Are CS2 Academies Still Needed? IEM Cologne Major Shows a Debatable Number

Are academies still needed in CS2? This question has become relevant again after the IEM Cologne Major 2026. On paper, the number does not look that impressive: only 11 players with academy-team backgrounds reached the tournament playoffs.

The list looks like this:

• Spirit Academy — Magnojez, FL4MUS, zont1x, donk, kyousuke

• Eternal Fire Academy — Wicadia

• 9z Academy — HUASOPEEK

• FURIA Academy — KSCERATO

• Gambit Youngsters — sh1ro

• Zorka — tN1R

• NAVI Junior — m0NESY

And this is where the main intrigue begins. On one hand, 11 players across the entire playoff stage is not exactly a huge number. On the other hand, the list includes donk, m0NESY, sh1ro, zont1x, and KSCERATO. In other words, academies have produced not just background names, but players who are already influencing matches at the highest level.

If we look wider and include all Stage Three players, the number becomes much more serious - 25 players with academy backgrounds. Excluding those who reached the playoffs, the list is expanded by:

• NAVI Junior — b1t, makazze, dem0n, Krabeni, cmtry, dziugss, npl

• MOUZ NXT — torzsi, xertioN, xelex

• FURIA Academy — n1ssim

• W7M Academy — saadzin

• Monte Gen — Gizmy

• Spirit Academy Black — s1zzi

karrigan Falls Ill Before Major Playoffs: Falcons Risk Facing Vitality Without Their Ideal Captain

The conclusion is not that simple. Academies do not produce champions in batches and do not guarantee clubs instant results. But the Major has shown once again that youth rosters remain one of the key paths through which CS2 players later become the faces of the scene.