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Intel Extreme Masters Cologne Major 2026
The IEM Cologne Major 2026 is an upcoming Major championship that will be played with Counter-Strike 2. The Cologne Major will be the twenty-fourth Major for Counter-Strike 2, the eighth Major organized by ESL, the fifth Major held in Germany, and the fourth Major in Cologne. The 32 teams will compete in Cologne from June 2 to June 21, 2026 for a share of the $1,250,000 prize pool.
VENUE & ATTENDANCE
The tournament is held across two Cologne venues:
Group Stage Venue (Stages 1-3): June 2-15, 2026.
LANXESS Arena (20,000 capacity): June 18–21, 2026 for playoffs.
PRIZE POOL
The total prize money is $1,250,000 and is distributed as follows:
FORMAT & STRUCTURE
The tournament plays with a three-stage Swiss system then a single-elimination playoffs bracket.
Stages 1-3 use a Swiss-system format. 8 teams are eliminated during each stage as 8 teams advance to the playoffs.
For Swiss Stages 1-2, matches that neither progress nor eliminate occur in best-of-one format, while matches that progress and eliminate occur under best-of-three format.
For the first time, Stage 3 will be played as a full best-of-three Swiss format, with all matches at Bo3.
The playoffs are an eight-team single-elimination bracket with best-of-three matches.
Grand Final: Best-of-five match.
Tournament info
price poll
winner
PGL Major Singapore 2026
🇸🇬
Singapore$1,250,000
TBD
Intel Extreme Masters Cologne Major 2026
02 Jun - 21 Jun 2026
🇩🇪
Germany$1,250,000
TBD
StarLadder Budapest Major 2025
24 Nov - 14 Dec 2025
🇭🇺
Hungary$1,250,000
Vitality
BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025
07 Apr - 20 Apr 2025
🇺🇸
United States$1,250,000
Vitality
Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024
30 Nov - 15 Dec 2024
🇨🇳
China$1,250,000
Spirit
PGL Major Copenhagen 2024
17 Mar - 31 Mar 2024
🇩🇰
Denmark$1,250,000
Natus Vincere
BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023
08 May - 21 May 2023
🇫🇷
France$1,250,000
Vitality
Intel Extreme Masters Rio Major 2022
31 Oct - 13 Nov 2022
🇧🇷
Brazil$1,250,000
Outsiders
PGL Major Antwerp 2022
09 May - 22 May 2022
🇧🇪
Belgium$1,000,000
FaZe
PGL Major Stockholm 2021
26 Oct - 07 Nov 2021
🇸🇪
Sweden$2,000,000
Natus Vincere
