IEM Cologne Major Stage 2 Final Day: Monte, Legacy and B8 Move On

The final day of IEM Cologne Major Stage 2 decided the last teams moving forward. Monte, Legacy, and B8 won their elimination matches and secured Stage 3 spots, while paiN, TYLOO, and BIG were knocked out. Check out the key results, top performers, and biggest moments from the day.

Final Decider Day Locks the Stage 3 Lineup

The last day of Stage 2 on June 9 featured three elimination series with Stage 3 spots on the line:

1. Monte knocked out paiN with a 2-0 victory.
2. Legacy swept TYLOO to keep Brazilian hopes alive.
3. B8 completed a reverse-series comeback against BIG to claim the final qualification place.

Each match told a different story. Monte and Legacy handled business in straight maps, while B8 recovered from a 0-1 deficit and ended BIG’s run in front of the Cologne crowd. With Stage 3 ahead, every match will be a best-of-three, putting even more focus on veto depth, adaptation, and endurance.

Monte Send paiN Out After a Clean 2-0

Monte secured a 2-0 victory over paiN, taking Nuke 13-5 before edging out Dust2 13-11. After a shaky start on Nuke, the European side took control once rifles came into play and capitalized on paiN’s struggles in opening duels.

Oscar "AZUWU" Bell led the way for Monte, while Aleks "Rainwaker" Petrov delivered key impact throughout the series and sealed Dust2 with a decisive 3K in the final round on B. Rafael "saffee" Costa was paiN’s standout performer, but it was not enough to keep the Brazilian squad alive. The defeat ended paiN’s run before Stage 3 and marked the first time biguzera’s core missed the Major top 16 in the CS2 era.

Legacy Crush TYLOO to Keep Brazil Alive

Legacy became Brazil’s lone Stage 3 team after a dominant 2-0 win over TYLOO.

TYLOO opened Mirage with the pistol and a 3-0 lead, but Legacy quickly took control once the gun rounds arrived. Inferno was even more one-sided. Despite a few bright moments from Dongkai "Jee" Ji and Su "Zero" Jingshen, TYLOO never found enough momentum. Legacy closed the series comfortably after surviving all five rounds of the Stage 2 campaign.

saadzin, dumau and latto Lead the Server

Bruno "latto" Rebelatto topped the full series with 33-19, 89.1 ADR, and a 1.57 rating. Guilherme "saadzin" Pacheco was close behind at 27-15 with a 1.50 rating and 83.8% KAST, while Eduardo "dumau" Wolkmer posted 31-24, 86.9 ADR, and a 1.40 rating.

saadzin also made the loudest early mark on Inferno, opening with a 1v2 clutch and ending the first half with a triple. After the match, his message was direct: Legacy had never made Major playoffs, and this group wants that badly.

B8 Complete the Comeback Path Against BIG

B8 claimed the last Stage 3 ticket with a comeback 2-1 victory over BIG.

BIG looked in control early, taking Ancient behind a strong CT side and Benjamin "blameF" Bremer’s impact. B8 flipped the series on Overpass with a dominant response, then weathered a rough start on Dust2 after falling behind 0-6. Five T-side rounds before the break kept them within reach, and the Ukrainians took over after the switch. Artem "kensizor" Kapran’s ace helped close the decider and end BIG’s run.

s1zzi Takes Over as BIG Fall Short at Home

Danylo "s1zzi" Vinnyk was the player of the series. The 16-year-old finished 62-36 with 93.3 ADR, 85.0% KAST, and a 1.49 rating. On B8’s winning maps, he hit 2.01 and 1.51 ratings, which explains why BIG’s early leads never felt safe.

His Overpass was the turning point: a 19-kill first half, an ace against pistols, and a late triple made it 11-1. On Dust2, he added three kills in the pistol and four more in the anti-eco to erase BIG’s halftime edge. blameF still ended with 49-38 and a 1.31 rating, but BIG’s home Major dream stopped one series short.

Main Storylines Ahead of Stage 3

Monte head into Stage 3 with growing momentum. Gizmy said reaching this point was the target from day one, and their recent form backs that up. Key reasons include:

• AZUWU’s consistent fragging power
• Rainwaker’s composure in late rounds
• Stronger team coordination in mid-round situations

Legacy are now Brazil’s last remaining team. The win over TYLOO showed a sharper version of their aggressive approach, while saadzin’s resurgence has added another layer to their threat level.

B8 arrive with plenty of confidence after their comeback against BIG. Recovering from a map deficit and a rough Dust2 start highlighted both resilience and firepower. Stage 3 will demand even more from all three teams.