IEM Cologne Major 2026

Raze is going to be already out at elbow, just waiting for his timing to strike. Staehr going to be watching for this. It's the first contact of the match and Staehr backs away. Stalemate between the two pistols. Mid control though over to GamerLegion. >> Yeah, he got a Molotov going into it. Staehr going to force him into the open. Wide angle. Snax going to be chasing after him. It's high-paced to open things up and the advantage siding with GamerLegion at the moment. They're going to try and continue that pressure onto Yabee who's taking significant damage and now relies upon Fuzion to be unchecked. And he is unchecked so he gets the one. Yabee steps out. Hooksi gets involved and Snax has to step up and do what he does best with that little pistol but he's finally taken down by Hooksi putting PR into the one V two. >> Oh yeah, he's coming over from a little flank. He was lurking over outside the B bomb site but didn't see anything. Now he's got to piece it together. There's the spot of one and prepared for the peak from Ryu as well. >> Looking out towards CT spawn, Hooksi just waits. Out of the temple, shot connects and Ryu swings in with a dual Berettas. Great recovery to this pistol for Astralis. They're going to take the first round of >> So Astralis is going to try and tie up this score here with this best of one. Snax is calling everyone over towards the A bomb site. >> Going to be a poppy play. You know, we we told to look out for this and this is exactly what we're seeing straight away from GamerLegion. Snax liking to call these direct A hits. You can see Astralis, they're ready for it. They've got three players close by. You got Yabee waiting here at the tall box. Utility's going to commit him that big box position uncomfortable but he's able to stand. And they come out not looking at him so it's going to be easy for Yabee. He's got three straight away. He's just shot them down. He's done damage to high packs as well. >> Yeah, I mean this is this is GamerLegion being way too committed to that idea. You throw out the smokes. I understand you want to utilize it but you've got all five players here at a spawn so you don't have any presence or map control elsewhere so it feels terrible but man, Exec through that smoke without even breaking it just feels even worse. Sloppy first gun round and Astralis is loving it. An easy breeze up to three to nothing and if they keep this many players alive, man, Cache is going to be looking good as well. >> You're letting you're letting Yabee get a strong start into the game as well here. 7-1 start for him here at the major, so he's loving it. >> I mean, look, I think anytime you're at A bomb site anchor on Ancient, you're going up against a Snackswat team, ooh, that's a nice shot from Rez. I don't think it's enough to bring the round back into contention. But, anytime you go up against Snacks as that A bomb site anchor, you got to have a plan for those pieces coming at you. Snacks does love to call those kind of tricky timing, like change of timing, change of pace kind of calls towards the A bomb site. And Yabby had the perfect read in the perfect position. >> Got Rez, 15 seconds on the clock, stepping up into the B play bomb site. Just behind him. Rez going to try and make some space. He's actually managed to get around the corner as well. If he gets that one on stage, sets up Hypax, but 1 v 3, it's going to be very tough for him to win here on the rifle, and Staehr is going to go and win it on his own. And Hooksi very happy with how Yabby shut down that A play. No one from GamerLegion strolling out just yet. Telsin tentative about it. >> What they have done is stalled out the smoke though up in up in red room, right? So, now you can see Telsin was kind of Oh, good spam. Catches Rio at the perfect timing. Staehr was there as well, doesn't take a lick of damage, but now they're off in position. Could have been doubled up. Hooksi's here over in K, but the B defense under a lot of pressure, and now massive issues. >> Yeah, they realized the pressure was on, so Snacks did not alleviate, he just kept going forward. And has carved out this B bomb site for GamerLegion. Going to be tough to see them concede it, but has a couple of quick kills from Astralis. Fuzi and PR going down, it's Hooksi who's managed to do a lot of great work here. And this rifle is stepping up. They got a dink as well on Telsin. That is massive from Hooksi inside of K. >> Yeah, that's a phenomenal performance. Sets up Yabby for that. A man advantage, an open bomb site, a 4 on 3, and GamerLegion, oh, they're falling apart. >> How have this How have Astralis done this so quickly? >> I mean, Hooksi's been death matching, and those are some crispy shots over in Jaguars as they turn the corner. I don't think they fully expected him to be there, right? Two kills earlier at the B bomb site, and then they spotted the upper. Don't think they really thought they were going to encounter any kind of resistance at that position. >> Well, Rez is thinking about going out towards the site now for a bomb play, slipping out now with 15 seconds left though. Yabi is starting to track in behind, so Rez is not going to have a huge amount of space to make this work, but luckily has some utility but he's going to use it towards long and short and not the cave where he just came from. So, Yabi creeps in behind him. Massive yellow again from Hooksi. >> That comes in the Astralis play down the ramp again, going to be set up by Hooksi. Flashes up in the sky. Are