The opening day of Stage 2 at IEM Cologne Major 2026 began with two BO1 matches featuring teams that had fought through difficult Stage 1 campaigns. Astralis made a statement by crushing GamerLegion, while 9z successfully celebrated their Major debut with a victory over FlyQuest.
Astralis dominate GamerLegion in Stage 2 opener
Astralis looked fully prepared for the start of Stage 2 and gave GamerLegion almost no opportunities on Ancient. The Danish side controlled the pace from the opening rounds and quickly built a massive advantage, eventually securing a comfortable 13-4 victory.
Rasmus “HooXi” Nielsen delivered one of his strongest individual maps in recent months, finishing with a 1.68 rating and 16 kills. Victor “Staehr” Staehr was even more efficient with an impressive 1.75 rating, while jabbi also contributed with 18 frags. GamerLegion struggled throughout the map, with only PR managing to finish above a 1.00 rating.
HooXi and Astralis send a message
The result was particularly significant considering the recent history between the teams. GamerLegion had defeated Astralis in both meetings at BLAST Rivals 2026 and later eliminated the Danes at IEM Atlanta 2026. This time, however, Astralis had the answers.
The victory also improved Astralis’ VRS position, moving them up to eighth place, while GamerLegion dropped to tenth.
Team reactions
Astralis celebrated the win on their official X account, writing:
We’re 1-0 up in Stage 2!!
The organization also shared HooXi’s post-match interview and thanked interviewer Pala Gilroy Sen.
GamerLegion acknowledged the disappointing start with a brief message:
a tough start to stage 2
The team accompanied the post with a defeat graphic featuring Sebastian “tauson” Lindelof.
9z defeat FlyQuest in first Stage 2 match
In the other opening match, 9z defeated FlyQuest 13-9 on Dust2. Although the score remained competitive for much of the game, the South American squad looked more composed in the decisive rounds and secured their first-ever Stage 2 victory at a Major.
Ignacio “meyern” Meyer led the server with a 1.48 rating, while HUASOPEEK and dgt also played important roles. For FlyQuest, Justin “jks” Savage delivered a strong performance with a 1.54 rating, but the Australians lacked enough firepower to turn the map around.
Historic debut for 9z
The victory allowed 9z to begin Stage 2 with a 1-0 record and continue their surprising run in Cologne. FlyQuest, meanwhile, fell into the 0-1 pool but still had another opportunity later in the day. From a VRS perspective, 9z gained ten points and strengthened their place inside the top 15, while FlyQuest slipped to 56th.
Team reactions
9z celebrated the victory on their official X account, posting:
DEBUT WITH A VICTORY AT THE MAJOR
The organization highlighted that the team had started Stage 2 with a 1-0 record and promised fans more action later in the day. FlyQuest took the loss calmly and wrote:
Couldn’t bring it back. 0-1 and we go again later today.
The Australians emphasized that their Cologne campaign was far from over despite the disappointing start.
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Skin.Club Pick’em Challenge
Running alongside the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 is the Skin.Club Pick’em Challenge — an interactive feature where fans predict match results, choose advancing teams, and earn points throughout the tournament. By making accurate picks, participants unlock rewards ranging from premium skins to rare gloves and knives, with the ultimate prize being the iconic AWP | Dragon Lore.
