Commentator Marsel Khairullin exclusively for Esports.ru analyzed Team Spirit's dominance in the second stage of IEM Cologne Major 2026 without a coach behind them, assessed the prospects of B8 Esports, and explained why the prolonged crisis of Astralis is not a personal curse of Rasmus HooXi Nielsen.
MarselZhab Zhabych is just a meme, so there's nothing wrong with Spirit playing without a coach. How confidently Spirit performed: 52 rounds won and 10 lost over four maps — that's very few for the opponents. When magixx takes everything into his own hands, it's the plan and preparation for the game that we see working.
According to the commentator, B8's advancement to the third stage is a logical outcome: at the last major in Budapest, the team was also in the third stage and just one match away from the playoffs.
MarselRegarding Astralis: HooXi answered his own question. They trained one way, played another, acted uncooperatively. The roster played normally: they eliminated Spirit and reached the semifinals of ESL Pro League. It's just that now at the major, the guys decided to play differently. Yes, things aren't working out with Astralis, but it's not HooXi's fault — he has already proven himself. This is not a personal curse, but just a series of circumstances.
IEM Cologne Major 2026 takes place from June 2 to June 21, 2026, in Cologne, Germany. 32 teams will compete for the title and a prize pool of $1,250,000; matches in Stage 1–3 will be held at the Palladium arena, and the playoffs at the LANXESS Arena.
Let us remind you that following the second stage, B8, Monte, and Legacy advanced to Stage 3.
