The debut of BC.Game’s revamped international roster became a harsh reality check. The team led by s1mple finished the closed online qualifier for IEM Rio 2026 in last place. Two straight losses ended their run at the very start of qualification.
A disastrous start to the season
BC.Game opened the qualifier against Ursa and suffered a clear 0–2 defeat. The loss sent them straight to the lower bracket. There, they faced a do-or-die series against Nemesis, the former GUN5 lineup. BC.Game showed flashes of individual skill and stayed competitive in parts of the series. Still, Nemesis closed the matchup 2–1. The new BC.Game roster left the qualifier without a single win.
s1mple delivered, but it wasn’t enough
s1mple stood out as the only consistent bright spot. Against Nemesis, the Ukrainian star recorded a 1.57 HLTV rating, the highest in the series. He kept BC.Game in contention with sharp AWP plays and several key clutches.
That level of individual impact could not fix the team’s deeper issues. The coordination looked raw. Mid-round decisions lacked sync. For a lineup formed just weeks ago, those flaws were expected. The result, however, still stung.
Scheduling chaos and criticism of ESL
The schedule added more tension to an already rough exit. Shortly before the elimination match, s1mple openly criticized ESL for last-minute changes.
The match against Nemesis was supposed to start around 20:00. Instead, it began at 03:05 AM after long broadcast delays. s1mple noted that a win would have created an extreme situation. BC.Game could have faced up to four Bo3 series in less than 24 hours. His tweet spread quickly and fueled debate across social media.
Community reaction: split and unforgiving
The community response was sharply divided:
- some fans supported s1mple and blamed ESL for an exhausting schedule;
- others mocked the loss and framed it as “tier-4 reality”;
- ironic memes like “ah shit, here we go again” flooded timelines and gained thousands of views.
The discussion once again showed how harsh the online scene can be. That tone intensifies when the biggest name in Counter-Strike is involved.
Up next — IEM Kraków
BC.Game now have little time to reset. By the end of January, they will start their IEM Kraków 2026 campaign. In the opening round of Stage 1, they will face Legacy. The Kraków event could shape the future of the project. Either the roster begins to find its identity, or doubts about its long-term potential will surface far sooner than expected.
