With just under 90 days to go until the action begins, preparations for the IEM Cologne Major 2026 are ramping up. As teams make their final push in the VRS Rankings, we want to share some important upcoming milestones for all teams and players hoping to secure their place in Cologne.
KEY DATES & INFO
- 6 April: Major invitations confirmed based on the VRS ranking release
- 13 April: Deadline to confirm team details; name, logo and substitute
- 19 April: Deadline to complete Tournament Item Submission.
All guidelines set out by Valve can be found in their official documentation, here.
Once all submissions are finalized, the road to Cologne truly begins. From that point, we’ll be less than two months away from the start of the event, when the world’s best teams gather in Cologne for the first CS2 Major of 2026.
Outro
To keep up to date with our plans for 2026 and not miss any important updates, as always, make sure to sign up for our newsletter and follow ESLCS on X, Instagram, and Facebook.