Fl4mus happy to play after bench stint at IEM Cologne

Timur “FL4MUS” Marev is in the IEM Cologne Major playoffs with BetBoom and described being pleased to play after a lengthy spell on the bench. The team will face Aurora in a quarter-final at the LANXESS Arena.

BetBoom reached the playoffs after advancing from Stage 1 despite several roster changes. The squad spent months using stand-ins and arrived at the Major with a different composition after Pavel “S1ren” Ogloblin was denied a visa. Marev’s inclusion in the active lineup was confirmed two days before the event, and the team had one official day of practice together before the tournament began.

Marev said the heavy match schedule at the event increased practice time and helped the group develop on the map. He pointed to recent opponents — MongolZ, FURIA, Vitality, Falcons and FUT — as stronger challenges that required the roster to deliver balanced performances rather than relying on individual highlight plays.

With S1ren unavailable, BetBoom adjusted player roles and used stand-in d1Ledez in an aggressive setup. Marev described role distribution as difficult at times, noting that some maps suited him better than others and that players had to cover different positions depending on the map and opponent.

On preparations for the quarter-final against Aurora, Marev said the team will prepare, bring energy and focus on match-day performance rather than predictions. He added that his future beyond the Major remains uncertain and that he is taking opportunities as they come.

Marev on media day: “I am just happy to play CS. I was on the bench for a long time, and right now I’m able to play Counter-Strike, play good Counter-Strike, play at a good Counter-Strike event. This is the Major playoffs, this is insane.”