IEM Cologne has reached its playoff stage, taking place at the LANXESS arena with a huge crowd present. During the event, one fan managed to unbox a rare knife skin live on stream in the middle of the stadium.
During the quarterfinal match between FaZe Clan and SAW at this Germany-based tournament, ESL cameras captured a fan wearing a NAVI jersey holding up his gaming PC for the crowd. He was showing off his CS2 account as he opened loot boxes, and to everyone’s excitement, he landed a Phase 4 Ursus Doppler knife skin, prompting cheers from the crowd.
ESL Counter-Strike shared the moment on social media, captioning it “BLESSED BY THE CATHEDRAL 🙏” along with a video of the incident.
This wasn’t the first time a fan attempted something like this. At the 2023 Paris Major, a fan faked an unboxing by playing a pre-recorded video, but this time, the unboxing was real. IEM Cologne host and interviewer James Banks confirmed the authenticity of the knife in the fan’s account. The Ursus Doppler, which is in Factory New condition, could be valued at around $500 USD on the skin market, with the potential for more depending on the float rate and other details.
While it’s not the priciest CS knife ever unboxed, it’s still a noteworthy moment.
Counter-Strike esports events have a history of wild and unforgettable fan moments. For example, in 2023, a fan led chants using a trumpet, and in 2022, one allegedly spat on a NAVI player.
IEM Cologne, now in its 10th year, is considered a legendary event, with the playoff stage beginning on August 16. This stage marks the first part of the event with a large live audience, following group and play-in stages that occurred without fans. The final rounds will feature some of the most popular CS2 teams, including G2 Esports, FaZe, NAVI, and Team Vitality, all competing for the championship.