The first round of Stage 2 at IEM Cologne Major 2026 continued with two more BO1 matches. Team Spirit had little trouble against BetBoom, while MIBR defeated Legacy in an all-Brazilian clash to start the stage with a 1-0 record.
Spirit overpower BetBoom behind another donk masterclass
Team Spirit entered Stage 2 as one of the tournament favorites and immediately demonstrated why. On Mirage, the Russian squad completely controlled the pace of the game and secured a comfortable 13-5 victory over BetBoom.
Danil “donk” Kryshkovets once again stole the spotlight. The superstar rifler finished with 22 kills and an outstanding 2.26 rating while posting nearly 118 ADR. Boris “magixx” Vorobiev also made a strong contribution with a 1.26 rating, helping Spirit cruise through the opening match.
BetBoom struggled to find answers throughout the map. Kirill “Magnojez” Rodnov and Timur “FL4MUS” Marev were the only players to finish with ratings above 1.10, while Boombl4, zorte, and stand-in d1Ledez failed to make a significant impact.
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Spirit continue their winning streak
The victory extended Spirit’s impressive run, with the team now riding a six-match winning streak. The result also strengthened their position near the top of the VRS rankings, where they remain second in the world.
BetBoom, meanwhile, dropped into the 0-1 pool and will have to recover later in the day to avoid an early setback.
Team reactions
Spirit celebrated the victory on their official X account, writing:
Secured our opening game!
The team added that another BO1 awaited them later in the day. BetBoom reacted with humor after the loss, posting:
The walk didn’t turn out so great
alongside a defeat graphic from the match.
MIBR defeat Legacy in Brazilian showdown
The second match featured a derby between two Brazilian representatives. MIBR proved to be the stronger side on Nuke, defeating Legacy 13-8 to begin Stage 2 with a victory.
The game was competitive early on, but MIBR took control after halftime and closed out the map comfortably. Felipe “insani” Yuji delivered another excellent performance, while brnz4n, k1l1m, venomzera, and LNZ all contributed in a balanced team effort.
Legacy struggled to replicate the form that had carried them through recent tournaments. Despite entering Cologne as one of the higher-ranked teams, they were unable to stop MIBR’s momentum and fell into the 0-1 bracket.
MIBR gain revenge over Legacy
The result also carried additional significance because Legacy had won several recent meetings between the teams, including a BO3 series two weeks earlier. This time, however, MIBR came prepared and earned an important victory in the race for a place in Stage 3.
From a VRS perspective, MIBR climbed to 16th place after gaining 46 points, while Legacy dropped from fifth to sixth.
Team reactions
MIBR celebrated on social media with a confident message:
LET’S GOOO! We won the first MD1, but the day’s not over yet!
The Brazilians emphasized that their journey toward Stage 3 was only beginning.
Legacy accepted the defeat and quickly turned their attention to the next match, writing:
Loss in the first Major match 8-13. Now it’s time to chase that 1-1 still today!
Despite the setback, the Brazilian squad made it clear that their Cologne campaign was far from over.
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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.
