ESL announces the first Major of 2026 — IEM Cologne Major

Tournament organizer ESL has officially confirmed that the first Counter-Strike 2 Major of 2026 will take place in Cologne, Germany. The competition will run from June 2 to June 21 and will be part of the IEM Cologne series, which for the first time will receive Major status.

This will be the fourth Major hosted in Cologne and the first since 2016. The final stage will be held from June 18 to 21 at the legendary LANXESS Arena. For now, this is the only stage confirmed to feature a live audience — ESL has promised to share more details later.

The tournament will follow Valve’s updated format: 32 teams and four stages of competition, making IEM Cologne Major the third Major under the new structure. It will also be ESL’s 11th Major overall, and their first since Rio in 2022.

Organizers are expected to reveal more information soon, including ticket sales and the event schedule.