B8 and BetBoom Advance to IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage 2

B8 and BetBoom Advance to IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage 2

B8 and BetBoom have become the first teams to qualify for Stage 2 of the IEM Cologne Major 2026 after the third round of Stage 1.

Both teams advanced with perfect records, while Gaimin Gladiators and Sinners were the first teams eliminated from the tournament.

B8 secured their place in the next stage after defeating M80 2-0 in a best-of-three series. The Ukrainian team delivered a confident performance and completed Stage 1 without dropping a series.

BetBoom also qualified for Stage 2 after taking down GamerLegion 2-0. The Russian team finished the opening stage unbeaten and joined B8 as one of the first confirmed teams in the next phase.

Meanwhile, Gaimin Gladiators and Sinners were eliminated after finishing Stage 1 with 0-3 records. Heroic defeated Gaimin Gladiators 2-0, while TyLoo eliminated Sinners with a 2-0 victory.

Third round results:

Advancement matches:

B8 2-0 M80
BetBoom 2-0 GamerLegion

Elimination matches:

Heroic 2-0 Gaimin Gladiators
TyLoo 2-0 Sinners

1-1 pool matches:

MIBR 13-10 Liquid on Mirage
BIG 13-7 THUNDER dOWNUNDER on Inferno
NRG 13-10 FlyQuest on Mirage
Lynn Vision 13-5 Sharks on Overpass

The next round of Stage 1 will decide more teams advancing to Stage 2, as well as more eliminations from the tournament. For Ukrainian fans, B8 ’s unbeaten run was one of the main highlights of the round as the team continued its campaign in Cologne.