Passion UA Fall Short of IEM Cologne 2026 Major After Sangal Defeat in Urban Riga Final

Passion UA’s dream of reaching the IEM Cologne 2026 Major came to an end after a heartbreaking 1-2 loss to Sangal in the grand final of the Urban Riga Open Season 4 on April 5.

The decisive series saw Sangal edge Inferno 13-11, fall on Anubis 9-13, and close the match on Nuke 13-9, denying Passion UA their final шанс at qualification.

This result officially removed Passion UA from the Major race and confirmed Team Liquid’s place in Stage 1 via the Americas VRS rankings.

Sangal play spoiler as Liquid secure Major spot

Sangal’s victory had major implications beyond the title. By stopping Passion UA in the final, they effectively secured Liquid’s qualification path to Cologne.

Heading into the event, the VRS standings showed that Passion UA needed a tournament win — and even that might not have guaranteed qualification due to an extremely tight points race.

Instead, the loss eliminated all remaining scenarios.

A deep run that wasn’t enough

Passion UA entered the final in strong form after defeating BESTIA, another direct rival in the Major qualification race.

Throughout the final stretch of the season, the team proved they could compete with top opposition. Most notably, they eliminated FaZe at DraculaN Season 6, a result that also ended FaZe’s own Major hopes.

Despite these strong performances, Passion UA ultimately fell just one series short of Cologne.

Roster rebuild showed promise but missed the target

The Riga campaign was the culmination of a bold rebuild earlier in 2026, when Passion UA added Santino “try” Rigal and Azbayar “Senzu” Munkhbold to strengthen their lineup.

The organization made clear that Major qualification was the primary goal.

“The main thing is just making sure we qualify for the Major,” said coach Tiaan “T.c” Coertzen.

CEO Artemijs Rjabovs also emphasized the scale of the project:

“Two years ago: who were we? We were playing United21, and now we will have Senzu.”

He revealed that Passion UA outbid competitors to secure the Mongolian star:

The team agreed on “a little bit higher sum” than NAVI were rumored to offer.

What this means for the IEM Cologne 2026 Major

With the VRS deadline reached on April 6, the final qualification picture is now set.

Teams that narrowly missed out include:

Passion UA

BESTIA

FaZe

Alliance

K27

Gentle Mates

SemperFi

For Passion UA, the Riga final represents one of the closest qualification misses of the season.

Conclusion: One step away from Cologne

Passion UA’s late-season surge made them one of the most dangerous teams in the VRS race, but the loss to Sangal ultimately ended their run.

They reshaped the qualification landscape, eliminated top contenders, and pushed the race to the very end — yet fell just short when it mattered most.

Meanwhile, Liquid advance to Cologne, and Sangal leave Riga as the unexpected kingmakers of the Major race.