you going to be boosted? Who's close? Box sees no one there. Knows the PR is in the cubby but can't handle it. So, PR has got the opening kill here for Gamer Legion. >> I like that. That's a cool piece of aggression from the Astralis defense. It's gone the wrong way. Hooksi though still spot on. Rez can get nothing with these aggressive lurks. >> Dude, Hooksi is looking so sharp. You can't get past the choke points he's holding right now without taking at least a death. And we'll see Gamer Legion try and react. They really funneled into a B play. The only player here to defend is Staehr. You'll have that rotation of Hooksi coming back soon, but you're looking at Staehr to deliver something here for you and he's blinded. He's held back in the corner. Goes into the open but Snax has challenged and won that fight. >> Yeah, now Hooksi's got to be really cautious about that turn of the corner. Yabi not paying attention either. Talson's found one. Fozey has no access. It's all Hooksi. One. Make it two. Now we're on two on two with the bomb planted. >> it again. Hooksi with three in the round. Now two players left here for Gamer Legion. Desperately requiring this round to have any sort of foothold in the half. Concede this and I don't know where you go if you're Gamer Legion. Fozey out with the deagle challenging towards Talson. Going to be tough for him to get past this choke point. Needs to win it and he's got it. Talson dead. Hooksi steps up next. Time ticking and they've got a kill for Fozey but they got to get on it right now and Hooksi's got the kid. He's going to hold it on the way. It's going to be damn close but is it seven? It is. Hooksi's won another round. Astralis can do no wrong. Seven in a row. >> Oh, Gigachad showed up today. This is disgusting what he's doing to GamerLegion in the early stages. >> A lot of >> It's It's got to be really hard for Snax to call right now cuz they've had no success anywhere on the map. And Snax is a bit of a momentum caller. He likes calling off that success, changing expectations, and he doesn't have the ability to do it now. >> Yeah, Fozzy trying to back away there, but the smoke made it awkward for him to continue to challenge, but Staehr apparently had shots. Now, Fozzy goes back to try and deal with the ramp play. He's blinded. He's caught in the open, but Staehr is up next, and there's just a layer upon layer of Astralis players in this defense. 8-0, carving up a buy round like it's an eco. >> And as that peak comes in, you've got Yabbi moving up through A main. So, this CT aggression might just catch out Talisman, but he's come forward at the right time, and Yabbi caught looking the wrong direction. So, Talisman's got the opening kill. >> Yeah, unfortunate for for Yabbi. I think he's feeling real confident at the moment with the scoreline, and he's probably been a little bit bored towards the A bomb site the last few rounds, but GamerLegion was just moving back. Hyphex and Snax were shifting away from B to actually join up over here towards the A bomb site. So, it feels like this was going to finish at the A site regardless. That push and kill might motivate him to just continue. However, HooXi and Astralis have the read. Ryu has shifted over. Staehr's going to be playing in donut. Fozzy's in red room. He'll have a quick rotation over to CT spawn, but he will be smoked off. >> Yeah, flashes going to be coming through. Ryu's going to dodge them. That smoke has They put him in a tough spot. The flash will go. He has to back away, and then you see Astralis players just leaping out to their deaths. So, Raz and Hyphex with kills, and this is surely going to be the first round for GamerLegion. Snax right beside Ryu. Does take that kill and finally off the goose egg. It's going to be at least one here for GamerLegion. >> Yeah, first time I think I've seen Astralis players being a little bit too over eager and trying to force the issue a little bit too much. The Yabbi push. Fozzy coming over with the op and just swinging tempo hard for an angle trying to help the bomb site. Desperate situation. >> If they get a pick somewhere, that's that's where they're heading. >> yeah. Especially considering it's 9-0. Like if they get a pick and it's an easier bomb site, an easier defense, they're going to go for it. >> Well, challenged down mid. Tausen gets the first, but then Yac and Hooky step up in his stead. And you end up having a 4 V 3. So Astralis is going to be happy with the start of this round and just blocking Game Legion. So you mentioned towards the end the fact that they got an opening pick and had easier bomb site. Well, now they're down 3 V 4 with a minute 30 left and not easy at all now for Game Legion. >> is a really mean call from Astralis though, right? Like they just they just kind of got their first round win. They're just kind of planting their feet and saying, "All right, we can settle into this game. That's the one that gets us started." And then all of a sudden for the first time in the half the CTs are pushing down mid, constantly flashing, coming out of Jaguar, spraying you down, being disruptive. All that said, Game Legion still in a position to win this round two on three. Snax going to move in with the bomb. Donut is wide open for any kind of a peak, but nobody's home quite yet. >> Bomb has been planted. >> Let's see if Snax and Hypax can bring this back together. Yac going to move through main. Hypax turning back just the right time, but misses the shot. A crucial miss because it puts Snax now in a 1 V 