HenryG, MonteCristo, Pimp, YNk, and Launders published Champions bracket power rankings for IEM Cologne Major 2026 on June 13, three days before the LANXESS arena opens. Aggregated consensus across the five:
The eight-team power rankings
- Vitality — 5/5 analysts at #1. The 3-0 Stage 2 path plus world No. 1 ranking, with Vitality regaining the consensus-favourite position they lost coming into the Major.
- The MongolZ — 3/5 at #2, 2/5 at #3. The 3-0 Stage 2 path produced Stage-2-MVP-equivalent ratings from bLitz, and the analyst consensus has fully rerated. The May 28 Stage 1 consensus put MongolZ at 18% advancement; the current Champions rerate has them as the second-most-likely bracket winner.
- Spirit — 3/5 at #3, 2/5 at #2. Donk's 1.38 Stage 2 average rating leads the Champions field. The Vitality Day 2 loss is the only Cologne blemish.
- NAVI — 5/5 at #4. Consistent reads — 3-1 Stage 2 with the MongolZ Day 3 loss the only Cologne blemish.
- MOUZ — 4/5 at #5. Map-pool concerns on Mirage from NAVI Day 2 loss carry into the Champions read.
- Falcons — 4/5 at #6. Longest Stage 2 path among advancers (3-2 with two losses).
- paiN — 5/5 at #7. Brazilian side at Champions, ratings carried by kauez.
- Aurora — 5/5 at #8. No-bootcamp Almaty side at the lowest seed.
The biggest disagreement
The widest analyst split was on Spirit vs The MongolZ at the #2/#3 slots. Pimp and YNk ranked Spirit above MongolZ on donk's individual rating; HenryG, MonteCristo, and Launders had MongolZ at #2 on the bracket-path read (Vitality vs Aurora is a softer QF than Spirit vs Falcons in their model).
The Champions schedule
The Champions bracket opens June 17 at the LANXESS arena. Quarterfinals June 17-18, semifinals June 19-20, Grand Final June 21 at 17:00 CEST.
