On Monday, June 2, 2026, the first day of Stage 1 at the IEM Cologne Major 2026 for CS2 concluded. The organizers held 16 matches in a best-of-1 format, resulting in some teams edging closer to advancing to the next stage, while others found themselves on the brink of elimination.
The results of the first round are as follows: M80 defeated Lynn Vision Gaming (1:0), SINNERS Esports lost to FlyQuest (0:1), B8 triumphed over TYLOO (1:0), MIBR lost to THUNDER dOWNUNDER (0:1), GamerLegion won against NRG (1:0), HEROIC fell to Sharks Esports (0:1), BetBoom Team crushed Gaimin Gladiators (1:0), BIG lost to Team Liquid (0:1).
In the second round, HEROIC lost again – this time to Lynn Vision Gaming (0:1), B8 defeated THUNDER dOWNUNDER (1:0), MIBR avenged themselves against TYLOO (1:0), SINNERS lost to NRG (0:1), GamerLegion won against FlyQuest (1:0), M80 beat Sharks Esports (1:0), BetBoom Team outplayed Team Liquid (1:0), BIG dealt with Gaimin Gladiators (1:0).
The tournament table after the first day looks as follows:
| Place | Team | Round Score | Round Difference | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BetBoom Team | 26-13 | +13 | 2-0 |
| 2 | M80 | 26-14 | +12 | 2-0 |
| 3 | B8 | 26-17 | +9 | 2-0 |
| 4 | GamerLegion | 26-21 | +5 | 2-0 |
| 5 | BIG | 23-14 | +9 | 1-1 |
| 6 | THUNDER dOWNUNDER | 24-19 | +5 | 1-1 |
| 7 | NRG | 23-19 | +4 | 1-1 |
| 8 | FlyQuest | 27-27 | 0 | 1-1 |
| 9 | Team Liquid | 22-23 | -1 | 1-1 |
| 10 | Lynn Vision Gaming | 21-24 | -3 | 1-1 |
| 11 | Sharks Esports | 19-23 | -4 | 1-1 |
| 12 | MIBR | 22-27 | -5 | 1-1 |
| 13 | HEROIC | 21-26 | -5 | 0-2 |
| 14 | TYLOO | 20-29 | -9 | 0-2 |
| 15 | SINNERS Esports | 20-29 | -9 | 0-2 |
| 16 | Gaimin Gladiators | 5-26 | -21 | 0-2 |
BetBoom Team, M80, B8, and GamerLegion lead with two victories and no losses. In the relegation zone after two consecutive losses are HEROIC, TYLOO, SINNERS Esports, and Gaimin Gladiators.
Stage 1 of the IEM Cologne Major 2026 runs from June 2 to June 5, 2026. A total of 16 teams are participating in the qualifiers, with group matches held in a best-of-1 format, while the elimination and advancement series are in best-of-3. The playoff stage of the tournament is scheduled from June 11 to June 21, 2026, with a total prize pool of $1,250,000.
Recall that recently, Team Vitality rifler Robin ropz Köl recalled a heavy defeat to Team Spirit at IEM Katowice 2024 and is preparing for the new major in Cologne with the team.
