Counter-Strike fans are in for an exciting two-part Texas western. IEM Dallas 2025 kicks off on May 19, followed by the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 on June 2. Both tournaments will be held in Texas, and the gap between the final of the first and the start of the second will be so short that some teams will likely stay in the U.S. In this 1xBet review, we’ll discuss what to expect from IEM Dallas 2025 and who the main favorite is.

Format and prizes

IEM Dallas 2025 will occur from May 19 to 25, 2025, with support from several sponsors, including the international betting brand 1xBet. So, betting and esports fans have no reason to worry about whether is 1xBet safe.

In the group stage, all squads will compete in two groups using a Bo3 format with double-elimination. Only the top three teams from each group will move on to the playoffs. The group winners will go straight to the semifinals, while the second and third-place teams will advance to the quarterfinals. In the grand final, the two best teams will face off on the big stage at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in a Bo5 match.

The prize pool for IEM Dallas 2025 will be an impressive $1,000,000. Payouts for the winners will include prizes for the players (all 16 participants) and rewards for the clubs (only the top 12 teams).

• 1st place: $125,000 + $160,000.
• 2nd place: $50,000 + $100,000.
• 3rd-4th places: $25,000 + $80,000.
• 5th-6th places: $12,500 + $60,000.
• 7th-8th places: $7,000 + $40,000.
• 9th-12th places: $5,000 + $20,000.
• 13th-16th places: $4,000.

It’s worth noting that the fifth season of the ESL Grand Slam recently ended. The winners and holders of $1,000,000 in gold bars were the players of Team Vitality, who won four IEM and ESL Pro League contests. The tournament organizer ESL has already confirmed that the Grand Slam will continue in 2025 and 2026, so the new sixth season is expected to start with IEM Dallas 2025. In Texas, teams will have the chance to lay the foundation for future success in ESL Grand Slam 6.

Qualification

The selection of 16 participants for IEM Dallas 2025, as usual, was based on the Valve rankings and four regional qualifiers.

The top eight were determined by the VRS for February:

• VRS Europe: G2 Esports, Team Vitality, FaZe Clan, Aurora, MOUZ.
• VRS America: Team Liquid (NA), FURIA (SA).
• VRS Asia: The MongolZ.

The only team to qualify from the Asian ranking was The MongolZ, while Aurora made it into the European top five. It’s worth noting that both teams are official partners of the international brand 1xBet.

The second eight fought for spots in the regional qualifiers:

• European Qualifier: Team Falcons, BC.Game, 3DMAX, GamerLegion, HEROIC.
• American Qualifier: NRG (NA), Legacy (SA).
• Asian Qualifier: Lynn Vision.

The tournament organizer ESL has already announced the starting matchups for the teams that will have their first duels on American soil:

• Group A:

• • Team Vitality vs Legacy
  • 3DMAX vs GamerLegion
  • The MongolZ vs FURIA
  • Lynn Vision vs G2 Esports
• Group B:
• • MOUZ vs BC.Game
  • Team Liquid vs FaZe Clan
  • Aurora vs HEROIC
  • NRG vs Team Falcons

Favorites and return of “s1mple”

When it comes to the favorites of IEM Dallas 2025, they can easily be described by the formula “VRS Europe top five + Team Falcons.” When the invites were handed out, Falcons were ranked eighth and didn’t make the regional quota, but now they are the world’s second-best team and fully capable of winning the contest.

The main intrigue is the long-awaited return of the legendary Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyljev to professional esports. The player is still under contract with NAVI, but FaZe Clan managed to negotiate a loan for him for two American tournaments. For “s1mple,” the team even put their regular sniper, Helvijs “broky” Saukants, on the bench, so now it all depends on the legend’s current shape.

In his first match with FaZe Clan, “s1mple” will face the American team Team Liquid, a squad he played for back in 2016, making this encounter especially exciting. However, the interest in all matches involving “s1mple” from Counter-Strike fans is off the charts.

Don’t miss the chance to bet on the first results of the legendary “s1mple”: before the contest starts, they are completely unpredictable, and you have the opportunity to catch the highest odds and make a big profit on the 1xBet platform!