Stage 3 of IEM Cologne Major 2026 will be held without BO1 format

All matches in Stage 3 of the upcoming IEM Cologne Major 2026 will be held in a BO3 format. Tournament operator ESL officially announced this via its X social media account.

However, the format of the first and second stages of the competition will remain unchanged. Notably, the Swiss format will be used at each stage of the Major.

Earlier, following the results of Stage 3 of the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, the distribution of slots among regions for the upcoming CS2 Major in Cologne was set.

IEM Cologne Major 2026 will be held from June 2 to 21, 2026, with 32 squads competing for a share of $1.25 million in prizes. Invites will be issued in April 2026. The competition format will remain the same – three stages and playoffs.

Origin: x.com