The road to the IEM Cologne Major 2026 is officially set. Following the conclusion of the spring LAN season, ESL has confirmed the full list of teams that will compete at CS2's biggest event of the year — running from June 2 to 21 at the LANXESS arena in Cologne, Germany.
The Biggest Absence
For the first time since entering Counter-Strike in 2016, FaZe Clan will not attend a Major. Their failure to qualify through the VRS points system — compounded by poor results at BLAST Rotterdam, PGL Bucharest, and HLC Belgrade — means the legendary organization will watch from the sidelines as 32 teams compete for the $1.25 million prize pool.
What We Know
The IEM Cologne Major features 32 teams across three stages:
- Stage 1 (June 2-5): Contender stage — lower-seeded teams fight for advancement
- Stage 2 (June 8-11): Challenger stage — all matches Best-of-Three for the first time
- Stage 3 (June 14-17): Legends stage — all Bo3 in a historic format change
- Playoffs (June 18-21): Champions stage at LANXESS arena with 20,000 fans
Teams to Watch
Vitality enter as overwhelming favorites with three consecutive Big Event trophies and a roster many consider the greatest in CS history. NAVI, Spirit, and FURIA round out the top contenders, while dark horses like PARIVISION and The MongolZ have shown they can compete with anyone on their day.
ESL Grand Slam
An ESL Grand Slam point is on the line at Cologne. Vitality are in prime position to advance their Grand Slam pursuit — the $1 million bonus for winning four ESL premier events within a 10-event span.
With the format change to all-Bo3 from Stage 2 onwards, IEM Cologne promises to be the most competitive and consequential CS2 event of the year. The countdown begins.
