Aurora secured an important victory in Stage 3 of IEM Cologne Major 2026, defeating G2 2-0 in the 1-1 Swiss bracket. The Turkish squad looked in control throughout the series and moved one step closer to the playoffs, while G2 dropped into the dangerous 1-2 pool, where another defeat would mean elimination.
Teams’ path through Stage 3
Aurora started Stage 3 with a loss to Spirit but bounced back with a dominant 2-0 victory over Monte in the second round. The win over G2 now sends them into the 2-1 bracket, where one more victory will secure a playoff berth.
G2 opened the stage with a defeat to Falcons before recovering against FUT in the 0-1 pool. However, the loss to Aurora drops the international roster to a 1-2 record, leaving them one defeat away from elimination.
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Aurora dominate both maps
The veto left Overpass and Anubis as the battlegrounds, with G2 selecting the opener and Aurora choosing the second map. Despite playing on G2’s pick, Aurora delivered a composed performance on Overpass. Strong CT sides and several multikill rounds from Ali “Wicadia” Haydar Yalçın helped Aurora close the map 13-8.
Anubis turned into an even more convincing showing. XANTARES and company quickly took control and never allowed G2 to establish momentum. Aurora closed their own pick 13-7 to complete a clean 2-0 sweep and improve their Stage 3 record to 2-1.
Wicadia leads Aurora
Ali “Wicadia” Haydar Yalçın was the standout performer of the series. Across two maps, he posted a 39-23 K-D, 105.0 ADR and a 1.55 rating, comfortably finishing as the highest-rated player of the match.
Caner “soulfly” Kesici also made a strong contribution with a 1.23 rating, while none of the G2 players managed to reach a 1.05 rating. Nikita “HeavyGod” Martynenko ended as G2’s highest-rated player with a modest 1.03 rating.
VRS implications
The victory also improved Aurora’s position in the Valve Regional Standings. The team gained 32 points and climbed from 12th to 8th place. G2, meanwhile, lost 13 points and remained in 13th position.
Team reactions
Aurora celebrated the victory on social media with a short message — “analyze this” — accompanied by a poster featuring Wicadia and the final scoreline.
G2 reacted much more bluntly. Posting a graphic with huNter- and the words “GETTING HARD”, the organization acknowledged that the road to the playoffs had become significantly more complicated after the defeat.
What’s next?
With the victory, Aurora advanced to the 2-1 pool and moved within one win of the playoffs. G2, meanwhile, dropped to the 1-2 bracket, where every match becomes an elimination series. The next round will determine whether the European giants can keep their Major campaign alive or whether Aurora will continue their push toward the knockout stage.
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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.
