CS2 IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage 2 Preview

IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage 2 will take place from June 6 to 9. Stage 2 begins the day after Stage 1 ends, after which 8 teams will join the teams that already had places here.

In total, 16 teams will compete in Stage 2, with 8 advancing to Stage 3, where the main IEM Cologne Major tournament will begin. Spirit, Legacy, FUT and G2 are seen as the Stage 2 favorites.

Here, we take a detailed look at Stage 2 and share our predictions.

In total, 16 teams will compete in IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage 2. 8 teams already had direct places here: Spirit, Legacy, Astralis, FUT, G2, 9z, paiN and Monte.

Eight teams advanced from Stage 1 to Stage 2. Five have already secured their places: GamerLegion, B8, BetBoom, MiBR and M80. Three more will qualify after the final matches, which feature:

• TYLOO vs Lynn Vision
• Liquid vs FlyQuest
• NRG vs BIG

Stage 2 will use the same format as Stage 1. All opening matches are BO1, while progression and elimination matches are BO3.

The teams that win three matches will advance to Stage 3. Every team can lose twice, but a third defeat means the end of the tournament.

Spirit stands out most in Stage 2 and is one of the favorites for the whole IEM Cologne Major. It would be a major surprise if Spirit does not reach Stage 3 with a 3-0 or 3-1 record. Besides Spirit, the following teams also stand out:

• Legacy
• FUT
• G2

Sports betting websites give the lowest odds for Spirit, which stands out the most among all Stage 2 teams. However, as already seen in Stage 1, surprises are certainly possible, especially in BO1 format.

Among the Stage 1 teams that reached Stage 2, GamerLegion, BetBoom, B8 and MiBR stand out. GamerLegion and BetBoom have the best chance of reaching Stage 3, but Stage 2 will be much harder than Stage 1, as these teams will no longer be considered favorites here and will be seen as underdogs in most matches.

In Stage 2, we will see teams that can not only reach Stage 3, but also fight for a place in the playoffs. Spirit stands out the most, and reaching even the IEM Cologne Major final would not be a surprise for it.

Before the start of Stage 2, esports bookmakers prepared the classic To Finish 3-0, 3-1 or 3-2 and 0-3 markets. We selected the teams that have the best chances of reaching Stage 3, as well as those whose tournament should end as early as the second day.

To Finish 3-0 is the riskiest bet. Teams need to win two BO1 matches and then one BO3. BO1 matches are where the most intrigue appears, as teams do not always play their strongest maps, so matches often become something of a lottery.

How the opponents line up is also important, as esports teams that finish 3-0 often simply get favorable matchups. Accordingly, bookmakers offer the highest odds in this market, so making a few picks can be worthwhile.

We want to focus on Spirit and Legacy, the teams with the best chance of winning three matches in a row.

There is no need to go too deep on Spirit. It is currently one of the best Counter-Strike 2 teams. At IEM Rio, it lost only in the final against Vitality, and on May 17 it won PGL Astana, beating Falcons 3:0 in the final. Historically, Spirit has not always played BO1 successfully, but compared with all Stage 2 opponents, Spirit is on another level.

Legacy arrives at the tournament in solid form, having won CS Asia Championships 2026, where it beat Falcons 3:1 in the final and showed high-level play. It is already clear that Legacy will play its first match against MiBR, which it beat in the CAC semi-final. Odds of 1.53 are given for Legacy to beat MiBR.

To Finish 3-1 or 3-2 markets have the most value and deserve the most attention. There is a chance that Spirit finishes 3-1, but it is too strong a favorite for the risk. Legacy has more chances of finishing 3-1 or 3-2, so it can be included in both bets. It is possible to take the risk with high odds for 3-0 and also include it in a 3-1 or 3-2 bet.

In this category, the most value is in bets on GamerLegion, BetBoom, FUT, G2 and 9z.

FUT has had a solid season and deserves to reach Stage 3. The team has had enough time to prepare for IEM Cologne Major. It is one of the teams that can reach Stage 3 with a 3-0 record.

G2 is another standout team, and missing Stage 3 would be a major disappointment. The team lacks stability, so one BO1 setback would not be a surprise. In BO3 matches against almost all Stage 2 teams, G2 would be considered the favorite.

In Stage 1, GamerLegion and BetBoom showed solid results. The Stage 2 opponents are stronger, but there are many teams that GL and BB can compete against. There is a high probability that these teams will be at 2-2 and play a decisive match for a place in Stage 3.

The To Finish 0-3 bet is similar to 3-0. There is a major unpredictability factor here, so the odds are also higher. The main favorites to finish Stage 2 without wins are the teams coming from Stage 1.

It would be a major surprise if Monte, 9z or Astralis finished Stage 2 with a 0-3 record. Among the teams that already had a place here, paiN looks the weakest, but there is a much higher chance that TYLOO/Lynn Vision or NRG/BIG finishes 0-3, depending on which of them reaches Stage 2.

There is no high-value To Finish 0-3 bet, so we recommend waiting for the BO1 results and then watching the underdogs.

IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage 2 starts on June 6 and will run for four days until June 9. Matches will be played every day. On June 6, all teams will play two BO1 matches, while on June 7, BO1 matches will be played between teams with a 1-1 record, and BO3 matches between 2-0 and 0-2 teams will begin.

From Monday, the remaining matches will be played only in BO3 format. Full Stage 2 schedule:

IEM Cologne Major Stage 2 begins on June 6. Here, we will see eight teams that have not yet played in the tournament and eight teams that have already been seen in Stage 1. BetBoom and GamerLegion stood out most from Stage 1. MiBR and M80 can also be mentioned, but not much should be expected from them in Stage 2.

GamerLegion or BetBoom reaching Stage 3 would not be a major surprise, but any other team from Stage 1 reaching Stage 3 would be a surprise. There is a high probability that two teams from Stage 1 will finish 0-3, so they should receive the most attention when trying to predict which teams will leave Stage 2 the fastest.

In Stage 2, we will see higher-level teams than in Stage 1, so when placing bets, we recommend paying attention to the following aspects:

• Spirit stands out the most among all Stage 2 teams. Even if the team loses at least one BO1, there is almost no doubt that Spirit will reach Stage 3 without major difficulties. At the start, the team will play without a coach, so this could have some impact on its game.
• Astralis started the 2026 season with fairly solid results, but enters IEM Cologne Major in very poor form. Over its last seven matches, it won only against GUT, Liquid and Sinners, while defeats came against G2, Legacy and twice against GamerLegion. Interestingly, all 7 matches ended 2:0 or 0:2.
• FUT is one of the teams that could surprise the most. The team has had an excellent season, and reaching Stage 3 would not be a surprise. FUT plays especially well against teams at its own level, which is important in Stage 2, as there will be many opponents of a similar level. FUT is a team that can be trusted when placing bets.