Summary:
- Brazilian Counter-Strike 2 team FURIA made history by winning their first major title in eight years.
- FURIA were crowned IEM Chengdu 2025 champions after a clean 3-0 sweep against Team Vitality on November 9, 2025.
- Danil “molodoy” Golubenko earned the MVP award for his outstanding plays, marking his second MVP title in his rookie season.
FURIA have now earned their first major Counter-Strike 2 trophy in eight years after their victory in IEM Chengdu 2025. On November 9, 2025, FURIA faced and defeated Europe’s Team Vitality, doing so with a clean 3-0 sweep. With this win, the team have officially made history and reignited the hope of Brazilian Counter-Strike esports. Here’s how the IEM Chengdu finals series played out.
FURIA’s Unstoppable Run
Throughout the whole tournament, FURIA just looked extremely organized and on form as a team. They lost only one series 1-2 to MOUZ in the Group Stage after 2-0 victories against Lynn Vision Gaming and G2 Esports. After that, they breezed through the Playoffs with perfect scores, sweeping both The MongolZ and Team Falcons 3-0.
Even faced against the heavily favored Team Vitality, the Brazilian team stayed composed. Under veteran player Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo’s leadership, FURIA stayed coordinated throughout the finals, making smart plays across all three maps. The result? Victory on every map as they took Ancient 13-11, Inferno 13-10, and Overpass 13-11.
Vitality’s Risky Choices
On the other hand, Team Vitality entered the IEM Chengdu 2025 finals with a shaky form overall. Despite being clear favorites, many of their plays and decisions came confusing to fans. For example, the team chose not to veto Ancient, a map that’s usually a permaban for them. It immediately backfired, as FURIA ended up picking said map for the first game.
Vitality’s players still managed to pull off some great solo plays in the series, with Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut and Robin “ropz” Kool especially doing well in their roles. However, when it comes to the team as a whole, they simply struggled to be consistent. Even with early leads, FURIA still managed to overcome Vitality and keep them chasing the game instead of leading it.
Map-by-Map Breakdown
Map 1
On Ancient, FURIA’s form seemed to have decided the outcome. They grabbed an early lead and held on, thanks to Danil “molodoy” Golubenko and FalleN’s clutch plays. Mareks “YEKINDAR” Gaļinskis and Yuri “yuurih” Santos also stood out with key site defenses. With a 13-10 score, FURIA proved to be the better team on the risky map, taking the opening game.
Map 2
Inferno started rough for FURIA, as Vitality, led by ZywOo, started showing signs of life. Team Vitality jumped ahead 5-0, but FURIA managed to close the gap by halftime. FalleN’s strong mid-round calls as well as sharp shots from yuurih turned things around to close the map 13-10, giving the Brazilians another win.
Map 3
Overpass looked promising for Vitality after they led 6-1 with strong rounds from apEX and ropz. Yet, YEKINDAR’s 3K pistol round in the second half sparked a comeback that Vitality couldn’t stop. Even Dan “apEX” Madesclaire’s late 1v3 clutch wasn’t enough to save them. FURIA sealed the series 3–0 to win the championship with a sweep.
Molodoy’s Breakout Moment
FURIA’s 20-year old AWPer, molodoy, is quickly becoming one of the rising stars in the Counter-Strike scene. Since joining FURIA, he’s shown that he’s one of the team’s most reliable and consistent players. He has quickly adapted to FURIA’s aggressive playstyle, yet can perform calmly even under high pressure.. Every tournament he plays in proves just how important he is to the team.
In the IEM Chengdu 2025 Finals, molodoy was on fire. He finished the series with a 1.19 rating and a +18 K/D, showing incredible consistency for someone so new to the big stage. His efforts earned him the MVP award—already his second one in his rookie season.
Conclusion
With FURIA’s victory in the IEM Chengdu 2025 finals, Brazil is back on the global stage. It’s been years since the glory days of SK Gaming and Luminosity, but FURIA has reignited that spark. With rising star molodoy and powerhouse YEKINDAR on the roster, the team looks stronger than ever. Whether FURIA can get similar results in the approaching 2026 season has yet to be answered. But for now, Chengdu belongs to them, and Brazil is back on top.
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