Tyloo eliminated at IEM Cologne; Jee cites no bootcamp

TYLOO were eliminated from IEM Cologne Stage 2 after a best-of-three defeat to Monte. Captain Dongkai “Jee” Ji blamed the result on the team’s limited map pool and the absence of a pre-tournament bootcamp, and described the field in Stage 2 as stronger than at previous Majors.

Jee noted TYLOO began Stage 2 with a 2-1 record over the first two days but struggled in longer BO3 series against higher-level opposition. He pointed to both map depth and individual performance as factors in the loss.

On preparation, Jee explained the team had no bootcamp because they were required to play many online and onsite events to maintain their competitive standing. He added that a bootcamp is important for Major readiness and that, given the schedule constraints, he was “pretty satisfied with the outcome here.”

Jee highlighted the impact of rookie player Zero. “Zero is a really talented player. He’s only played the game for 4-5k hours until now. He has a really good personality, I’m really happy that he’s in TYLOO,” he said, pointing to the player’s rapid development and fit within the squad.

Rafael “saffee” Costa reflected on the deciding series, describing the matchup as difficult. He said TYLOO “just couldn’t do our game” on Nuke. On Dust2, he recalled winning the pistol but then losing a key break round, and added that the team tried to mount a comeback. On the Major format, he noted that back-to-back best-of-one matches can produce a quick 0-2 start that is hard to recover from. He said he did not yet know what his next steps would be but expressed gratitude for returning to Major competition.

The squad discussed the role of entry player AZUWU. The coach has been working closely with him while the team has focused on activating his star-role play and entry fragging. Costa said conversations addressed past issues of giving away entries and that AZUWU has “stepped up a lot.” He also remarked that AZUWU was ill during the event, joking that the illness coincided with strong performances.

TYLOO leaves Cologne after the Stage 2 exit with the team citing preparation, map pool depth and individual play as areas highlighted in post-match comments.