ESL has announced a significant change to the Major format. All matches in Stage 3 of IEM Cologne Major 2026 will be played as best-of-three series, marking the first time in CS history that such a format will be used at any stage of the Major.
No more BO1s in Stage 3 at IEM Cologne Major 2026
The format of Counter-Strike‘s premier tournament had come under fire repeatedly over the past few years, and Valve had clearly taken note. After expanding the Major to 32 teams at Austin, the developer added a best-of-five grand final to Budapest. And now, it has made another much-requested change, axing the best-of-ones that made up the majority of the group stage’s matches.
According to ESL’s announcement, the change only applies to Stage 3, with Stage 1 and Stage 2 likely to stick to their classic format. Combined with the solid seeding that the Majors now utilize thanks to the VRS, this change should ensure that the best teams make it through to the playoffs of the Major.
Stage 3 extended by a day, further tickets added
To accommodate the additional match time, Stage 3 has been extended by one day and will now run June 11 to 15 at Palladium in Cologne. The revised schedule will now feature four BO3 matches on each of the first three days, with three BO3 matches per day across rounds 4 and 5.
The full event schedule is now as follows: Stage 1 runs June 2 to 5, Stage 2 June 6 to 9, Stage 3 June 11 to 15, and Playoffs June 18 to 21.
Given the immense demand for the event, with tickets for Stage 3 and Playoffs selling out in record time, ESL has also announced an increase in ticket inventory for Stage 3. Both the existing Stage 3 days and the newly added June 11 date will go on sale again on Feb. 26 at 3pm CET through vivenu.
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Community reaction to the end of BO1s at Stage 3
Following the successful group stage at PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026, which utilized this format, demand for the Major format change was growing stronger in the community. Many pointed out that the Major now remained the only tier-1 event still using BO1s, with many tier-2 events even moving to an all-BO3 format.
ESL’s announcement, thus, received an outpouring of support from the community, with many viewing it as long overdue. The reaction across social media was largely positive, though some noted that BO1s still feature in Stage 1 and Stage 2, leaving room for further updates down the line.
With the Major format now featuring a BO5 grand final, solid VRS-based seeding, and an all-BO3 Stage 3, the gap between the Major and the rest of the tier-1 circuit is narrowing with each iteration. Whether Valve will eventually extend the BO3 format to Stage 1 and Stage 2 remains to be seen—but for now, the Counter-Strike community will take the win.
