In the land where everything’s bigger, the IEM Dallas 2025 Playoffs were no exception.

Falcons’ losing streak to Vitality grew, and so did their rivals’ winning run.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

It all started with The MongolZ showing signs that they may have finally overcome their choking problem, securing a confident 2-0 victory over Aurora. Especially Senzu, who’s faced his fair share of criticism for disappearing under the spotlight. This time, though, credit where it’s due. The kid popped off, delivering a 1.50 rating across Dust2 and Mirage.

Unfortunately, that didn’t last long.

In the semifinal against MOUZ, Senzu reverted to his usual stage form in what ended up being a clean sweep. To be fair, hardly anyone on The MongolZ delivered strong numbers, even though both maps were close 13-11 wins for Brollan’s squad. We say ‘hardly’ because 910 deserves a shoutout - the only one who actually tried to make something happen.

As for MOUZ, it was solid performances across the board, but we’ve got to highlight this sick Jimpphat 4K in OT. Hey Falcons, do what you do best and throw some money at this kid already.

On the other side of the bracket, a clash of the titans was inevitable, with Falcons and Vitality pretty much set to face off for a spot in the grand final.

But first, Falcons had to get past GamerLegion. The match wasn’t as easy as most expected - probably not even Falcons themselves. In a tough battle, Falcons ultimately triumphed on the Inferno decider, after taking Ancient but dropping Nuke, with TeSeS and m0NESY leading the charge. A bit too close for comfort.

But they had little time to reflect, as the very next day they faced their kryptonite - well, everyone’s kryptonite, really.

In what felt like a grand final preview, both teams traded blows in the first two maps - Dust2 going to Vitality, and Train falling to Falcons.

On Inferno, Vitality jumped out to a 6-0 lead, but Falcons fired back with six rounds of their own. Vitality pulled ahead again to 12-7, but Falcons fought back hard, thanks in part to this insane Magisk 1vs3 clutch.

In the end, it just wasn’t enough, as Falcons stumbled at the final hurdle and Vitality closed it out 13-11. Whenever these two meet, you just know it’s gonna be a banger.

We’ve got to mention ZywOo, though, who’s been a bit off his usual pace throughout the tournament. But of course, even when he’s underperforming, he’s still miles ahead of some players’ best. Plus, having ropz, mezii, flameZ, and apEX on your team doesn’t hurt.

Honestly, with those guys on our side, we could probably win some trophies too. Who are we kidding…

Heading into the grand final, Vitality looked unstoppable - poised to grab their 30th win and sixth trophy in a row - while MOUZ prepared to give it their all.