Eternal Fire Down 100 Thieves to Reach IEM Beijing Closed Qualifier

Eternal Fire eliminated 100 Thieves in the deciding match of the European open qualifier for IEM Beijing 2026, taking the last of four tickets into the event’s closed qualifying stage.

The European open qualifier for IEM Beijing came to an end with Eternal Fire, Color, Nemiga, and Nuclear TigeRES securing their spots at the closed portion of the event, with the international squad getting the better of 100 Thieves in the qualification match. The result closes out a bracket that had already thinned out considerably by the time the two sides met.

100 Thieves Fall as Last Big Name Standing

BC.Game, 1win, and OG already exited the qualifier on day one, which left 100 Thieves as the highest-ranked squad still in contention. That made the Bo3 quarterfinal against Eternal Fire the de facto final hurdle of the European bracket.

Jack “Gizmy” von Spreckelsen’s troops were eliminated at the final hurdle by Eternal Fire, however, who were playing their first tournament with new signing Caner “soulfly” Kesici. 100 Thieves fields Nicolai “device” Reedtz and Håvard “rain” Nygaard among its core, a lineup that still could not clear the last round of qualifying.

Soulfly Steps In for br0 After 49 Days

The win doubled as soulfly’s competitive debut for the Turkish organisation. After just eight matches on HLTV under Turkish organization Eternal Fire, Alexander “br0” Bro was benched in favor of inactive Aurora rifler Caner “soulfly” Kesici, according to Dust2.us. Bro’s run had been short.

Soulfly’s entry into Eternal Fire gives the team a Turkish duo, as they’ve also fully reacquired Samet “jottAAA” Köklü, whom soulfly had originally replaced on Aurora, after a six-month loan. Eternal Fire now lines up with Gareth “MisteM” Ries, Iulian “regali” Harjău, soulfly, Vladyslav “Kvem” Korol and jottAAA.

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Color, Nemiga and Nuclear TigeRES Join the Bracket

Eternal Fire were not the only side punching a ticket that day. Elsewhere in the bracket, Color, Nemiga, and Nuclear TigeRES progressed thanks to respective wins against EAC, Acend, and CYBERSHOKE.

Those four teams now join the international field for the next round of qualifying, a 16-team event organised by ESL that runs from September 2 to 4, according to Liquipedia’s tournament records. Two places at the main event are on the line there.

Only Three Spots Left for Beijing’s November Return

Two slots go to the winner and runner-up of the Global Closed Qualifier, while the final spot belongs to the winner of a separate qualifier, after ESL confirmed 13 of the 16 total slots through the Valve Regional Standings. Team Falcons lead the field as the world’s number one ranked team, with MOUZ and Natus Vincere the next-highest ranked sides in attendance.

FURIA also joins the lineup as the defending champions of the event’s predecessor, IEM Chengdu 2025. Eternal Fire, so far unbeaten in the European bracket with soulfly in the lineup, will try to add its name to that list on September 4.

Reported from

• HLTV
• Dust2.us
• Liquipedia
• Talkesport