m0NESY MVP; All-Star Team Named at IEM Cologne Major 2026

Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov finished as the top EVP after Falcons won the IEM Cologne Major 2026 in Cologne, Germany. Championship Sunday closed the event and Falcons claimed the title with contributions across their roster.

m0NESY recorded a strong start in the grand final and steady impact throughout the event. He credited coach-captain Finn “karrigan” Andersen for a change in approach that emphasized rotations and chaotic on-server situations that suited his style, saying, “The things we are doing, all the rotations, the chaos we are building on the server, this is me, this is who I am. This is where I can help all the time because you are always putting a lot of responsibility on yourself, but you’re winning rounds because of these chaotic moments. So… Finn is amazing. Finn is amazing.”

The tournament’s all-star team was selected under a rule that limits three players per team. Organizers placed m0NESY alongside Nikola “NiKo” Kovač and Danil “donk” Kryshkovets. NiKo finished the grand final as the event’s top-rated player with a 1.43 map rating and posted a 1.29 rating in map wins across the tournament. donk produced high ratings in early stages, including multiple maps above 1.60, and recorded a 1.61 rating in map wins, though his semi-final against Falcons was below his earlier form.

Nikita “HeavyGod” Martynenko was named Anchor of the Event for the third time in 2026. HeavyGod posted nine standout maps and a 1.26 event rating; his group-stage series at a 1.54 rating eliminated the world number two from contention. He also experienced a community ban during the quarter-final Mirage decider that affected his momentum in that match.

Other EVPs included Maksim “kyousuke” Lukin, who produced a 1.30 arena rating in the playoffs and earned his third EVP in three events. Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut led the event in average damage per round at 92.6 and registered a 1.90 rating in his team’s map wins. Danil “molodoy” Golubenko had 87% of his maps above a 1.00 rating and the third-best kill differential per round (+0.26). Dmitry “sh1ro” Sokolov recorded a positive kill-death and a rating of at least 1.00 in all 14 maps he played at the event.

Mareks “YEKINDAR” Gaļinskis led FURIA in map-win rating (1.42) before a 0.89 performance against Falcons in the final. Yuri “yuurih” Santos produced four EVP+ maps in the arena and finished as a top performer in FURIA’s run to the final. Ali “Wicadia” Haydar Yalçın led Aurora in map wins and round-win performance with a 1.39 rating in map wins.

Selection constraints left out some Falcons contributors from the all-star lineup. Organizers prioritized a trio of m0NESY, NiKo and donk to combine different roles and match the three-per-team rule. The EVP list and the all-star selections will be used in end-of-year rankings and award discussions as the 2026 competitive season continues.