The IEM Cologne Major 2026, one of the most prestigious events on the Counter-Strike 2 calendar, has reached its semifinal stage. With three days left in a tournament that began on June 2, the field of 32 teams has been whittled down to a handful of contenders battling for the trophy at Cologne’s Lanxess Arena.
The quarterfinals delivered drama. FURIA pulled off a reverse sweep against 9z, while Aurora advanced past BetBoom to set up the first semifinal bracket. The second half of the draw features G2 facing Team Spirit on one side and Falcons meeting defending champions Team Vitality on the other.
The semifinal bracket and what’s at stake
Both semifinals are scheduled for June 20. The first match, kicking off at 15:45 CET, pits Aurora against FURIA. The second semifinal begins at 19:00 CET and features the winner of G2 versus Team Spirit against whoever emerges from the Falcons-Vitality matchup.
A format change for this Major has added an extra layer of intensity. All Stage 3 matches have been upgraded to best-of-three, eliminating the single-map variance that has historically produced fluky upsets in earlier rounds.
