Monte Esports picked up their first victory in Stage 3 of the IEM Cologne Major 2026, a result that keeps the Ukrainian Counter-Strike 2 roster alive in one of the most prestigious tournaments in competitive gaming.
The IEM Cologne Major carries a $1.25 million prize pool. It’s also the first Major hosted in Cologne in a decade.
How Monte got here
Monte’s path to Stage 3 was anything but comfortable. On June 9, 2026, the team faced paiN Gaming in a do-or-die Swiss Stage 2 match. Lose, and their Major run ends. Win, and they advance to the top-16 phase.
They won. Monte took the series 2-0, starting with a dominant 13-5 performance on Nuke before closing things out 13-11 on Dust II.
