IEM Cologne Major Stage 3 preview: who’s making it to the playoffs?

Owen Harsono Published 10/06/2026

The IEM Cologne Major is the biggest tournament of the year, and after two stages of play, it’s finally time to unleash the big boys. Stage 3 will feature the 16 best teams in the world, but only eight can advance to the Playoffs and play on the big stage. Here’s our IEM Cologne Major Stage 3 preview.

IEM Cologne Major Stage 2 recap

Before we got to Stage 3, a lot of things happened in Stage 2. The standout story was Team Spirit, who demolished the entire competition, only dropping 10 rounds across four maps. With how they were playing, it’s not hard to consider them one of the favorites to win the entire thing.

Image via Adela Sznajder for ESL FACEIT Group

Several squads have also proven they belong at the top of the food chain. Teams who have won titles this year like FUT Esports and Legacy survived Stage 2, with other notable teams like G2 Esports and BetBoom Team also crossing the finish line.

With the expected survivors of Stage 2 successfully making it to Stage 3, we’re really in for some heated Counter-Strike action in Stage 3.

A stacked field

Many fans refused to watch the previous stages, saying the matches were “boring” and low-skilled. However, there’s no excuse now, as Stage 3 is guaranteed to produce some banger matchups. It’s also worth noting there are no more Best of 1s – every match will be played in Best of 3 format.

In the first round alone, we have world number three taking on world number two, as Team Spirit and Natus Vincere are set to clash. Then, we’ll see karrigan make his Major debut under his new jersey and NiKo taking on his cousin huNter-, as Team Falcons and G2 Esports are facing off on the same day.

Teams who crawled out of the previous stages are warmed up and ready to go, while the top dogs who had the privilege of starting in Stage 3 are yet to play. Slow starts are affordable, but not recommended – no team wants to lose their opening series and put themselves on the backfoot right away.

IEM Cologne Stage 3 predictions

The clear favorite to advance to the Playoffs is Team Vitality – they’re still expected to win the entire event. However, Team Spirit have shown us the gap between them might not be as large as we initially thought.

Image via Viola Schuldner for ESL FACEIT Group

As reflected in our IEM Cologne Pick’Em predictions, we’re fairly confident these five teams will make it to the Playoffs:

• Team Vitality
• Team Spirit
• Natus Vincere
• Team Falcons
• FURIA

The rest of the field is in question, but we’re liking the chances of MOUZ, FUT Esports, Aurora and potentially The MongolZ.

Stage 1 and Stage 2 have already delivered unforgettable matches, like a 0-12 comeback from BIG Clan to advance to the next stage. With how packed Stage 3 looks, we’re definitely in for a treat.

Feature Image Credit: Adela Sznajder for ESL FACEIT Group

Owen Harsono

About Owen Harsono

Owen lives for competition, spending most of his gaming hours on Dota 2, CS2, and Valorant. A regular on the SEA Dota 2 leaderboards, he combines his first-hand experience with a deep passion for esports journalism, following the professional scenes of all three esports betting titles religiously. When he’s not writing, he’s most probably betting on esports and watching the latest events.

View full profile

Read Also

Counter-Strike

IEM Cologne Major 2026 CS2 Stage 3 Pick’Em Predictions Owen Harsono It’s that time of the year again, as the next Counter-Strike 2 Major is right around the corner. The IEM Cologne 2026 Major is set to start on June 2, meaning you still have some time to lock in your Pick’Em predictions. The Pick’Em Challenge is one of the most exciting parts of the CS2 Majors, as it allows you to test your knowledge and predict which teams make it ...

Counter-Strike

Team Spirit concede just 10 rounds in Stage 2 of the IEM Cologne Major Owen Harsono It was pretty weird seeing Team Spirit having to start the IEM Cologne Major from Stage 2, but they quickly proved why that was a mistake. With donk shooting on all fronts, the Eastern Europeans speed ran the competition to book their spot in Stage 3. With how they’ve been playing, it’s hard not to wonder whether they can actually win the entire thing. These boys can sometimes be known ...

Counter-Strike

BIG pull off 0-12 comeback to stay alive – IEM Cologne Major Stage 1 recap Owen Harsono We’ve just witnessed arguably the worst choke in Counter-Strike Major history, and we’re only on the first stage of the IEM Cologne Major. If you didn’t tune into the Stage 1 matches, here’s what you need to know heading into Stage 2. Many fans tend to underestimate Stage 1 teams for fair reasons, but some survivors in this tournament look extremely promising. Two Eastern European teams, BetBoom Team and B8, ...

Counter-Strike

Who will win the IEM Cologne Major 2026? Owen Harsono If you’re looking to play it safe and back one team at the Counter-Strike 2 IEM Cologne 2026 Major, traders prediction markets platforms have a clear frontrunner – it’s Team Vitality. But if it’s not meant to be, there are a few other candidates that could lift the trophy. Here’s what traders on Polymarket and Kalshi think. If you haven’t been watching CS2 this year and are only jumping on ...

Counter-Strike

The 10 best CS2 players who have never won a Major Owen Harsono In Counter-Strike, winning a Major immediately puts you into legend status. It’s an achievement that proves you won the game’s biggest trophy. However, there have been some really good players that could never get their hands on the biggest trophy that Counter-Strike esports has to offer. Here is WIN.gg's list of best CS2 players who have never won a Major. ScreaM is one of Counter-Strike's most famous players for one ...

Counter-Strike

IEM Cologne Major 2026: All the teams, favorites, and outright betting odds Owen Harsono Mark your calendars, as the IEM Cologne Major kicks off on June 2, 2026. We’re going to see the best teams in the world compete, but which ones are actually favored to take the title? This will be the first time in 10 years that IEM Cologne will return as a Counter-Strike Major, so the stakes this year are much higher than they’ve been in a decade. In this guide, ...

Esports Betting

All IEM Cologne winners and rosters in Counter-Strike history Owen Harsono IEM Cologne is one of Counter-Strike’s biggest events, happening every single year. Some seasons, the event is labeled as one of Valve’s two Counter-Strike Majors of the year, but if not, still stands as one of the big events every player chases to win. With the IEM Cologne 2026 Major right around the corner, let’s take a trip down memory lane and check out every single winner of the tournament, ...