Team Spirit defeat Natus Vincere in a thrilling match to reach the IEM Katowice 2025 Grand Final

February 8, 2025, can be considered the second most important day at Intel Extreme Masters Katowice 2025, as this is when the tournament's semi-finals took place. With a $1 million prize pool at stake, every match was crucial for the teams aiming to advance further. Among the two matchups today, the clash between Natus Vincere and Team Spirit undoubtedly drew the most attention. Let’s break down this intense battle.

Natus Vincere vs. Team Spirit

The significance and intensity of this matchup were off the charts. Not only was a spot in the IEM Katowice 2025 Grand Final on the line, but it was also a rematch between these two teams. NAVI and Team Spirit had already faced each other in the group stage semi-finals, where NAVI secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory.

NAVI chose Mirage as their first pick, aiming to slow down their opponent's aggressive attack. However, their start was disastrous, trailing 1-7 after eight rounds. Just when things looked bleak, NAVI mounted a comeback, winning consecutive rounds and bringing the score to 7-8 in favor of Team Spirit.

Some key highlights included:

• b1t's 1v2 clutch in Round 4
• jL’s ultra-kill in Round 15

Despite these efforts, Team Spirit secured the map with a 13-8 victory (8-4; 5-4).

Confident after their Mirage win, Team Spirit opted for Dust2. Both teams traded early rounds, carefully analyzing each other's strategies. But soon, Team Spirit's attack proved too strong, giving them a slight edge. The first half ended in a balanced 6-6, but the second half turned into a breathtaking back-and-forth battle. NAVI reached 12 rounds first, seemingly on the verge of victory. However, Team Spirit fought back, equalizing at 12-12 and pushing the game into overtime, where they ultimately triumphed.

Conclusion

With this victory, Team Spirit avenged their earlier loss to NAVI and secured a spot in the IEM Katowice 2025 Grand Final against Team Vitality. Meanwhile, NAVI showcased exceptional gameplay throughout the tournament, earning a well-deserved 3rd-4th place finish and a $80,000 prize