Gizmy: “A lot of what we worked on in practice before the Major is now paying off.”
Monte captain Jack “Gizmy” von Sprekelsen spoke in an interview at the IEM Cologne Major 2026 about the team’s preparation for the match against Legacy, explained their successful play on the attack, and shared his thoughts on the tournament’s transition to a best-of-3 format.
On the victory over Legacy
I had a good game plan. We initially targeted Site B, and then built on that as the half progressed, when their defense likely started to get a bit messy for them. So yeah, I read the game pretty well. Overall, we also shot very well on offense. I think we also gradually warmed up as the match went on. The only thing is, on defense, we lost the anti-eco after a long technical timeout. So I’m very happy with how everything turned out in the end.
On the technical timeout during the match
I was just AFK in my head. I wasn’t thinking about the game at all; I was just looking at afro. He’s really nice to look at. That’s all I need to see in my life.
On preparing for the Major
A lot of what we did in practice before the Major is paying off now. And we can see it here, in this composure. For example, we’ve already beaten or come very close to beating Tier 1 teams in practice matches similar to official ones. This helped us stay calm and win the situations that truly distinguish Tier 1 players from Tier 2.
On the transition to best-of-3
I’d say that, to be honest, there isn’t much of a difference. Actually, I even like Bo1s because, in my opinion, there’s a certain art to the veto phase in those matches. But Bo3s are just business as usual. We just play. We do what we usually do and see how it turns out.
Right now, Monte is in the 2-1 bracket of the second stage of the IEM Cologne Major 2026. Tomorrow, Jack “Gizmy” von Sprekelsen’s team will face off in a best-of-three series to advance to the third stage of the tournament.
Photo — Digital Crusade.
Daniil Korzhuev
