ESL published the full pre-Major media day schedule for IEM Cologne Major 2026 on June 1, with all 32 teams cycling through the ESL Cologne studio block between 14:00 and 20:00 CEST. The day-of activities:
Team rotation through the studio
The 32 teams split into eight rotation groups of four teams each, with each group taking a 45-minute studio window. Each team's window covers: official team photoshoot for ESL broadcast assets, individual player headshots, the standard pre-Major broadcast interview with the assigned analyst (Pimp, YNk, MonteCristo, or sjokz rotate through the day), and the team-presentation video shoot for the Stage broadcast intros.
Stage 1 opening ceremony rehearsal
The eight teams playing the opening Stage 1 round on June 2 (paiN, FlyQuest, Lynn Vision, Nemiga, BetBoom, Imperial, GamerLegion, 3DMAX, ECSTATIC, SINNERS, Wildcard, B8, Metizport, Chinggis Warriors, HEROIC, M80 — adjusted to the actual day-1 pairings) attend the Stage 1 opening ceremony rehearsal from 18:00-19:30 CEST. The rehearsal covers the entrance walkout, the player-introduction sequence, and the broadcast transition timing for the studio block.
Stage 3 ceremony preview
The Stage 3 (LANXESS arena) opening ceremony scheduled for June 17 will receive a separate dedicated rehearsal window June 16. The June 1 rehearsal focuses exclusively on the Stage 1 and Stage 2 studio-block broadcast format. ESL confirmed the Stage 3 opening ceremony will feature a live performance from a German artist (name embargoed until June 16), the standard arena-event entertainment component.
Post-media-day press availability
The June 1 schedule closes at 20:00 CEST, with post-rehearsal press availability windows for the eight Stage 2 (Legends) seeds running 20:00-21:30 CEST in the ESL Cologne press room. ESL confirmed press credentials had been issued to 287 outlets, the highest count for any ESL CS2 event since the format was introduced.
