FlyQuest reach Cologne Major Stage 2 after surprise Anubis pick

FlyQuest secured a place in Stage 2 of the Cologne Major with a 2-0 series win over Team Liquid. The first map, Anubis, was an unexpected pick that FlyQuest had not prepared for, Joshua ‘INS’ Potter said.

The team entered the event with limited practice and sat 1-2 in their pool after the second day. They then defeated THUNDER dOWNUNDER in a domestic match and followed with two map wins over Liquid to lock qualification, matching their Stage 2 appearance from Budapest earlier this season.

The Anubis veto came as a surprise because both teams had banned Overpass and FlyQuest did not expect the opponent to allow the less common map. INS described Anubis as a comfortable opening map for FlyQuest and said it gave them an advantage to start the series.

INS commented on the effect of the win on team morale: ‘Beating Liquid pretty convincingly is going to help us build our confidence.’ He also noted the limited practice time and added, ‘With the limited practice time we have, we’re very happy with how we’ve performed so far.’

The result had personal meaning for JKS, who faced his former team. INS described the victory as revenge for a loss to Liquid at Cologne last year. The win moved FlyQuest up 12 places in the VRS ranking, a change that affects invitations to future tier-one events.

FlyQuest began the season with a low VRS ranking and missed several high-level tournament invites. INS said the team had attempted to play events in China but were unable to secure those appearances, increasing pressure to earn points at the events they attended. The roster discussed ranking and qualification targets during bootcamp.

FlyQuest will now prepare for Stage 2 in Cologne, where the field includes more established international teams. The organization has scheduled practice and preparation ahead of the next stage.