alex666: “We don’t have enough time to come up with new strategies.”
B8 Esports captain Alexey “alex666” Yarmoshchuk spoke in an interview at the IEM Cologne Major 2026 about the challenges his team faces due to frequent training sessions, and also stated that there is no pressure at the tournament.
On the demanding preparation
We’ve had a long journey; we’ve been playing one tournament after another. Then we’d go home, where we’d have about seven days, and spend five of them training. We play a lot; we don’t have enough time to come up with new strategies, so our opponents get used to us. That’s exactly why we’re losing on our best maps right now.
On the pressure at the tournament
None of us are feeling the pressure here. <...> We’re not showing great teamplay; our games are always close.
Stage 2 of the IEM Cologne Major 2026 is taking place from June 6 to 9 in Cologne. A total of 32 teams are participating in the event, competing for a prize pool of $1.25 million. The tournament is divided into four stages: Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3, and the playoffs.
Photo — Stephanie Lindgren, BLAST.
