IEM Cologne Major 2026: Europe Takes 17 Spots After Asia’s Slot Reduction

In 2026, at the IEM Cologne Major for CS2, Europe will be represented by 17 teams — one more than at the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, which is currently underway.

It happened due to the poor results of Asian teams during the Budapest Major. The team TYLOO dropped out of the competition in the second stage, which was the reason for the region's quota reduction. So, now Asia will get 5 slots instead of 6, and the freed-up spot has been given to Europe which is traditionally considered the strongest region in the discipline.

Nothing will change for America: it will retain 10 slots at the tournament. For analysts, this decision is just a reflection of the current balance of power in the CS2 global scene, with European teams still dominating key positions in the Valve ranking.

Astralis Delays Salary Payments to Staff and Players

The complete list of IEM Cologne Major 2026 participants is going to be announced in April 2026, this championship is going to take place in Germany in the famous city of Cologne from June 2 to June 21, 2026. In total, $1.25 million of prize money will be divided between 32 teams whose positions are going to be decided by an official Valve ranking. The last Major, which was held in Cologne, took place in 2016, and this competition promises to be one of the most significant events in all of CS2 history.