The IEM Melbourne playoffs are going to kick off with a match between two teams who have suddenly become intertwined: GamerLegion and Team Falcons.
Falcons’ propensity for throwing around money, and the questionable ethics therein, has been one of the biggest ongoing stories in Counter-Strike esports. But one of the biggest parts of that discussion is Falcons’ lack of success despite this extravagant spending. This was highlighted by outspoken Counter-Strike coach Aleksandar “kassad” Trifunović who contrasted the two teams on Twitter.
While comparisons are one thing, the two teams are set to go head-to-head in a high-stakes match. So will Falcons spend its way into the IEM Melbourne semifinals, or will GamerLegion be able to show that money isn’t everything?
Team GamerLegion and Team Falcons will play in a best-of-three match in the IEM Melbourne playoffs quarterfinals. The match will take place on April 25, 2025, and will be a best-of-three. The winner advances in the playoffs to face MOUZ.
GamerLegion has been a staple of the tier-two scene but it’s bounced into the top tier on a few occasions. Now is one of those times. The squad followed a solid showing in PGL Bucharest with a good run in IEM Melbourne, beating 3DMAX, Complexity Gaming, and FaZe Clan while taking a loss to MOUZ.
The Team GamerLegion roster includes the following players:
GamerLegion has been dragging opponents onto Inferno and Mirage, which has been a winning strategy for the team as it has gone 13-6 and 10-7 on the maps thus far in 2025. It’s 8-5 on Ancient, and has a 50-50 winrate on Train and Anubis. Its weakest map has been Nuke, where it’s 5-8, but GamerLegion also automatically bans Dust 2.
Team Falcons’ roster posted its best performance in organization history by winning PGL Bucharest, but the ownership has scrambled to stifle any momentum. The team added Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov shortly after taking home gold, and is reportedly working on more changes. The players are keeping their nose to the grindstone though, and have gone 2-1 in Melbourne so far, with wins over SAW and NaVi while losing to Team Vitality.
The roster currently includes these players:
Team Falcons hasn’t been uniquely strong or weak on any particular map. Its best winrates in 2025 are on Mirage and Dust 2, while it’s shaky on Inferno. Falcons also routinely bans Anubis.
WINNER TO PLAYOFFS! FaZe vs GamerLegion – HIGHLIGHTS – IEM Melbourne 2025 | CS2
GamerLegion and Team Falcons have played on several occasions, but the only relevant matches for betting purposes are quite recent. The teams played twice in PGL Bucharest, with GamerLegion winning in the group stage while Falcons won the rematch in the playoffs. This was prior to m0NESY joining the team.
Team Falcons is a big betting favorite in its IEM Melbourne match against GamerLegion. GamerLegion’s moneyline stands at 3.06, suggesting that bookies rate their chances of victory as slim. By comparison, Team Falcons is a 1.36 favorite.
Team Falcons should be able to get the victory over GamerLegion in IEM Melbourne 2025. Though GamerLegion pulled off an upset in PGL Bucharest, Falcons is still looking significantly stronger right now. The team hit its stride quickly enough to beat NaVi and put up a good fight against Vitality; beating GamerLegion should be easy by comparison.
Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.
