ChaiViz
04.06.2026
The Intel Extreme Masters Cologne Major 2026 has delivered exactly the kind of chaotic opening act the Swiss system is famous for. Sixteen teams entered Stage 1 on June 2nd, and through three rounds of Bo1 matches, the bracket has started separating contenders from pretenders in brutal fashion. Here is how Days 1 through 3 played out, and an honest look at where our predictions hit and where they fell flat.
Day 1 opened with eight Bo1 matches, and five of our eight Round 1 predictions landed correctly. GamerLegion handled NRG as we called it, B8 dispatched TYLOO, BetBoom Team eliminated Gaimin Gladiators, M80 took care of Lynn Vision, and Team Liquid beat BIG to give our picks a clean majority.
The misses, though, were notable. Sharks beating HEROIC was the headline upset of the round, with the Brazilian side stunning one of Europe's more established teams in a result few expected. THUNDERdOWNUNDER then compounded the surprise by taking down mibr, flipping our prediction entirely. FlyQuest also came through against Sinners, which we had the wrong way around. Three upsets in a single round set the tone for what was coming.
Round 1 record: 5 correct, 3 incorrect.
Because Round 2 pairings in the Swiss system are determined by Round 1 results, the three upsets in Round 1 meant the actual Round 2 matchups looked nothing like the ones we had predicted. Our Round 2 predictions were built on an assumed bracket that did not survive contact with Day 1. That makes a direct hit/miss count misleading, so instead it is worth tracking how the teams we backed actually fared as the tournament progressed.
The actual Round 2 results produced a few more surprises. Lynn Vision continued their unlikely run by beating HEROIC, who had already lost once to Sharks in Round 1 and were now in serious elimination danger. BetBoom Team reinforced their status as one of the tournament's early standouts by defeating Team Liquid, one of the pre-tournament favourites. mibr recovered from their Round 1 loss by beating TYLOO, while NRG and B8 both continued winning. GamerLegion and BIG also picked up wins, setting up an increasingly competitive 1-1 pool going into Round 3.
By Day 3 and Round 3, the stakes sharpened. Teams sitting at 2-0 were a win away from advancing and teams at 0-2 were facing elimination. The Bo1 format kept everything fragile.
BetBoom Team extended their unbeaten run, beating GamerLegion to go 3-0. B8 did the same, defeating M80 to secure their own perfect opening. NRG beat FlyQuest, BIG knocked out THUNDERdOWNUNDER, mibr continued their recovery run by beating Team Liquid, and HEROIC bounced back with a win over Gaimin Gladiators. Lynn Vision kept their tournament alive by beating Sharks, while TYLOO took down Sinners.
Looking at the teams we predicted to advance through Stage 1, BetBoom Team and B8 have both been outstanding and match our confidence in them. NRG, BIG, mibr, and HEROIC are still in the mix, though by different routes than we expected. GamerLegion started well but dropped to BetBoom in Round 3. Team Liquid, one of our stronger picks, have had a more turbulent opening than anticipated after the loss to BetBoom.
On the other side, Lynn Vision is the story of Stage 1 so far. After losing to M80 in Round 1, they have beaten HEROIC and Sharks in back-to-back rounds, and they are very much alive heading into the elimination matches.
The Round 1 hit rate of 5 from 8 is a reasonable baseline, but the three upsets in that round, Sharks over HEROIC, THUNDERdOWNUNDER over mibr, and FlyQuest over Sinners, cascaded through the entire bracket and made Rounds 2 and 3 unfamiliar territory compared to what we had mapped out.
The teams we were most confident in, BetBoom Team and B8, have delivered. The picks that hurt most are HEROIC, who have looked vulnerable throughout the opening days, and Team Liquid, who we had going deep into the bracket but are now in a tricky position.
Stage 1 continues through June 5th, with advancement and elimination matches in Rounds 4 and 5 shifting to Bo3. The top 8 teams will move through to Stage 2, and the bottom 8 will be sent home. Head to the our Pick'ems section to follow the action and lock in your Stage 2 bracket picks before the dust settles.
ChaiViz
04.06.2026
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