Asia will have a second team representative at the second stage of a major after FlyQuest converted their round five series against Team Liquid 2-0 (13-2, 13-).
The massacre began on Anubis, where FlyQuest showed no quarter with a stifling CT side jam packed full of confidence from yesterday's victory over THUNDERdOWNUNDER.
.@FlyQuestCS dominate @TeamLiquidCS in the last round of Stage 1 at the #IEM Cologne Major
— Intel® Extreme Masters (@IEM) June 5, 2026
13-2 Anubis
13-7 Inferno pic.twitter.com/mpY57AcnN2
Vexite (1.80, 14-8) was loud from the get-go, getting into Liquid's heads between rounds, while story (2.08, 20-5) managed to drop 14 kills on CT — three of his teammates managed double digits in the first half.
FlyQuest didn't stop at halftime, quickly converting the monstrous 10-2 lead into a 13-2 map win, their biggest map win at a big tournament in over six months.
Liquid looked to bounce back on Inferno, winning a vital clutch against former teammate jks — but jks hit straight back a round later with a one-versus-two of his own which reset the North American squad and saw FQ sprint to a 6-1 lead.
Liquid couldn't find back-to-back rounds, however, with FlyQuest's built-up economy barely scratched. While story found plenty of AWP kills, it was the rifling duo of INS and jks dismantling Liquid's T-side.
The @jks_CS clutch brings @FlyQuestCS right back to winnings ways#IEM pic.twitter.com/Hh7zTCAm7V
— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) June 5, 2026
At 9-3 and with their backs to the wall, Liquid fought for the pistol but the FQ boys never let up, snatching the T-side opener and converting the follow-up to leave Liquid in tatters. Adding insult to injury, FlyQuest took an (almost) all-Glock round, securing the whitewash with a 13-5 win.
It's a historic win for FlyQuest, who until this week in Cologne looked on the ropes after a season of limited competition and lacklustre results.
After f**king a few PickEms with their opening win against SINNERS, it was imperative they convert their elimination matches against TdU and Liquid, and while they didn't beat a team that progressed to Stage 2, the growth in confidence after their first chance to practice and play over a longer period was evident.
They won't have long to reset, with Stage 2 beginning tomorrow. FlyQuest's opener will be Brazilian squad 9z, while for Liquid, it's a long flight home — and more than likely mass roster changes — after a season to forget.
