BESTIA’s Cologne Major Dream Ends After Defeat to Passion UA in Riga

BESTIA’s hopes of reaching the IEM Cologne 2026 Major came to an end following a decisive defeat against Passion UA at the Urban Riga Open Season 4 LAN event in Latvia.

The South American squad suffered a 0–2 loss in the semi-final, with Passion UA convincingly closing the series on Mirage and Inferno to eliminate BESTIA from the tournament—and, with it, their chances of qualifying for Cologne.

A decisive series in Riga

The match, played in a best-of-three format, saw Passion UA enter as slight favorites and ultimately live up to expectations.

• Mirage: Passion UA secured a comfortable opening map, taking control early and never relinquishing momentum.
• Inferno: The second map followed a similar pattern, with Passion UA maintaining composure to close out the series 2–0.

The victory marked another strong showing for the international roster, which has been steadily improving since recent lineup changes earlier in the year.

Major qualification race reaches its conclusion

This result had significant implications beyond the tournament itself. The Urban Riga Open served as one of the final opportunities for teams to secure enough VRS points to qualify for the Cologne Major.

Prior to the event, both BESTIA and Passion UA were among the teams still fighting for a spot. The qualification race was extremely tight, with teams like Liquid relying on specific outcomes in Riga to maintain their positions.

BESTIA’s elimination therefore mathematically ends their Major campaign, as they can no longer accumulate the points required before the cutoff.

Passion UA keep hopes alive

While BESTIA exit the race, Passion UA’s victory keeps their own slim chances alive. The team had already shown resilience in recent weeks, including advancing through earlier stages of the Riga event and staying competitive in the broader Major qualification race.

Their run in Riga—highlighted by a clean 2–0 win over BESTIA—cements them as one of the late contenders still fighting for a Cologne berth.

BESTIA’s run falls short

BESTIA arrived in Riga with momentum after navigating earlier matches, including a successful series against BIG Academy in the group stage.

However, when it mattered most, they were unable to overcome Passion UA. The loss not only ends their tournament run but also caps off their Major qualification journey in disappointing fashion.

What’s next

With the VRS cutoff approaching and the IEM Cologne 2026 Major set to begin in June, the remaining qualification spots are now being finalized.

Passion UA will continue their campaign in Riga, while BESTIA are left to regroup after falling just short of one of Counter-Strike’s most prestigious events.