Another security failure: Fan makes it on stage during IEM Cologne grand finals one day after previous incident

A second security incident took place today during the IEM Cologne 2026 Major grand finals as a fan made it onto stage during the pivotal match between Falcons and FURIA. The incident comes a day after a fan made it onto the stage during map two of the Falcons v. Spirit semifinal match and after ESL promised to take additional security measures to "prevent similar incidents from happening in the future."

As spotted by Dust2 Brasil, the fan was able to make it onto the stage in the middle of map three, coming within feet of Nikola "NiKo" Kovač before being tackled by on-site security. Like the previous incident, the individual wore a "Spongebob" shirt and a mask, with it being unknown if the two intruders are connected in any way.