Team Liquid kept their IEM Cologne Major 2026 campaign alive with a convincing 2-0 victory over HEROIC in the 1-2 pool. The North American squad controlled the series on both maps and secured a place in the decisive 2-2 bracket, while HEROIC became one of the biggest names to leave the tournament in Stage 1. Despite entering the elimination match after difficult starts to the Major, Liquid looked composed throughout the series. Mario “malbsMd” Samayoa delivered one of his best performances of the event, helping his team overcome the Danish side and avoid an early exit.
Teams’ road at the Major
Liquid opened their IEM Cologne Major 2026 campaign with a 13-10 victory over BIG on Nuke. The North Americans then suffered back-to-back losses to MIBR and BetBoom, dropping into the 1-2 pool. Facing elimination, Liquid responded with consecutive victories over and HEROIC to secure a place in the decisive 2-2 bracket and keep their hopes of reaching Stage 2 alive.
HEROIC started the Major with a narrow 10-13 defeat to Sharks before recovering with a 2-0 win over Gaimin Gladiators. However, the European side failed to build momentum, losing to Lynn Vision in the 0-1 pool and then falling 1-2 to Liquid in the elimination match. As a result, HEROIC finished their campaign with a 1-3 record and exited the Major in Stage 1.
Liquid dominate both maps
HEROIC chose Nuke, but Liquid immediately took control and secured a comfortable 13-5 victory. Keith “NAF” Markovic and Jonathan “EliGE” Jablonowski consistently found opening kills, while malbsMd finished the map as the team’s most impactful player.
Inferno, Liquid’s own pick, proved more competitive. HEROIC showed more resistance and managed to reach double digits, but Liquid remained in control during the key rounds and closed the map 13-11 to finish the series without allowing a decider.
malbsMd leads Liquid to survival
Mario “malbsMd” Samayoa was voted Player of the Match after posting a 1.50 rating across the series. The Guatemalan star finished with 37 kills, 89.9 ADR, and a remarkable +4.41% swing.
Jonathan “EliGE” Jablonowski added a 1.35 rating, while Keith “NAF” Markovic contributed with a 1.33 rating and an impressive 92.9% KAST. On the HEROIC side, Christoffer “Chr1zN” Storgaard was the only player to finish with a rating above 1.30.
VRS impact
The result also affected the Valve Regional Standings. Liquid gained 33 points and climbed from #39 to #35, significantly improving their position ahead of future events. HEROIC, meanwhile, lost 17 points and remained in 33rd place.
Teams react to the result
Liquid celebrated the victory on their official X account with a short and confident message:
Free Win today
The organization accompanied the post with a graphic featuring the entire lineup after securing another day of life in Cologne. HEROIC, meanwhile, acknowledged the end of their campaign with a much more emotional message:
IEM Cologne run ends here
The Danish organization posted a defeat graphic and thanked fans after their elimination from Stage 1.
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What’s next?
Liquid remain alive at IEM Cologne Major 2026 and will play in the decisive 2-2 pool, where one final victory would secure qualification for Stage 2. HEROIC, meanwhile, leave Cologne earlier than expected after finishing Stage 1 with a 1-3 record.
