The European squad FUT Esports, featuring two Ukrainian players, defeated the Ukrainian team B8 in an elimination match at the IEM Cologne Major 2026.
The teams traded victories on their respective map picks. B8 won Dust2 with a score of 13:10, while FUT responded on Mirage, taking the map 13:9.
The deciding map was Ancient, which turned into a closely contested battle. B8 found themselves trailing 6:12 but managed to fight back to 11:12. However, FUT secured the final round and closed out the series 2:1.
With the victory, FUT improved their record to 1–2. The team still has no room for error and must win two consecutive matches to qualify for the playoffs.
B8 began the tournament in Stage 1, which they confidently navigated with a perfect 3–0 record. In Stage 2, the Ukrainians were less convincing but still managed to reach Stage 3 after mounting a comeback from a 0–2 position. Unfortunately, they were unable to maintain that momentum in the third stage and have now been eliminated from the tournament.
The IEM Cologne Major 2026 is being held from June 2 to June 21 in Cologne, Germany. The tournament features a prize pool of $1.25 million.
As a reminder, Fnatic CEO Sam Mathews recently confirmed that the organization has received acquisition offers while denying any plans to dissolve the brand.