BIG pull off 0-12 comeback to stay alive – IEM Cologne Major Stage 1 recap

Owen Harsono Published 05/06/2026

We’ve just witnessed arguably the worst choke in Counter-Strike Major history, and we’re only on the first stage of the IEM Cologne Major. If you didn’t tune into the Stage 1 matches, here’s what you need to know heading into Stage 2.

Stage 1 survivors look promising

Many fans tend to underestimate Stage 1 teams for fair reasons, but some survivors in this tournament look extremely promising.

Two Eastern European teams, BetBoom Team and B8, ended Stage 1 with a flawless 3-0 record. These two teams left a lasting impression at IEM Atlanta 2026 very recently, where they finished top four and top eight, respectively. They destroyed everyone at this stage, and we’ve even put them advancing to Stage 3 in our IEM Cologne Major Pick’Em predictions.

Image credit: Adela Sznajder for ESL FACEIT Group

Aside from the two stars of the show, we also have GamerLegion, M80, and MIBR who could definitely deal some damage in the coming stage.

Gaimin Gladiators put up the lowest average rounds won in 10 years

While eight teams celebrated their advancement to the next stage, one team wasn’t so lucky. Brazilian squad Gaimin Gladiators were one of the two teams that went out 0-3, and it’s safe to say their performance wasn’t great.

Across the four maps they played at the Major, they won none, and only managed to post 16 rounds throughout their entire tournament run. This means they won an average of four rounds per map, which has turned out to be the worst Major performance in the last ten years.

Team Liquid and HEROIC bomb out of the Major

Two of the higher-profile teams at this stage were Team Liquid and HEROIC, two organizations that have made several impressions in previous Counter-Strike Majors. However, they weren’t so lucky in this one.

HEROIC were eliminated with a 1-3 record, only finding a win against Gaimin Gladiators, which ended up being the weakest team at the event. Apart from this win, HEROIC did not win any other maps throughout the Major, even losing to lower-ranked teams like Lynn Vision and Sharks.

It was clear Team Liquid were not in their best shape coming into Cologne, but their performance was disappointing. The North American org went 2-2, and were one series away from making it to the next stage, but lost the series against FlyQuest.

The most disappointing thing was how the series played out. The Team Liquid players missed flashbang lineups and even lost against a full eco despite having a full-buy. It’s getting harder and harder to stay as a Team Liquid fan.

BIG keep Major hopes alive after winning 16 rounds in a row

Hometown heroes BIG played against NRG Esports in the final match of Stage 1, with the winner advancing to Stage 2, while the loser was sent packing. Both teams exchanged maps, bringing the series into a decisive game.

NRG were off to more than a flying start, winning the entire first half of Mirage 12-0 on their Counter-Terrorist side. This meant they only needed one more round to continue their Major run. However, BIG Clan pulled off the unthinkable, winning 12 rounds in a row to force the game into overtime.

BIG’s streak didn’t stop at 12 – they even swept overtime, winning 16 consecutive rounds in total to close the map 16-12 and shatter NRG’s hopes. We’ve never seen such an insane comeback and a more devastating choke – this will go down in Counter-Strike history.

As a result, BIG will continue playing the Major in their home country, while NRG exited the tournament in the worst way possible.

Featured image credit: Adela Sznajder for ESL FACEIT Group

Owen Harsono

About Owen Harsono

Owen lives for competition, spending most of his gaming hours on Dota 2, CS2, and Valorant. A regular on the SEA Dota 2 leaderboards, he combines his first-hand experience with a deep passion for esports journalism, following the professional scenes of all three esports betting titles religiously. When he’s not writing, he’s most probably betting on esports and watching the latest events.

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