Devilwalk on B8 Esports at the 2026 Esports World Cup in CS2: “I’m surprised at how well the team performed.”
Host James “BanKs” Banks and analyst Jonathan “Devilwalk” Lundberg assessed the performances of 100 Thieves, TYLOO, Lynn Vision Gaming, and B8 Esports at the 2026 CS2 Esports World Cup.
On 100 Thieves’ performance
BanKs: We need to talk about 100 Thieves because many people, myself included, had high expectations—especially after what we saw during the open qualifiers, and given how they held their own against Team Spirit and Team Falcons at BLAST Bounty 2026 Season 2. They lost 4-13 to Team Vitality, but there’s nothing unusual about that. Then came a two-map loss to PARIVISION with a score of 5-13. And that’s what raises questions.
On the TYLOO vs. Lynn Vision Gaming match
BanKs: TYLOO lost 0-2. Why does this happen at every event? These two Chinese teams always end up in the same group. It’s almost as if a rule needs to be introduced to prevent this from happening. ...> Lynn Vision Gaming spent an entire week in Europe to practice. Of course, I didn’t ask directly, but I haven’t heard that TYLOO arrived early to get extra practice in. I’ll keep saying this, even though I know it’s difficult: if these teams want to become competitive and play outside their own region, they absolutely must come to Europe and spend a lot of time at boot camp. They need to do the same thing The MongolZ does.
On B8 Esports at the Esports World Cup 2026
BanKs: I can see this team developing and growing stronger as a whole, and that’s really great.
Devilwalk: Yes, that was a very significant victory [over Team Vitality. — Ed.]. I’m surprised by how well the team performed. Before the tournament, I was a bit dismissive of them, given their recent performances. But this victory gave them so much confidence—the kind the team may have been searching for for so long. They’re playing consistent Counter-Strike, so I underestimated them.
In the previous episode of the podcast, James “BanKs” Banks discussed the impact of Timur “FL4MUS” Mariev on BetBoom Team’s results. In his opinion, after the rifler’s departure, the team’s performance noticeably declined, despite their successful run at the Major. In addition, the host assessed K27’s performance at the 2026 Esports World Cup and spoke positively about Santino “try” Rigal’s move to Legacy.
Photo: StarLadder.
