The IEM Cologne Major 2026 kicks off on June 2 - the first CS2 Major of the year and the 24th CS Major overall. For three weeks, 32 teams will fight in Cologne for a $1.25 million prize pool. Here is the format, the schedule and every team at a glance.
Key facts
- ✓Dates: June 2-21, 2026
- ✓Venues: Palladium (Stages 1-3), Lanxess Arena (Playoffs)
- ✓Prize pool: $1,250,000 ($500,000 to the winner)
- ✓Teams: 32 directly invited via Valve Regional Standings (April 6, 2026 cutoff)
- ✓Map pool: Anubis replaced Train in the active duty pool in January 2026
- ✓Defending champion: Team Vitality (Austin 2025: 2-1 vs MongolZ, Budapest 2025: 3-1 vs FaZe)
Schedule
- 1Stage 1 (Contenders): June 2-5, Palladium
- 2Stage 2 (Challengers): June 6-9, Palladium
- 3Stage 3 (Legends): June 12-16, Palladium
- 4Playoffs: June 18-21, Lanxess Arena
Format
Three consecutive 16-team Swiss stages, then an 8-team single-elimination playoffs bracket. In every stage, three wins advance and three losses eliminate. In Stages 1 and 2 only progression and elimination matches are best-of-three, the rest are best-of-one. New in Stage 3: for the first time at a Major, ALL matches are best-of-three. The playoffs are all best-of-three, the grand final on June 21 is a best-of-five. Matchups from round two onward in every stage are seeded by Buchholz score.
Stage 3 - Legends (8 teams)
The highest VRS-ranked rosters, directly invited to the final group stage. Top rosters from France, Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, Brazil and Mongolia are all represented.
| Team | Coach | Roster | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team Vitality International | XTQZZZ | apEX, ZywOo, mezii, flameZ, ropz (Stand-in: lucaZ) | Back-to-back Major champion 2025 |
| Natus Vincere International | B1ad3 | Aleksib, b1t, iM, makazze, w0nderful (Stand-in: jlcs2) | Stand-in jlcs2 currently on loan to MOUZ but eligible for NaVi at the Major |
| PARIVISION Russia | dastan | BELCHONOKK, Jame, nota, n0rb3r7, Krad | |
| Aurora Gaming Turkey | Fabre | MAJ3R, soulfly, Wicadia, XANTARES, woxic (Stand-in: jottAAA) | |
| Team Falcons International | zonic | kyousuke, m0NESY, NiKo, TeSeS, karrigan (Stand-in: karrigan) | karrigan added to the roster, replaces kyxsan |
| MOUZ International | sycrone | Spinx, torzsi, xertioN, xelex, Brollan | Brollan returns for jlcs2 (on loan from NaVi, locked out by the Major roster lock), Jimpphat benched |
| FURIA Esports Brazil | sidde | FalleN, KSCERATO, molodoy, yuurih, skullz | |
| The MongolZ Mongolia | - | 910, bLitz, cobraze, maaRaa, Techno4K | Austin Major 2025 finalist |
Stage 2 - Challengers (8 teams)
Five European rosters and three from Latin America. Asia has no direct slot here because no Asian team advanced to Stage 2 at Budapest 2025 - the slot was reassigned to the American region.
| Team | Coach | Roster | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team Spirit Russia | hally | donk666, magixx, sh1ro, chopper, zont1x (Stand-in: S0tF1k) | |
| Astralis Denmark | ruggah | HooXi, jabbi, stavn, dev1ce, Staehr (Stand-in: MiGHTYMAX) | |
| G2 Esports International | sAw | HeavyGod, huNter-, MATYS, SunPayus, malbsMd (Stand-in: tAk) | |
| FUT Esports International | coolio | cmtry, dem0n, dziugss, XANTARES, MAJ3R | |
| Monte International | - | afro, AZUWU, Bymas, Giz, kakafu | |
| 9z Team Argentina | - | dgt, HUASOPEEK, luchov, BIT, ZUKINHA | |
| paiN Gaming Brazil | rikz | biguzera, nqz, piriajr, snow, kauez4 (Stand-in: saffee) | |
| Legacy Brazil | adrrr | arT, dumau, latto, Lucaozy, saadzin |
Stage 1 - Contenders (16 teams)
Six European teams, six from North and South America, four from Asia. From a German/DACH perspective, BIG is the home crowd's roster - the team around blameF, faveN and JDC.
| Team | Coach | Roster | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| GamerLegion International | imd | hypex, PR, REZ, Snax, Tauson (Stand-in: Grashog) | |
| BIG Clan Germany | xenn, tiziaN | tabseN, blameF, faveN, gr1ks, JDC (Stand-in: JBOEN) | German home team with crowd support in Cologne |
| BetBoom Team Russia | Fierce | Boombl4, FL4MUS, Magnojez, Pavle, zorte (Stand-in: d1Ledez) | |
| B8 Esports Ukraine | maddened | alex666, esenthial, kensizor, npl, r1nkle (Stand-in: k1n) | |
| HEROIC Denmark | TOBIZ | Chr1zN, nilo, susp, Yasen, yxngstxr (Stand-in: HOLY) | |
| SINNERS Esports Czechia | Bfull | beastik, kisserek, MoDo, Sapeec, forsyy (Stand-in: CacaNito) | |
| M80 USA | dephh | JBa, Lake, s1n, slaxz-, Swisher (Stand-in: M0nstr) | |
| NRG Esports USA | daps | br0, Grim, nitr0, oSee, HexT | |
| Sharks Esports Brazil | coachi | doc, gafolo, koala, maxx, stadodo (Stand-in: D10S) | |
| Gaimin Gladiators Brazil | horvy | felps, HEN1, JOTA, Luken, try (Stand-in: fer) | fer as stand-in, replaces felps |
| MIBR Brazil | LETN1 | brnz4n, insani, kl1m, Lukix, exit (Stand-in: brn$) | |
| Team Liquid North America | flashie | EliGE, NAF, ultimate, Twistzz, siuhy (Stand-in: jokasteve) | |
| TYLOO China | zhokiNg | JamYoung, Jee, Mercury, Moseyuh, Mzinho (Stand-in: Attacker) | |
| Lynn Vision Gaming China | GUM | C4LLM3SU3, EmiliaQAQ, Starry, Westmelon, z4kr | |
| THUNDER dOWNUNDER Australia | - | aliStair, asap, dexter, Liazz, viridian | |
| FlyQuest Australia | - | INS, jks, nettik, story, AZR |
Storylines
- Vitality under pressure: Three Majors in a row would be historic - every opponent comes in with a killer mindset.
- Fresh rosters: Falcons with karrigan joining, MOUZ in full overhaul (xertioN as IGL, xelex promoted, Brollan back temporarily) - how fast do they gel?
- Map pool shock: Anubis replaced Train. Teams without solid Anubis prep will be punished hard in Stage 3 (all BO3).
- FaZe is out: The Budapest 2025 grand finalist did not make the invite list - the VRS leaderboard is brutally competitive.
Where to watch
Live on Twitch via official ESL channels (EN) and approved community co-streams. Plenty of FACEITSync streamers will be broadcasting the event live on their own Twitch channels too - definitely worth dropping by.
