Three-peat denied: 33's quest for third Aegis ends as BoomBoys advance at TI15

The International 2026 playoffs reached the elimination series, and for BoomBoys and Iron Wing, the margin for error was completely gone.

Both teams entered TI 2026 as favourites. The former are the Esports World Cup runners-up and boast a couple of trophies claimed through the season leading to the pinnacle event as well. Iron Wing, also known as 1win, and formerly known as Tundra Esports, are the most decorated team of the season. Yet, the TI is a different beast, and both found themselves in the lower bracket on the second day of the playoffs in Shanghai.

Iron Wings 1:2 BoomBoys

Iron Wing delivered a total stomp to open the best-of-three series as BoomBoys somewhat outdrafted themselves with a last pick Templar Assassin. The TA pick came into Iron Wing’s mid lane Lina and carry Chaos Knight. Templar Assassin's reliance on Refraction and burst damage was rendered useless against Chaos Knight's raw durability and gap-closing initiation as well as Lina’s burn over time damage.

Facing elimination, BoomBoys came into the game two draft fully confident in their Io carry strategy. They first picked, leaving Iron Wing to come with an answer. Bounty Hunter was supposed to scout the Io for IW, to disrupt his jungle farming and overall be the nuisance that would prevent BoomBoys from hitting their timings. But that only happened during the early laning stage, and despite Io getting somewhat bullied, BoomBoys still managed to drag the game to the point where the Io carry would make the difference and force a decisive game three.

Io was quickly first picked in game three as well, but by Iron Wing, while Boom Boys went for a fast-tempo type of match with Kez in the carry position and Viper in the mid lane. The Viper pick in particular countered most of what Iron Wing was trying to build. Their beefy cores, Dragon Knight and Tidehunter, had no chance at surviving through the break mechanic, and that put an end to Iron Wing’s dreams and hopes of making a lower bracket run for the Aegis of Champions.

Three-peat on hold for 33

For Neta "33" Shapira, the loss carries an extra weight. The two-time TI champion, who lifted the Aegis with Tundra Esports in 2022 and again in 2024 with Team Liquid, saw his quest for a three-peat come to an abrupt end in Shanghai.

BoomBoys, meanwhile, have secured themselves a top-six finish at The International 2026. After a slow start in the Swiss group stage and a loss in the playoff upper bracket to Team Vision, they seem to have found their rhythm in the elimination rounds.