We’ve got just a couple of days left until the major—it’s time to lock in your Pick’Ems. Kicking things off is the IEM Cologne 2026 Major stage one, where 16 teams from across the globe will battle for qualification. Who will go home without a win and who will stomp their way into stage two? Here’s your guide to the IEM Cologne Pick’Ems Diamond Coin.
What are CS2 Pick’Ems?
CS2 Pick’Ems are in-game prediction challenges where viewers put their pro scene knowledge to the test during tournaments. Pick up a Viewer Pass, make your predictions, and if you nail enough of them in a given stage, you’ll earn Major shop tokens and upgrade your coin through four tiers: bronze, silver, gold, and diamond.
Stage-by-stage requirements for the IEM Cologne 2026 Major Diamond coin
Reaching the diamond coin requires correct picks across all three stages and the playoffs. In-game, the progress is tracked through 11 challenges:
- Activate your coin before the tournament is over
- Place all ten Pick’Em predictions for stage one before it begins
- Get five correct Pick’Em predictions for stage one
- Place all ten Pick’Em predictions for stage two before it begins
- Get five correct Pick’Em predictions for stage two
- Place all ten Pick’Em predictions for stage three before it begins
- Get five correct Pick’Em predictions for stage three
- Place all seven Pick’Em predictions for the Playoffs before it begins
- Place two correct Pick’Em predictions for the Quarterfinals
- Place one correct Pick’Em prediction for the Semifinals
- Make a correct Pick’Em prediction for the Grand Final
For each stage, the ten predictions include two teams that go flawless (3-0), two that are eliminated without wins (0-3), and six squads that will make it through to the next stage (3-1, 3-2). Get five of those correct and your coin will get upgraded to the next tier.
How to get the IEM Cologne Major 2026 diamond coin
To begin your Diamond coin journey for the IEM Cologne Major 2026, you first have to get the Viewer Pass in game. Once you activate the pass, you can head to the Pick’Ems hub to make your stage one picks.
- Launch CS2
- Open the Shop
- Select IEM Cologne 2026
- Purchase the Viewer Pass
On the Pick’Em page, you can simply drag and drop the teams’ icons into the respective slots, and hit the save button to lock in your selections. Each stage with 5/10 correct picks will upgrade your coin, while also rewarding you with Major Shop tokens.
And if you miss the deadline on any stage, you can still jump back in during the tournament and complete the rest of the stages. While you won’t get the Diamond coin, you will still have a chance to upgrade your coin depending on how many stages you are able to complete.
Related—IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage 1 Preview: Who will go 3-0?
How to use Major simulators to predict matchups
With the Majors following a consistent format for the past five years, a number of websites allow you to simulate the results of the Major stages. In these simulators, you can pick your predicted winner for each matchup, and run through the entire stage’s results before you lock in your Pick’Ems.
Both majors.im and HLTV.org have updated their simulators for IEM Cologne 2026 Major, so make sure you draw up your predicted brackets before you commit to your picks. These simulators are especially useful for spotting landmines: strong teams that might face each other at the start, thus preventing a 3-0 for at least one of them, or a weaker squad that could find a lucky set of opponents to go through.
Our picks for the IEM Cologne Major 2026 stage one Pick’Ems
The VRS system is doing an increasingly cromulent job at seeding the teams at the major, which often makes stage one a hodgepodge of squads from across the globe that rarely face each other during the season. This, however, can make predicting the Pick’Ems quite a challenge. With that in mind, here are some of our picks in the IEM Cologne 2026 Major stage one.
3-0 teams: Realistically only GamerLegion and BetBoom should be on course for a 3-0 at this stage, given their superior firepower and recent results. But our simulations are pitting them against one another for the 3-0 game. So choose whichever one you think is better between the two, and pick up either Heroic or BIG as the other 3-0 squad to safeguard your picks.
0-3 teams: Much like the 3-0 picks, the choice is clear for 0-3: Sharks and THUNDERdOWNUNDER. Neither team has had any significant results internationally, and lacks any big stars to talk about. And luckily, for your Pick’Ems, they will seemingly pass each other by on the way to the elimination zone.
3-1 and 3-2 teams: Finally, the six advancement slots. Obviously choose amongst GamerLegion, BetBoom, BIG, and Heroic (based on whoever you did not pick for the 3-0) first. But rounding out the rest of that list may be a bit harder. If you trust in tactics over pure firepower, then NRG, SINNERS, and B8 stand out from the crowd. And if you think solo carries will dominate the stage, then the likes of MIBR and TYLOO will be appealing. Finally, if the organization’s legacy still holds some value in your mind, Liquid is always a shout to somehow sneak their way into stage two, though they do not feature on our Pick’Ems.
Souvenir, Major Tokens, Viewer Pass: CS2 Major items explained
Unlike previous Majors, Valve has shaken up the Major system for IEM Cologne 2026. Instead of earning Souvenir tokens from Pick’Ems, players will now earn tokens that can be used both for crafting Souvenirs and for purchasing your favorite stickers directly.
The new system makes it easier to get the exact items you want, though you do have to contend with the dynamic pricing for your purchases.
