Years after hosting the last one, the first CS2 Major of 2026 is set to take place at the Cathedral of Counter Strike, one of the most iconic venues to ever grace competitive CS2.
The excitement among the community went through the roof with the announcement that surfaced in August 2025; however, the one thing that everyone had their eyes on is finally out. The sale of tickets for the IEM Cologne is live, and it goes without saying that they will be sold out in no time.
Set to take place between June 2-21 next year, IEM Cologne is bound to be one of the most memorable Majors in recent times. While there are a plethora of top events in loud stadiums, Cologne is one place that carries the passion for the game in the air.
With a 1.25 million prize pool, the event will boast 32 teams selected with the same VRS system and filtered through Stage 1, followed by Stage 2, and finally Stage 3 before they make it to the playoffs.
The reason for the hype is abundantly clear: Cologne is one of the most prestigious events in Counter-Strike history to the point that it doesn’t need the Major status to rival Major events from other TOs. The cathedral boasts decades worth of history that has been carefully etched into the soul of the event, with legendary players sharing moments that may never be topped.
Given how the last Major tickets sold out, there is a good chance that by the time you finish reading this article, there will be none left for you, so hurry up and grab yours to be a part of CS2 history.