Breaking: ESL unveil IEM Cologne 2026 Major

ESL have announced today that the first Counter-Strike 2 Major of 2026 will be IEM Cologne 2026, seeing the Majors return to Cologne, Germany and the Cathedral of Counter-Strike after ten years.

The Cologne will run from June 2nd to June 21st and will feature 32 teams as expected from Valve's new format for Majors in Counter-Strike 2.

IEM Cologne 2026 will be the fourth time the iconic Counter-Strike city will play host to a Major, with ESL One Cologne being a regular venue for Majors from 2014 to 2016. These previous three Cologne Majors saw iconic teams like NiP, Fnatic, and SK take the Major trophy with ESL likely to lean into this rich history.

An ESL FACEIT Group representative told HLTV declined to confirm whether or not the early stage of the Major will see a live crowd like it did at the Perfect World Shanghai Major.

Regarding the return to Cologne for a Major, Marc Winther, Director Game Ecosystems at EFG said in a statement:

"IEM Cologne has established itself as a cornerstone of competitive Counter-Strike, with each edition featuring the best teams, unmatched energy, and the best crowd."