ESL has officially locked in the rosters for all 32 teams heading to the IEM Cologne Major 2026, with most squads choosing to bring either a coach, a benched player, or an academy prospect as their listed substitute. The lineup confirmation sets the stage for the first Counter-Strike Major of the year, though a few unresolved stand-in situations still hang over the event.

For most of the field, the substitute slot is more of a formality than a plan. A handful of teams, however, are walking into Cologne with stand-ins who will play from the first map, not the bench, which meaningfully changes the competitive picture going in.

Teams Playing With Stand-Ins From Day One

Falcons will field Finn “karrigan” Andersen at the Major, with the veteran in-game leader slotting in rather than sitting as a backup option. It is the kind of situation where the “substitute” label on paper does not match the reality on the server.

MOUZ are in a similar position. Adrian “xelex” Vincze is stepping in for Jimi “Jimpphat” Salo, and the event will be Ludvig “Brollan” Brolin’s last with the team. That is a significant moment for one of the more consistent young cores in Counter-Strike over the past couple of years, and it will be playing out under the brightest lights the game has to offer.

Gaimin Gladiators are rolling with Fernando “fer” Alvarenga as part of their starting five rather than as a reserve. The Brazilian veteran’s inclusion gives the roster a different competitive identity than the one listed on the official sheet.

The BetBoom Situation Remains Unresolved

The biggest question mark hanging over the locked rosters is BetBoom. The organisation has not confirmed who will actually take the server for them in Cologne, telling HLTV that they cannot share information yet and need to wait for official announcements.

BetBoom qualified for the Major using stand-ins Aleksandr “zorte” Zagodyrenko and Timur “FL4MUS” Marev. Zorte then joined the team properly, replacing Artem “ArtFr0st” Kharitonov, but the picture has not fully settled since. Daniil “d1Ledez” Kustov’s availability is clouded by visa issues, while FL4MUS’s loan from Virtus.pro ended after the qualifier run concluded. The listed roster on the official sheet names FL4MUS and d1Ledez, but neither is a certainty to play.

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Stage 1 Rosters

Stage 2 Rosters

Stage 3 Rosters

The Picture Going Into Cologne

With rosters locked, the storylines heading into the Cathedral of Counter-Strike are starting to crystallise. Brollan’s farewell run with MOUZ, Falcons relying on karrigan’s in-game leadership, and BetBoom’s scramble to confirm a usable five are the situations most likely to shape the early narrative of the event. The rest of the field looks largely as expected, which puts more pressure on the teams dealing with disruption to prove they can still make a deep run.

The post IEM Cologne Major 2026 Rosters Locked as BetBoom Uncertainty Lingers appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

PGL has officially announced the 12 invited teams for PGL Wallachia Season 7, confirming the return of its flagship Dota 2 event to Bucharest from March 7 to 15, with a total prize pool of $1 million and a full 16 team lineup.

The tournament marks the second Wallachia event since The International 2026, following Mouz’s dramatic title win at Season 6, and once again places PGL Studios at the centre of the early 2026 competitive calendar.

All Invited Teams For PGL Wallachia Season 7

PGL confirmed the following 12 teams have received direct invitations to Wallachia Season 7:

• BetBoom
• Aurora
• Team Falcons
• Team Liquid
• Natus Vincere
• OG Esports
• Parivision
• Team Spirit
• Tundra Esports
• Mouz
• Team Yandex
• Xtreme Gaming

🌟 We are thrilled to announce the 12 Invited Teams for 🐺 PGL Wallachia 🇷🇴 Season 7!

📅 March 7-15
📍 PGL Studios
💰 $1M
👥 16 teams#PGLWallachia pic.twitter.com/HGh5Gj5JOf

— PGL (@pglesports) January 26, 2026

These invites cover many of the strongest international contenders, ensuring a high level of competition before a single qualifier has even concluded.

Four Closed Qualifier Spots Still Up For Grabs

The remaining four slots will be decided through regional Closed Qualifiers in the Americas, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and Asia.

Several notable teams are expected to contest those places. In the Americas, GamerLegion and Heroic headline the field. Western Europe features Virtus.pro and Nigma Galaxy, while Eastern Europe includes 1Win and Avulus. Asian qualifiers are set to feature Rekonix, Vici Gaming, and Team Nemesis among others.

