The Ukrainian team B8 have concluded their run at IEM Kraków 2026 after a 0–2 defeat to the Brazilian squad paiN. The young AWPer segukawa struggled to make an impact in the matches, while npl was the team’s only bright spot in critical moments. paiN secured confident victories on Dust2 and Mirage, where snow and nqz dominated from the very beginning.
Passion UA also exited the tournament following a loss to Ninjas in Pyjamas, who claimed wins on Nuke and Anubis after dropping the opening map, Overpass. The Ukrainian organization failed to convert their advantages in key rounds and fell to their more experienced opponents. NiP will now face BC.Game in the next round for a spot in the second stage of the tournament.
BC.Game were unable to handle the French side 3DMAX, losing on Overpass and Anubis with just seven rounds won in total. s1mple and krazy could not save their team, while Lucky and bodyy from the opposing side fully controlled the game.
Another team featuring Ukrainian players, FUT, sent Legacy home after a 2–0 victory on Dust2 and Ancient. dem0n and lauNX applied heavy pressure on their opponents and secured the team a place in the next match against Liquid.
The situation in the lower bracket of IEM Kraków 2026 is heating up, and the fight for a spot in the second stage is becoming increasingly intense for all teams. Additionally, the first teams to advance to the next stage have been confirmed: parivision, 3DMAX, and G2.
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As a reminder, the total prize pool of the Esports Nations Cup 2026 will amount to $45 million.
