Team Vitality, Natus Vincere Among Stage 3 Seeds at IEM Cologne

Organizers confirmed the 32-team field for the IEM Cologne Major 2026 and announced which rosters will start in Stage 3. Team Vitality and Natus Vincere are among high-seeded teams granted direct entry to the final group stage. The tournament begins June 2 and concludes with playoffs at the LANXESS Arena in Cologne from June 18-21.

Selections for the field and seeding were based on the April 6 versions of Valve’s Regional Standings, which ranked teams across Asia, the Americas and Europe. Under the Major’s tiered format, the highest-ranked teams begin in Stage 3, while lower-seeded teams start in Stage 1 or Stage 2 and must advance through those rounds to reach the group stage.

Other teams given direct entry to Stage 3 include Team Falcons, FURIA, MOUZ and The MongolZ. The full confirmed participant list also features GamerLegion, BIG, BetBoom, B8, HEROIC, SINNERS, M80, NRG, Sharks Esports, Gaimin Gladiators, MIBR, Team Liquid, TyLoo, Lynn Vision Gaming, THUNDERdOWNUNDER and FlyQuest, among others.

Lower-seeded squads will contest early-stage matches beginning in June for the opportunity to meet the invited Stage 3 teams in the group stage. Organizers released the roster list without accompanying statements.

IEM Cologne Major 2026 is the first Valve-sanctioned Major of the 2026 Counter-Strike season. The LANXESS Arena, often called the “Cathedral of Counter-Strike,” will host the live audience for the elimination matches and finals from June 18 through June 21.