CS2: Team Spirit triumphs at IEM Cologne, with victory over Mouz in grand final

Team Spirit emerged as the champions of IEM Cologne 2025 with a dominant performance at the LANXESS Arena. The Russian squad secured the trophy with a comfortable 3–0 sweep over MOUZ in the best-of-five grand final, adding another prestigious title to their Counter Strike 2 collection.

Having already won IEM Katowice and a Major earlier in the year, this victory in Cologne completes a rare trifecta for Team Spirit they have now conquered all three of Counter-Strike’s most iconic events. The grand final was one-sided: Spirit dismissed MOUZ emphatically on two of the European team's map picks, and mounted a majestic defensive comeback on Ancient. There was no doubt about who the deserving champions were. This victory marks Spirit's first Cologne title and cements their status as a powerhouse in the scene.

Spirit's triumph was spearheaded by Danil "donk" Kryshkovets. The 18-year-old rifler earned the Most Valuable Player award at the tournament after achieving an impressive average HLTV rating of 1.50 throughout the event. This rating is one of the highest ever recorded by a Cologne MVP, second only to Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev record-breaking performance in 2021. Donk was a constant force, averaging a 1.47 rating in the playoff stage alone, delivering multi-kills and clutches that powered Spirit’s title run.

This is his ninth MVP in just 20 months of top-tier play, which is remarkable as it matches the career MVP count of the legendary Nikola "NiKo" Kovač. Donk has now achieved a personal trifecta of MVPs at Katowice, the Major, and Cologne. His heroics in Cologne not only secured the trophy for Spirit but also reinforced his growing reputation as one of the world’s best players.

The biggest storyline of the tournament was the shocking end to Team Vitality’s dominant streak. The French juggernaut arrived in Cologne as the reigning champions and holders of seven consecutive international titles, boasting a 37-match winning streak dating back a month. However, that run was brought to an abrupt halt in the semi-finals, where the underdog team MOUZ stunned Vitality 2–0 in one of the year’s most dramatic upsets.

This was the first time that MOUZ had beaten Vitality after seven consecutive head-to-head losses this year; truly, 'eighth time’s the charm. Vitality’s stars faltered at the worst possible moment: ZywOo had one of his poorest performances ever, achieving a rating of just 0.53 on Mirage in the semi-finals, while MOUZ’s young players performed exceptionally well. The 13–9 Mirage and 13–8 Train scorelines sent MOUZ through to the final, ending Vitality’s hopes of defending their Cologne title. Vitality's fall from grace in Cologne has shaken up the competitive landscape, proving that even the world’s top-ranked team can be beaten.