Team Spirit sniper Dmitry "sh1ro" Sokolov commented on the level of opponents at IEM Cologne Major 2026 in a post-match interview during the tournament broadcast. His words are quoted by Esports.ru.
Dmitry "sh1ro" SokolovWhen we play against Falcons and NAVI, we feel confident, but Vitality is a different level. If Falcons beat Vitality and reach the finals, I think that would be better for us.
The player also noted the preparation of the French team and its captain Dan "apEX" Madesclaire.
Dmitry "sh1ro" SokolovapEX constantly prepares anti-strategies. When we play against them, we often don't understand what exactly Vitality is going to do in the round. apEX is a very good captain, and Vitality has strong team play.
Stage 2 of the IEM Cologne Major 2026 takes place from June 6 to 9 with the participation of 16 teams. The main stage is scheduled for June 11–21, and the prize pool of the championship is $1,250,000.
Recall that earlier Vitality held the first place in the HLTV ranking before the IEM Cologne Major 2026.
