astana event, again falling short in the playoffs. They continue to struggle to convert strong group stage performances into deep bracket runs. It’s worth noting that Aurora is flying straight from Astana to Dallas, so jet lag could be an early hurdle to overcome.
- The MongolZ: Boasting incredible raw firepower, The MongolZ have shown they can go toe-to-toe with any team when they’re firing on all cylinders. However, the young roster severely lacks big-stage experience, which keeps them from being title contenders.
- FaZe: Headlining the event is FaZe after the team’s acquisition of s1mple, instantly becoming the most talked-about team heading into Dallas. This move is a massive gamble, with sky-high potential but equally high risk. I think they’ll either be really good or really bad.
- Liquid: The North American representatives have looked more refined since welcoming Siuhy as their new in-game leader. With more time to practice under his system, we could expect a significantly improved version of Liquid. Playing on home soil, the crowd could be the extra boost they need to go deep.
- G2: Amid a full-blown crisis, having lost their best players and been forced to a sudden rebuild, expectations for G2 are quite low. Though the team’s stand-in hades has been showing some impressive performances, the team’s current form is in heavy question.
Underdogs at IEM Dallas 2025
- GamerLegion: The prospects of GamerLegion have flashed serious potential throughout the year, but their recent form paints a different picture. They missed out on the Major and bombed out of Astana. Despite the setbacks, they have nothing to lose in Dallas. With no Major to prepare for, expect them to go all-in and swing hard at this event.
- 3DMAX: The French squad has been off the radar lately, as we haven’t seen them much in recent events. However, they’ve consistently shown they can hang with top-tier teams when given the chance. With limited recent footage to study, I think 3DMAX could catch more than a few teams off guard.
- Heroic: The Heroic rebuild has posted some respectable results recently, but questions linger about their true ceiling. With a roster full of younger, less experienced players, IEM Dallas will be a major proving ground. This event will give us a clearer picture of whether they’re ready to compete or are still finding their footing.
- FURIA: With the new international roster finishing within the top four at Astana, FURIA is showing they’re on the right track. Rookie addition Molodoy went nuclear in the group stage, but struggled under playoff pressure – a sign of his inexperience. If he finds his footing in Dallas, FURIA could be a serious threat to some of the tournament favorites.
Long Shots at IEM Dallas 2025
- Legacy: Though they might not have big names on the roster, Legacy’s recent results have sparked a little confidence in me. They’ve been tearing through both North and South American competition. While they might have limited international experience, they’ve shown a level of cohesion that might put them ahead of other Long Shots.
- Lynn Vision: Representing China, Lynn Vision has firmly established itself as one of the best teams in Asia. However, their international performances have yet to match their regional dominance. A strong showing in Dallas could put Asian Counter-Strike back on the map.
- NRG: This will be the first international LAN appearance for NRG’s new lineup, and their online showings against inferior regional opposition haven’t exactly inspired confidence. That said, they’ve got Captain America himself – nitr0 – leading the charge. If they’re going to pop off, it’ll be on home soil.
- BC.Game: Under Nexa’s leadership, BC.Game enters Dallas under less-than-ideal circumstances. They were supposed to field Perfecto as a stand-in, but the former NAVI player failed to secure his visa. As a result, BC.Game had to turn to CacaNito as a last-minute replacement. Given the chaos, expectations are understandably low.
Out of all these teams, some teams are more favored than others – we can’t wait to be surprised.