3. >> And Fozey has such a late lurk on this. >> Yeah, Snax is looking at it for the time being. But as soon as he gets this fight going, they know exactly where he is. And then Snax takes a heap of damage, too. >> Yac has got a molly. >> Yeah, you can't push through that if you're Snax. And that's going to actually head to the back of the donut. He'll send a grenade out. No one's on the diffuse. Yac takes an eight damage, but Hooky is going to go ahead and take himself that diffuse also. 10 to one it is. So looks like they're just going to try and execute into the B bomb site. Astralis are ready. They've got three players here. So doesn't look like it's going to go great for Game Legion. >> Game Legion has had more opening kills in this half than Astralis and they're still losing 10 to one. They've had seven opening kills. That's what they'll end on as well as Ryu takes the first. >> Well, we've got Stanislaw waiting next. Spam going to be going down through the walls here, through the boards. Raz taking a pick, but then Staehr responds immediately. And Staehr gets away with another one, nearly the 3K. PR trying to fight on two fronts, he just can't do it. And now Raz a long way off running back. And you would give him more of a shot in this clutch if he had higher HP and Fouzy wasn't pinned on his exact position. >> And Hookxy wasn't hot. >> Yeah, and Hookxy just walking right in for that head shot. And high indeed, Astralis have come out swinging here in stage two, 11-1 up over Gamer Legion. >> This is going to be a 0-1 start here in stage two unless they can pull off a stellar comeback on the CT side. A kit available for Raz, but we'll see Astralis just go for the knockout blow here towards the A site. They've got PR waiting behind the big box. Sees the shadow cast against the wall. Good clean head shot on the first second skill as well. PR, okay. Oh my god. Great work from PR as he holds the site. Beautiful shots. He's finally going to be dropped by Hookxy, but he's just won the pistol round. >> Yeah, he really has. That's cool to see. It's about the only positive thing we've got to say about Gamer Legion this game so far. So, well done from PR. >> That's nice. >> Yeah, that's I mean that's some disgusting shooting. I guess Hookxy's only chance is to just sprint to the B bomb site. Can't even really slow down, and you just have to try and get a bomb planted. But the rotation for the CTs is going to be much, much easier. >> Yeah, he took the long way, didn't he? So, all the way through spawn. >> The safe way. >> Yeah. >> You know? >> You got snacks coming over here. >> Oh, yeah. Well, I mean Hookxy can't win. And >> a bomb plant. >> will not get a bomb plant. >> Well, then who is out now? Just rush him down. Take away the bomb plant. And that's exactly what will happen. So, Gamer Legion denied the bomb plant, so Astralis can't get a strong force buy in the next round. And you've won the pistol. So, all the steps being taken. Unless the donut smoke fades away soon, and Staehr gets the challenge he's looking for. Rio's going to move up to the red room with him. They've got that mid space, but here comes the flank around the back. Raz trying to wrap them. Hookxy lost that fight towards A main. Hyphex stepping out of Donut. Now attention's going to be drawn from the red players to worry about that mid play, but they've still got to go forward and Staehr is going to carve up Talson. Hyphex to cut away Fuzzy and that is a big problem here for Astralis. In fact, they get shut down. So, not finding anything in this round worth talking about as PR out from Temple secures the fourth round for Gamer Legion. >> a lot of room to work with, was able to scale up mid pretty dang well. Good aggressive piece out of Gamer Legion pushing Donut to make sure they can't just sit there comfortably the whole time. Good defensive setup though for Gamer Legion. Snacks has an early spot towards Jaguar. Talson has a Molotov for the ramp. Hyphex a middle man who can work with both of them in tandem. Resin PR doubled up in Donut just for the safety on that side of the map. >> They're trying to challenge Snacks. They do slow him down on that fall back with a grenade landing upon his head. Staehr's deagle running through the smoke. But Snacks and Talson have taken two. >> Oh, there's good ones here. >> one back and so the bomb plant's going to be secured here. A two V three? >> You shouldn't They can't I don't think they can win it at the moment as constituted. They need this kill and they've got it. Now they can. >> Absolutely they can. Ryu steps forward. Talson goes down and Gamer Legion has to recover this. A retake in a two V two and Staehr stands with the AK-47. PR into the open. Staehr's got the kill and this is going to be the devastating blow towards Gamer Legion. Staehr steps out. A three K collected and they should not have won that round, but Astralis pick it up and now they've got map point on Ancient. >> Despite the opportunities now PR going to be racing through middle to big. Fight in middle already. Ryu's going to take that first. Yabby second and surely that's a three players left for Gamer Legion. Ryu's going to try and claw back a kill here on Staehr. Oh, he can't even get that one. >> Get him out. >> This game has been a disaster for Gamer Legion. Stage two starts in a terrible fashion, but for Astralis they are loving this. This is exactly what they imagined as they woke up this morning ready to start their campaign here at the Cologne major. A 13-4 win over Gamer Legion.