IEM Cologne Major 2026: donk Carries Spirit to Stage 3 as Astralis Bow Out

Team Spirit advanced to Stage 3 of the IEM Cologne Major 2026 with a flawless 3-0 record in Stage 2, clinching their spot on June 7 at the Palladium venue in Cologne, Germany. Danil 'donk' Kryshkovets, the 19-year-old Spirit rifler, dominated with a 2.27 HLTV rating across four maps, including a 2.26 rating in a 13-5 Mirage win against BetBoom and a 13-1 shutout against MIBR. Spirit’s other matches against 9z were equally decisive, with victories on Mirage (13-3) and Nuke (13-1), conceding only ten rounds total in Stage 2. Meanwhile, Astralis faced elimination on June 8 after losing 0-2 to paiN Gaming in Round 4, extending their streak to nine consecutive Majors without reaching the playoffs since their 2019 Berlin Major victory. The $1.25 million event, the fifth Counter-Strike 2 Major and the 24th overall in the franchise, continues through June 21 with Stage 3 featuring a new best-of-three format for all matches, replacing the previous best-of-one structure for non-advancement games. This change, announced by ESL in February 2026, aims to provide a more representative competitive structure at the highest-pressure stage. Spirit’s path to Stage 3 was secured through the Buchholz-seeded Swiss format, where teams are paired based on identical win-loss records. Advancement and elimination matches use best-of-three series to minimize single-map variance, while seeding from Round 2 onward relies on the Buchholz tiebreaker system, which adjusts for schedule difficulty. Spirit’s map depth and consistency make them a clear favorite entering Stage 3, where all matches will now follow the best-of-three format. The tournament’s Stage 2 saw five remaining Stage 3 berths decided through best-of-three series, with Day 3 matches concluding by Monday evening Central European Time. Spirit’s dominance in Stage 2 reignited discussions about 'donk's place among Counter-Strike’s all-time greats, as his performance reflected sustained precision against prepared opponents. With Astralis eliminated and other teams still battling for Stage 3 spots, the competition remains tight as the Major progresses toward its final stages.