Liquid keep Major hopes alive by eliminating HEROIC in Cologne

Team Liquid stayed alive at the IEM Cologne Major 2026 after defeating HEROIC 2-0 in a Stage 1 elimination match, ending the European side’s run in the tournament. The series was played in the 1-2 Swiss pool, meaning the losing team would be knocked out, and Liquid handled the pressure with a clean victory on Nuke and Inferno. 

HEROIC chose Nuke as their map pick, but the decision backfired quickly. Liquid took control early and closed the map 13-5, winning the first half 8-4 before allowing HEROIC only one round after the side switch. The result gave Liquid a strong start in the best-of-three and put HEROIC on the brink of elimination. 

Inferno, Liquid’s pick, was much closer but followed a similar pattern at the beginning. Liquid once again built an 8-4 lead at halftime, with Mario “malbsMd” Samayoa playing a key role in their strong T-side. HEROIC showed more resistance in the second half, reducing the gap and threatening a comeback, but Liquid eventually converted the map 13-11 to complete the sweep. 

The defeat ended a disappointing Major campaign for HEROIC. Their Stage 1 run included best-of-one losses to Sharks and Lynn Vision, a 2-0 win over Gaimin Gladiators, and finally the elimination loss to Liquid. HLTV described HEROIC’s campaign as a poor end to the season, while Pley noted that one of the teams expected to fight for qualification had crashed out after losses to Sharks, Lynn Vision, and Liquid. 

For Liquid, the win moved them into the 2-2 pool and set up a deciding match against FlyQuest for a place in Stage 2. At the time of the HEROIC match, that victory kept Liquid’s Major run alive, but the story did not end there: Liquid later lost 0-2 to FlyQuest, with FlyQuest advancing to Stage 2 and Liquid being eliminated from the Major. 

The wider context makes the result even more significant. IEM Cologne Major 2026 features 32 teams, runs from June 2 to June 21 in Cologne, Germany, and has a $1,250,000 prize pool. Stage 1 was the opening step of the tournament, with teams fighting for spots in Stage 2 before the later stages and playoffs. 

While Liquid’s win over HEROIC gave them a temporary lifeline, it also underlined the volatility of Stage 1. HEROIC’s exit came earlier than expected, and Liquid’s own campaign ended one round later. Still, the 2-0 over HEROIC was one of Liquid’s strongest performances of the stage: Nuke was one-sided, Inferno showed composure under late pressure, and malbsMd, NAF, and EliGE were highlighted by coverage as key contributors to the victory.