The final of the IEM Cologne Major 2026 became the most-watched match in the history of Counter-Strike. The peak online viewership during the game between Falcons and FURIA reached 2,751,121 viewers — a record that surpassed the previous high from the PGL Stockholm Major 2021, where 2,748,434 people watched the final between G2 and Natus Vincere.
The tournament also set new records for average viewership — 627,863 people per broadcast — and total viewing hours, which for the first time in CS history exceeded 100 million.
Such interest is primarily explained by NiKo's personal story: in 17 Majors, the Bosnian rifler has never won the main trophy, and fans around the world were watching to see if he would finally succeed. When Falcons closed out the match against FURIA, the online viewership on Twitch hit an all-time high.
IEM Cologne is one of the oldest and most prestigious tournaments in Counter-Strike. Now it is also the absolute record holder for audience in the history of the discipline.
