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Team Vitality has been crowned champions of IEM Cologne 2024, securing a hard-fought 3-1 (16-14, 10-13, 22-20, 13-9) victory over Natus Vincere (NaVi) in what many are calling one of the finest series of the year.
For Dan “apEX” Madesclaire, the triumph marked the end of a ten-year chase for victory at this prestigious event.
After falling short in two previous finals, apEX finally lifted the silverware, a dream realised after a decade of close calls.
“Finally, after three Cologne finals, I’m leaving with the trophy,” apEX said after the match.
His excitement was well-earned, as the French captain delivered a masterful performance, both tactically and individually, in a series that will be remembered for its high-octane action and razor-thin margins.
#IEM COLOGNE HAS IT'S NEW CHAMPIONS.@TeamVitality take down @natusvincere 3-1 in the BO5 to lift the trophy in the Cathedral! 🏆
16-14 Nuke
10-13 Dust II
22-20 Mirage
13-9 Inferno pic.twitter.com/0a0HRgI8n1— Intel® Extreme Masters (@IEM) August 18, 2024
The grand final pitted two of the world’s best Counter-Strike 2 teams against each other in a best-of-five series that didn’t disappoint.
The first three maps were decided by the narrowest of margins, with Mirage, in particular, standing out as one of the year’s most thrilling games.
NaVi, fresh off their Esports World Cup victory, came close to bagging back-to-back trophies but fell just short in this epic contest.
Aleksi “Aleksib” Virolainen, NaVi’s in-game leader, once again found himself cursed in grand final series’, extending his record to 0-7 in best-of-five matches.
Meanwhile, Justinas “jL” Lekavicius, who had been a standout at the Copenhagen Major, struggled throughout the series, finishing at the bottom of the leaderboard, a far cry from his usual form.
The series began on Nuke, where NaVi’s leading MVP candidate, Valeriy “b1t” Vakhovskiy, had an uncharacteristically rough start, going 1-11 in the first half.
Despite a brief resurgence, NaVi couldn’t recover, and Vitality took the map 16–13.
On Dust2, NaVi bounced back, with b1t finding his form and leading his team to a narrow victory, but the story of the series was far from over.
Mirage proved to be the turning point.
Both teams were riding high on long win streaks on the map, and the match lived up to expectations, going all the way to a 22-20 triple overtime finish.
ZywOo was the hero for Vitality, delivering crucial plays in overtime that swung the map in his team’s favour.
By the time the series reached Inferno, the momentum was firmly with Vitality.
They dominated the early rounds and raced to a 10-2 lead.
Although NaVi showed resilience and mounted a late comeback, Vitality’s William “mezii” Merriman secured a crucial triple kill on the A site, sealing the series with a 13-9 victory and clinching the tournament title.
For apEX, this victory was especially sweet.
Having suffered heartbreak in Cologne twice before, once with EnVyUs in 2015 and again with Vitality in 2019, this was his third and final chance to capture the elusive title.
He didn’t disappoint, leading his team to glory and adding another prestigious trophy to his collection.
THE CHOSEN ONE CUT THROUGH EVERYTHING IN HIS WAY.@zywoo IS YOUR #IEM COLOGNE 2024 #ESLProTour DHL MVP 👏@DeutschePostDHL pic.twitter.com/GYH2XeCpvu
— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) August 18, 2024
ZywOo also had a standout performance and was awarded with the Most Valuable Player award, finishing with 100 kills across the four maps, a staggering feat that solidified his claim as one of the best CS2 players.
The difference between him and NaVi’s young AWPer, Ihor “w0nderful” Zhdanov, was stark, with ZywOo’s experience and composure shining through in the most critical moments.
Despite their loss, NaVi can take solace in their successful 2024 campaign, which includes victories at the PGL Major Copenhagen and the Esports World Cup.
However, their struggles in best-of-five series remain a glaring issue, and Aleksib’s winless streak in such finals will undoubtedly be a point of concern moving forward.
As the dust settles on IEM Cologne 2024, both teams will shift their focus to the upcoming ESL Pro League season, which starts on September 3.
With neither team involved in the BLAST Premier Fall Showdown, they will have time to regroup and prepare for the next challenge.
In the end, this year’s IEM Cologne lived up to the event’s storied reputation.
The Cathedral of Counter-Strike once again delivered unforgettable moments, with Vitality and NaVi putting on a show that will be remembered for years to come.
From the knife’s-edge battles of the first three maps to the final triumph on Inferno, IEM Cologne 2024 was Counter-Strike at its finest.
