Cologne Major Stage 3 Day 5: 9z, BetBoom, and G2 Complete the Playoff Picture

The Cologne Major playoff teams are locked in. After a tense final day of Stage 3, 9z, BetBoom, and G2 won their do-or-die matches to reach the LANXESS Arena, while The MongolZ, FUT, and NAVI were knocked out. Read on for the key results and biggest moments from Day 5.

9z and BetBoom Convert Decider Wins into LANXESS Arena Berths

9z completed their Cinderella run with a 2-0 victory over The MongolZ, securing a playoff berth after taking Inferno and Overpass by identical 13-8 scores. The South American squad had already turned heads with wins over Vitality and PARIVISION, but this was the series that booked their place in the LANXESS Arena.

Franco "dgt" Garcia dominated the server with 44-21 K-D, 109.2 ADR, and an elite 1.76 rating. Luciano "luchov" Herrera added 37-26 K-D, 99.7 ADR, and a 1.34 rating, while Ayush "mzinho" Batbold was the only MongolZ player able to consistently answer back, finishing with 34-30 K-D, 86.5 ADR, and a 1.27 rating. After a tied first half on Inferno, 9z pulled away on the T side, then controlled Overpass from the start, highlighted by dgt’s opening ace.

BetBoom joined them in the playoffs with a convincing sweep of FUT. Despite late roster complications involving FL4MUS and stand-in AWPer zorte, the team never looked shaken. Kirill "Boombl4" Mikhailov led the charge with a 1.76 rating, while zorte and FL4MUS both posted ratings above 1.35 in a one-sided series.

South American Momentum, Stand-In Leadership, and FUT’s Pressure Collapse

9z and BetBoom reached the playoffs through very different paths. 9z rode the momentum from their earlier giant-killing wins and looked comfortable throughout the series against The MongolZ. dgt led the charge, while the South Americans controlled the pace on both Inferno and Overpass.

BetBoom’s victory over FUT was built on discipline and firepower. Boombl4 dominated the server, especially on Mirage, where FUT collapsed into a 1-11 deficit on their own map pick. lauNX was the only FUT player to finish above a 1.00 rating, posting a 27-29 K-D, 71.3 ADR and 1.04 rating, while BetBoom consistently converted openings and closed rounds with confidence.

G2 Send NAVI Out and Line Up a Spirit Quarter-Final

The final decider of Stage 3 produced the day’s biggest elimination as G2 knocked out NAVI 2-1 and secured a playoff berth.

Nikita "HeavyGod" Martynenko was the standout performer, posting a 63-44 K-D, 88.6 ADR, and a 1.54 rating. NAVI’s brightest spot was Valeriy "b1t" Vakhovskiy, who finished with a 52-46 K-D, 83.4 ADR, and a 1.21 rating.

The loss ended NAVI’s campaign just short of the LANXESS Arena after consecutive missed opportunities against Falcons and G2.

Playoff Bracket Splits the Favorites Before the Arena Stage

The LANXESS Arena bracket is stacked on one side. Falcons take on Vitality, while G2 face Spirit, meaning several title favorites will collide before the semi-finals.

The opposite half offers a more open road. FURIA and 9z meet in a South American showdown, with FalleN looking to add another Cologne trophy to his career. Aurora will battle BetBoom, whose stand-in-driven run has already become one of the biggest surprises of the Major.

With Stage 3 complete, the playoff field is locked in and the arena stage is ready to begin.