Mouz Return As Defending Wallachia Champions

Mouz enter the tournament as reigning Wallachia champions after edging Team Spirit 3-2 in a tense Season 6 Grand Final. However, their recent form has been mixed. At BLAST Slam V, Mouz finished in the 3rd to 4th range, falling to eventual champions Tundra Esports in the semi-finals.

That result sets up a potential rematch narrative, with Tundra arriving in strong form and clearly capable of challenging for the title.

Key Roster And Staff Storylines To Watch

Several teams arrive with notable changes or unresolved questions. BetBoom will see the return of coach Anatoly “boolk” Ivanov to the active lineup after being benched in September, a move that could significantly impact their preparation and in-game structure.

Team Spirit, meanwhile, remain without a coach following the benching of Airat “Silent” Gaziev. While rumours continue to circulate around Filipe “Astini” Ribeiro potentially joining the organisation, no official confirmation has been made ahead of the event.

OG Esports also arrive with a symbolic change, as this will be the first Wallachia event featuring their return to green jerseys after ending their near decade-long partnership with Red Bull.

PGL Wallachia Season 7 Format And Prize Pool Details

PGL Wallachia Season 7 will take place at PGL Studios in Bucharest, Romania, running from March 7 to 15.

The tournament features a $1,000,000 prize pool, with $300,000 awarded to the champions.

All 16 teams will compete in a full Best of 3 Swiss stage, where the top eight teams advance and the bottom eight are eliminated. The playoffs will use a double-elimination Best of 3 bracket, culminating in a Best of 5 Grand Final to decide the champion.

Why Wallachia Season 7 Matters

With elite teams returning, unresolved roster questions, and four open qualifier slots still to be filled, PGL Wallachia Season 7 is shaping up as one of the most competitive Dota 2 events of early 2026. The mix of established champions, evolving lineups, and regional hopefuls makes the Bucharest event a key checkpoint before the season fully settles.

The post PGL Wallachia Season 7 Invited Teams Revealed As $1 Million Dota 2 Event Returns To Bucharest appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Valve has officially revealed the opening fixtures for The International 2025, Dota 2’s season-ending esports tournament. Kicking off on Thursday, September 4th, 16 teams from around the world will battle it out in Hamburg, Germany, for the Aegis of Champions and a shot at glory.

Defending champions return

One of the biggest storylines heading into this year’s competition is the return of Team Liquid. After sweeping Gaimin Gladiators 3-0 in last year’s final, the defending champions will begin their title defence against BOOM Esports, who secured their spot through the Southeast Asian qualifiers.

Team Liquid are the Grand Champions of The International 2024. Congratulations. #TI13 #Dota2 pic.twitter.com/CC8KQlG4A6

— Wykrhm Reddy (@wykrhm) September 15, 2024

Joining Team Liquid among the favourites are Team Spirit, fresh from their Esports World Cup victory, Team Falcons, BetBoom, and PARIVISION. All eyes will be on these invited teams, with many fans and Dota 2 betting enthusiasts tipping them as strong contenders.

Notable opening matches

The International always kicks off with some exciting clashes, and this year is no exception. Here are some of the must-watch fixtures on September 4th (times BST):

• Aurora Gaming vs Xtreme Gaming (Stream A, 11am)
• Team Spirit vs Wildcard (Stream B, 11am)
• Team Falcons vs Team Nemesis (Stream C, 11am)
• Tundra Esports vs Yakutou Brothers (Stream D, 11am)
• PARIVISION vs HEROIC (Stream A, 2pm)
• Team Liquid vs BOOM Esports (Stream B, 2pm)
• BetBoom vs Nigma Galaxy (Stream C, 2pm)
• Team Tidebound vs NAVI Jr (Stream D, 2pm)

For Team Spirit, their opener against Wildcard marks another test after the North American side’s impressive third-place finish at European Pro League Season 28. Meanwhile, Team Falcons, who narrowly missed out on lifting the Esports World Cup on home soil, will face Team Nemesis, a squad with two Southeast Asian qualifier victories under its belt.

