ESL Unveils 32 Invited Teams for IEM Cologne CS2 Tournament

IEM Cologne stands as one of the most popular and iconic events in the competitive Counter-Strike 2 calendar. It draws top-tier teams and organizations globally to Germany for an intense tournament boasting a significant $1.25 million prize pool.

With the 2026 event scheduled from June 2 to 21, ESL has now confirmed the 32 invited teams, detailing how these organizations will be distributed across the three distinct phases of action.

Seeding for the tournament was determined based on recent performances, allowing higher-ranked teams to bypass initial 'qualification' rounds and enter directly into later stages. With that in mind, here's how the teams are structured:

Stage 1:

• GamerLegion
• BIG
• BetBoom Team
• B8
• Heroic
• Sinners Esports
• M80
• NRG
• Sharks Esports
• Gaimin Gladiators
• MiBR
• Team Liquid
• Tyloo
• Lynn Vision Gaming
• Thunderdownunder
• FlyQuest

Stage 2:

• Team Spirit
• Astralis
• G2 Esports
• FUT Esports
• Monte
• 9z Team
• PaiN Gaming
• Legacy

Stage 3:

• Team Vitality
• Natus Vincere
• PariVision
• Aurora Gaming
• Team Falcons
• Mouz
• Furia
• The MongolZ

Stage 1, running from June 2-5, will see eight teams eliminated. The eight survivors will then advance to Stage 2, held between June 6-9, where another eight teams will be eliminated, sending the top eight through. This intense progression then leads to Stage 3, from June 11-15, where—you guessed it—eight more teams are eliminated, and the final eight secure their spots in the ultimate playoffs.

Considering this impressive roster of invited teams, who do you think are the favorites to win IEM Cologne?