ESL released the complete IEM Cologne Major 2026 day-by-day broadcast schedule on May 26, seven days before the bracket opens. The Major runs June 2-21 across three stages at the ESL Cologne studio block (Stage 1 and Stage 2) and the LANXESS arena (Stage 3).
Stage 1 (Challengers) — June 2-5
16 teams Swiss, eight Stage 2 slots available. Day 1 (June 2): eight opening matches from 10:00 CEST, headline paiN vs FlyQuest at 10:00. Days 2-3 (June 3-4): rounds two and three. Day 4 (June 5): bo3 qualification matches.
Stage 2 (Legends) — June 6-13
16 teams Swiss, eight Stage 3 (Champions) slots available. Day 1 (June 6): the eight Stage 2 openers with the Stage 1 qualifiers seeded against the Stage 2 byes. Day 8 (June 13): bo3 qualification matches. The Stage 2 pairing reveal happens at the close of Stage 1 on June 5.
Stage 3 (Champions) — June 17-21 at LANXESS arena
The eight-team single-elimination playoff moves from the ESL Cologne studio to the LANXESS arena for the audience-facing finals stage. Quarterfinals June 17-18, semifinals June 19-20, Grand Final June 21 at 17:00 CEST. Build-down days between Stage 2 close and Stage 3 open are June 14-16.
Broadcast windows and time zones
Stage 1 and Stage 2 run two-shift broadcast (10:00 and 18:00 CEST starts), Stage 3 runs single prime-time broadcast (17:00 CEST start). For US viewers, the Grand Final at 17:00 CEST translates to 11:00 EDT / 08:00 PDT. For Asian audiences, the same slot translates to 23:00 KST / 00:00 JST next day, putting the Grand Final in late-night viewer territory in East Asia.