Fans will also keep a close eye on NAVI Jr as they take on Team Tidebound, one of three Chinese teams at the tournament. Tidebound enter with momentum after winning Clavision Masters 2025: Snow-Ruyi.

The Road to The International 2025 kicks off with Round 1 in Hamburg on September 4! Here are the tournament’s opening matchups on 4 streams.

Check the Format: https://t.co/aSUngBbOfb … and the Rules: https://t.co/o0NwPROgFB#Dota2 #TI2025 pic.twitter.com/Yvsp7tKFH7

— The International (@dota2ti) September 2, 2025

Late twists before The International 2025

In true Dota 2 fashion, the build-up to TI hasn’t been without surprises. Just days before the opening matches, Tundra Esports confirmed that Matthew “Whitemon” Filemon would not be able to compete due to visa issues. The Indonesian support player expressed his disappointment in a heartfelt video, calling it “heart-breaking to miss the biggest event of the year.”

Adding to the drama, last year’s runners-up Gaimin Gladiators officially withdrew from the competition in late August. Co-founder Nick Cuccovillo revealed that contractual disputes between the players and the organisation made it impossible for the team to participate. Their spot was filled by Yakutou Brothers, who now have the daunting task of facing Tundra Esports in their debut.

Format of The International 2025

This year’s TI will once again feature a Group Stage followed by the Playoffs.

• Group Stage (Sept 4 onwards): All 16 teams will compete in a Swiss system. Opponents are determined by win-loss records.
• Advancement: The top three teams from the Group Stage move straight to the Playoffs. Teams finishing 4th to 13th will enter an elimination round, where five more spots in the Playoffs are up for grabs.
• Playoffs: The eight qualified teams will compete in a double-elimination bracket to crown the champion.

A stage set for history

With defending champions Team Liquid aiming to go back-to-back, Team Spirit chasing a third TI title, and new challengers like Team Nemesis and Yakutou Brothers eager to prove themselves, The International 2025 promises another unforgettable chapter in Dota 2 history.

Hamburg is about to host the world’s best teams, and fans are ready for weeks of high-level Dota, dramatic storylines, and perhaps a few more surprises along the way.

The post The International 2025: Opening Fixtures, Format, and Late Drama appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

There’s always a bit of extra spice when old teammates meet again, and this clash was no exception. In the ESL Challenger League Season 50 Europe, Cup 1, BetBoom Team came out on top against BC.Game, sending s1mple and co. down to the lower bracket with a 2–1 victory.

To make things even juicier, BetBoom’s in-game leader Boombl4, who used to captain s1mple back in their NAVI days, outperformed the superstar AWPer in this series, finishing with a higher rating. For fans who remember their time together, watching the ex-captain get the better of his former teammate made the result sting even more for s1mple.

🙃s1mple lost to his former captain 1-2 in maps!

And his rating turned out to be lower than Boombl4’s pic.twitter.com/7wuaNILYLE

— CS2 NEWS (@CS2News_EN) August 16, 2025

How the Match Played Out

The series kicked off on Mirage, BC.Game’s pick, and things looked promising for them. After a tight opening, they pulled ahead and closed it 13–7. But that early momentum didn’t last.

On Nuke, BetBoom looked like a completely different squad. They dominated from the start, storming to a 9–3 lead in the first half and barely giving BC.Game room to breathe. A quick 13–3 equalised the series and set us up for a tense decider.

The final map on Dust2 was where BetBoom showed real composure. With the first half ending 7–5, the Russians carried their edge into the closing rounds and sealed it 13–7, booking their spot in the semifinals.

Image via HLTV.org

What’s Next

For s1mple and BC.Game, the road isn’t over just yet. They’ve dropped into the lower bracket, where they’ll face OG on August 26 in a do-or-die battle. BetBoom, meanwhile, will take on Zero Tenacity on August 27 with a chance to move one step closer to the final.

The ESL Challenger League Season 50 Europe, Cup 1 runs until September 2, with 34 teams battling online for a $25,000 prize pool and, more importantly, a ticket to the Regional Final where an EPL S23 spot is up for grabs.

The post Boombl4 Gets the Better of s1mple as BetBoom Edge Past BC.Game to Reach Semifinals appeared first on Shane the Gamer.