BIG have laid claim to a place in the IEM Cologne Major after moving into the grand final of HLC Belgrade PRO 2026 over magic .
Absent from top LANs in 2026, BIG have been slogging through a number of local LANs in the weeks building up to the Major invite deadline on April 6, notching a runner-up finish at BC Game Masters Championship Season 1 in Bucharest, Romania, and a lackluster 13-16th showing at Roman Imperium Cup VII in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal.
In a last-ditch effort to lock in an invitation for their home Major, BIG signed up for HLC Belgrade PRO, where a top-three finish would guarantee their spot. After a nail-biting win over ex-Zero Tenacity in the quarterfinals, BIG managed to take down magic in the semifinals thanks to an impressive performance from Benjamin "blameF" Bremer , who averaged a 1.70 rating in the series.
This result spells the end of Alliance 's Major dreams, as the Swedes have now been bumped out of contention following BIG 's success. The final Major invite from Europe will be decided by the HLC Belgrade PRO final between BIG and FaZe ; a win for FaZe would push Finn "karrigan" Andersen 's troops into the Major, while a win for BIG would allow SINNERS to claim the final spot from the region.