gr1ks on BIG’s chances at the IEM Cologne Major: “I think we can go pretty far”
Daria Ushakova
BIG sniper Gleb “gr1ks” Gazin spoke about his team’s mindset heading into the IEM Cologne Major 2026 and also assessed the match formats used in the tournament.
On BIG’s mindset at the tournament
We’re doing well. We might be a little nervous at times, but we had great practice leading up to the tournament. I think we can go pretty far.
On the match formats
As for the best-of-1 format, I feel like sometimes luck isn’t on your side. ...> Sometimes the start of a match is pretty intense. Although overall, I’d say we were ready for Bo1. But finally, that format is over, and tomorrow we’ll be playing best-of-3. Overall, I’m satisfied.
On the pressure
We all support each other. There are also wonderful staff members here who are always ready to help with any problem. But everyone, including me, feels the pressure because we’ve trained a lot and want to perform as well as possible; every match is important to us. Sometimes someone doesn’t hear someone else, but overall, we’re getting better and better with every game.
Earlier today, BIG defeated THUNDERdOWNUNDER in a first-round match at the IEM Cologne Major 2026. The German team managed to pull ahead on Inferno and close out the map with a score of 13-7.
Photo — Roman Imperium Cup.
Daria Ushakova
