BetBoom Team, B8 move into Stage 2 at IEM Cologne Major

BetBoom Team and B8 became the first two teams to advance out of Stage 1 of the Intel Extreme Masters Cologne Major on Wednesday in Germany.

In matchups of teams that began the day with 2-0 records, BetBoom Team swept GamerLegion 2-0, and B8 defeated M80 2-0, capping the series with a triple-overtime victory.

The day also featured the first two elimination matches, with TYLOO ousting SINNERS Esports 2-0 and HEROIC trouncing Gaimin Gladiators 2-0.

The 32-team, $1.25 million Counter-Strike: Global Offensive event is starting with a 16-team opening stage featuring Swiss System play. Matches consist of a single map except those that will determine elimination or advancement, which will be best-of-three.

The top eight teams from Stage 1 advance to Stage 2, where they will be joined by FUT Esports, Team Spirit, Astralis, G2 Esports, Legacy, paiN Gaming, Monte and 9z Team.

Stage 2 will follow the same format as Stage 1. The top eight teams will move on to Stage 3, where they will be joined by Team Vitality, Natus Vincere, Team Falcons, The MongolZ, PARIVISION, Aurora Gaming, FURIA and MOUZ.

All matches in Stage 3, which also will employ the Swiss System format, will be best-of-three. The top eight teams in Stage 3 qualify for the single-elimination playoffs. All playoff matches will be best-of-three until the final on June 21, which will be best-of-five.

The championship team will receive $500,000, and the runner-up will get $170,000.

On Wednesday, BetBoom Team blitzed GamerLegion 13-2 on Nuke, 13-8 on Ancient. Timur "FL4MUS" Marev led the all-Russian victors with 35 kills and a plus-14 kill-death differential. Poland's Milan "hypex" Polowiec posted 28 kills and a plus-3 K-D differential for GamerLegion.

B8 slipped past M80 13-11 on Ancient before earning a marathon 22-20 win on Inferno. Alexey "alex666" Yarmoshchuk paced all-Ukrainian B8 with 52 kills and a plus-10 K-D differential. The United States' Mason "Lake" Sanderson registered 54 kills and a plus-10 K-D differential for M80.

TYLOO worked overtime for a 16-14 win over SINNERS on Ancient before wrapping up the series with a 13-10 triumph on Inferno. Su "Zero" Jingshen propelled all-Chinese TYLOO with 43 kills and a plus-9 K-D differential. Romania's Madalin-Andrei "MoDo" Mirea notched 41 kills and a plus-12 K-D differential for SINNERS.

HEROIC thrashed Gaimin Gladiators 13-5 on Dust II, 13-6 on Inferno. Sweden's Linus "nilo" Bergman amassed 36 kills and a plus-13 K-D differential for HEROIC. Brazil's Henrique "HEN1" Teles logged 26 kills and a plus-2 K-D differential for Gaimin Gladiators.

In matches featuring teams that began the day with 1-1 records, NRG nipped FlyQuest 13-10 on Mirage, Lynn Vision Gaming blasted Sports Esports 13-5 on Overpass, MIBR handled Team Liquid 13-10 on Mirage, and BIG bested THUNDERdOWNUNDER 13-7 on Inferno.

The Thursday schedule:

High matches (teams with 2-1 records)

--GamerLegion vs. BIG

--Lynn Vision Gaming vs. MIBR

--M80 vs. NRG

Low matches (teams with 1-2 records)

--THUNDERdOWNUNDER vs. FlyQuest

--TYLOO vs. Sharks Esports

--Team Liquid vs. HEROIC

Intel Extreme Masters Cologne Major Stage 1 standings

T1. B8, 3-0 (advanced)

T1. BetBoom Team, 3-0 (advanced)

T3. GamerLegion, 2-1

T3. M80, 2-1

T3. Lynn Vision Gaming, 2-1

T3. MIBR, 2-1

T3. NRG, 2-1

T3. BIG, 2-1

T9. Team Liquid, 1-2

T9. THUNDERdOWNUNDER, 1-2

T9. TYLOO, 1-2

T9. Sharks Esports, 1-2

T9. FlyQuest, 1-2

T9. HEROIC, 1-2

T15. Gaimin Gladiators, 0-3 (eliminated)

T15. SINNERS Esports, 0-3 (eliminated)

Intel Extreme Masters Cologne Major prize pool

1. $500,000

2. $170,000

3-4. $80,000

5-8. $45,000

9-11. $15,000

12-14. $15,000

15-16. $15,000

17-19. $10,000

20-22. $10,000

23-24. $10,000

25-27. $5,000

28-30. $5,000

31-32. $5,000 -- Gaimin Gladiators, SINNERS Esports

--Field Level Media