Snax on GamerLegion’s elimination from the IEM Cologne Major 2026: “We didn’t enjoy playing at this tournament.”
GamerLegion captain Janusz “Snax” Pogozelski commented on the team’s elimination from the tournament in an interview at IEM Cologne Major 2026, discussed the team’s struggles during the championship, and summed up the season.
On the reasons for the poor performance at the tournament
We can talk about what happened throughout the entire tournament. And it seems to me that in both the first and second stages, we didn’t play the way we usually do. That was pretty obvious. I don’t know, maybe it was the pressure, maybe it was stress. But we just didn’t play the way we’re used to. And it seemed to me that we were a bit sluggish as a team, as if we had a bucket over our heads, in terms of the information we were exchanging. We even knew what was going on, but it was as if we weren’t processing the information we were receiving. And yes, it was a tough tournament. But that’s part of the experience, too. I’d still say that, even though this Major turned out to be a disaster for us, the journey we’ve been on since December—starting with the tournament in Miami and ending with this one—has been a good one. And even though some people at certain points during the first and second stages considered us favorites to advance, that didn’t happen. We still have a lot of work ahead of us. But speaking specifically about the Major, I’m certainly dissatisfied. However, if you look at the entire season and how we played overall, it wasn’t all that bad.
On why GamerLegion didn’t live up to expectations
It’s hard to say. If I knew the answer, I’d be the best in the world. All I can say is that it seemed to me like we weren’t listening to each other. And I’d say that might have been due to the pressure from the results we had in the US. We made it to the finals and semifinals there, so we were pretty confident. And maybe we thought that every win would just fall into our laps simply because we were playing our game. And I’d say that at this tournament, we weren’t enjoying the game. It seemed to me that the other teams were chasing their dreams and wanted to go as far as possible. But we didn’t. And obviously, that’s exactly what we need to work on.
On plans after the season ends
Right now, I’m going home to my wife. I want to spend some time with her. I want to rest a bit after such an exhausting season. Overall, I’m satisfied, as I’ve already said. Not with the Major, of course, but with the team’s development as a whole. We just didn’t perform here. And I want to thank all the guys who rooted for us.
Earlier, during the second stage of the IEM Cologne Major 2026, GamerLegion lost to B8 Esports 1-2 in a knockout match. Janusz “Snax” Pogozelski’s team finished the tournament in 23rd–24th place, earning $10,000 in prize money.
Photo by Stephanie Lindgren, BLAST.
