IEM Cologne 2022, one of the most prestigious tournaments in CS:GO history, has come to an end. The spectacular tournament culminated in a perfect final for esports betting fans. The grand final series between FaZe Clan and Natus Vincere extended to 5 matches and witnessed some extraordinary scenes. Here is a recap of the tournament:
IEM Cologne 2022 kicked off with the play-in stage on July 5-6. A total of 16 teams faced each other to qualify for the group stage of the tournament. In this phase, the opening matches were played as best-of-one, while the following matches were played as best-of-three. The top eight teams qualified for the group stage. The teams that made it to the groups were as follows:
- Heroic
- Team Spirit
- Outsiders
- Movistar Riders
- Team Vitality
- Astralis
- 00 Nation
- MOUZ
Group Stage
After the qualifiers, the main stage of IEM Cologne began. The 16 teams here were divided into two groups of 8 teams each. At the end of the best-of-three series -which is the favorite of CS:GO betting fans, Natus Vincere, Movistar Riders and MOUZ from Group A and FaZe Clan, Astralis and Team Liquid from Group B made it to the playoffs.
Playoffs
After finishing in first place in their groups, Natus Vincere and FaZe Clan started the playoffs in the semifinals on opposite sides of the bracket. Their opponents were Astralis and Movistar Riders. Both teams had no trouble against their opponents and won their series 2-0, making the grand final between Natus Vincere and FaZe Clan.
Grand Final
FaZe Clan chose Inferno as the first map of the grand final. The European representative performed well enough on its chosen map to take a 1-0 lead in the series. It was not possible to win such a final easily. Natus Vincere won the next two maps, Overpass and Ancient, 16-13 and 19-16, respectively to take a 2-1 lead in the series.
Now it was FaZe Clan’s turn to make a comeback. The team won Mirage by a margin of 16-9 and did not lose focus on the last map, Nuke. Both teams fought to the last drop of blood until the very end, but it was FaZe Clan who got the win with a score of 16-14. They won the series 3-2 and became the champions of IEM Cologne 2022.
Natus Vincere’s star player s1mple was named the MVP of the tournament.
