Legacy have secured their place in Stage 3 of the IEM Cologne Major 2026 after defeating TYLOO 2-0 in the decisive 2-2 qualification match. The Brazilian side delivered one of its most convincing performances of the tournament, winning Mirage 13-7 and closing the series with a dominant 13-4 victory on Inferno. For TYLOO, the defeat marked the end of a remarkable Major run that saw the Chinese squad exceed expectations and emerge as one of the tournament’s biggest surprises.
Tournament context
The final day of Stage 2 featured several do-or-die series between teams with 2-2 records. The winners would advance to Stage 3 and join the remaining contenders for the Major title, while the losers would see their campaigns come to an end.
Legacy entered the match after a turbulent path through Stage 2. The Brazilians opened the tournament with a victory over FlyQuest before losing to MIBR and Monte. With their backs against the wall, they responded with a 2-0 victory over M80 to stay alive and set up a qualification series against TYLOO.
TYLOO’s journey was equally impressive. The Chinese team defeated paiN and Astralis in the opening rounds, but losses to FUT and 9z dropped them into the 2-2 pool. Despite those setbacks, the squad still had a chance to complete a memorable run and reach the final stage of the Major.
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Mirage — Legacy take control
Legacy’s map pick immediately paid off. The Brazilians looked far more composed on Mirage and built momentum early in the game. Bruno “latto” Rebelatto and Eduardo “dumau” Wolkmer repeatedly found openings, allowing Legacy to establish control over the pace of the match.
TYLOO managed to keep the scoreline competitive at times, but they never truly looked in command. Legacy closed the opener with a 13-7 victory and moved one map away from Stage 3.
Inferno — complete domination
TYLOO selected Inferno hoping to force a decider, but instead the map turned into a one-sided affair. Legacy overwhelmed the Chinese side on both halves and barely allowed their opponents any room to recover.
The Brazilians raced to a comfortable lead and maintained their discipline throughout the map. TYLOO struggled to find impact from their stars, while Legacy continued to win key duels and control the economy.
After only 17 rounds, Legacy sealed a crushing 13-4 victory and booked their ticket to Stage 3.
latto leads the way
Bruno “latto” Rebelatto delivered one of his best performances of the tournament and finished as the highest-rated player of the series with a 1.57 rating. Guilherme “saadzin” Pacheco followed closely behind with a 1.50 rating, while Eduardo “dumau” Wolkmer posted a 1.40 rating. For TYLOO, Dongkai “Jee” Ji was the only player to finish with a rating above 1.00.
Team reactions
Legacy celebrated qualification with an emotional post on social media:
WE ARE IN STAGE 3 OF THE COLOGNE MAJOR! 2-0 against TYLOO. The operation continues!
The organization also published a special “CLASSIFICADOS” poster featuring the entire roster after securing a place among the final 16 teams.
TYLOO, despite the elimination, kept their message short and respectful, posting:
TYLOO 0:2 Legacy
The Chinese squad’s Major campaign came to an end, but their victories over paiN and Astralis ensured that they would leave Cologne as one of the biggest surprises of Stage 2.
What comes next?
Legacy advance to Stage 3 of the IEM Cologne Major 2026 and remain in contention for a playoff berth. The Brazilian side will now face the world’s elite teams in the next stage of the tournament.
TYLOO, meanwhile, exit the Major with their heads held high after an impressive campaign that included several upset victories and established the Chinese squad as one of the most exciting rising teams in Counter-Strike.
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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.
