Full List of IEM Cologne 2026 Major Invited Teams

Owen Harsono Published 09/04/2026

On April 6, Valve confirmed the VRS ranking updates, which determined the 32 teams that will compete in the upcoming IEM Cologne 2026 Major. The Major spots really came down to the wire, with some teams making their first Major while titans fell. Here is everything you need to know about the IEM Cologne Major teams.

Final IEM Cologne 2026 Major Team List

After half a year of VRS ranking progression, Valve locked in the invitations for the IEM Cologne Major. Based on their rankings, teams were split between Stage 1, Stage 2, and Stage 3 categories.

Stage 3 Invites

Image credit: Team Vitality

Stage 3 is the highest stage of them all, which is why you’ll see some of the best CS2 teams in the world. Teams that start in Stage 3 pretty much get a shortcut and have the fastest path to the trophy.

Team Vitality
Natus Vincere
PARIVISION
Aurora Gaming
Team Falcons
MOUZ
FURIA
The MongolZ

Stage 2 Invites

Image via Helena Kristiansson for ESL FACEIT Group

The Stage 2 starting lineup consists of teams who are ranked 9th to 16th in the VRS rankings. You’ll see some very heavy hitters here, primarily Tier 1.5 teams. These are the guys who are just a cut below the elite.

Team Spirit
Astralis
G2 Esports
FUT Esports
Monte
9z Team
paiN Gaming
Legacy

Stage 1 Invites

In Stage 1, you’ll see teams that barely made it to the event. This is where most of the VRS race took place, as most of these squads had to fight for their spots at the Major to the very end.

Image via Adela Sznajder for ESL FACEIT Group

This stage is going to be an absolute bloodbath, and the eight survivors will be rewarded with Stage 2 spots.

GamerLegion
BIG Clan
BetBoom Team
B8
HEROIC
SINNERS Esports
M80
NRG
Sharks Esports
Gaimin Gladiators
MIBR
Team Liquid
TYLOO
Lynn Vision Gaming
THUNDERdOWNUNDER
FlyQuest

First-Time Organizations

The VRS system has opened the door for new faces to qualify for the event. There will be four organizations making their first Major appearances in Cologne. These teams are:

FUT Esports
SINNERS Esports
Gaimin Gladiators
THUNDERdOWNUNDER

Organizations like FUT Esports, Gaimin Gladiators, and THUNDERdOWNUNDER have only recently entered Counter-Strike but have already qualified for the Major.

SINNERS have a different story. The org has been in Counter-Strike since 2020 but was mainly stuck in the Tier 3 trenches. After years of hard work, SINNERS finally qualified for the Major.

Let’s not forget these organizations will get their first stickers in the game.

Fallen Soldiers

Unfortunately, not every team had success stories. Let’s take a look at the most notable teams we won’t be seeing at Cologne.

FaZe Clan: The biggest name out of the picture is FaZe Clan, who made the grand final of the previous Major. FaZe Clan missed their first Major in the organization’s history.
3DMAX: The French squad looked like a solid Tier 1.5 team over the past six months but had a disastrous end to the VRS race.
Passion UA: Despite making big moves by signing former MongolZ player Senzu, Passion UA also failed to make the Major.

Though these teams have failed to qualify for the event, let’s not rule out the possibility that one of the confirmed teams may still fail to make it. Maybe there are visa issues or last-minute incidents – we never know. There’s still a slim chance that replacements are needed.

Feature Image Credit: 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.

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