IEM Cologne Major tops 2M live viewers, biggest CS2 event

IEM Cologne Major in Cologne reached a peak concurrent audience of 2,044,764 viewers during the quarterfinal between G2 Esports and Team Spirit. The peak occurred during the deciding map on Mirage, which extended to four overtimes before Team Spirit won the map 25-22.

Team Spirit won the series 2-1 and advanced to the semifinals, where they will face the winner of Team Falcons versus Team Vitality.

The tournament peak of 2,044,764 surpasses the previous Counter-Strike 2-era high of 1.85 million recorded at the PGL Major Copenhagen 2024 final. Among all Counter-Strike events, Cologne ranks third: PGL Major Antwerp 2022 recorded over 2.1 million peak viewers and PGL Major Stockholm 2021 holds the all-time record above 2.7 million.

Organizers reported that IEM Cologne Major also produced the highest Hours Watched total in Counter-Strike esports history, exceeding totals from events on both CS2 and the earlier CS:GO title. The tournament remains two rounds from completion, leaving room for the peak concurrent viewership and cumulative watch time to increase.

Viewer numbers rose during the late rounds of the Mirage decider, with the highest concurrent totals appearing in the closing overtime rounds.