IEM Cologne Major Stage 3 Drops BO1s, Goes All-BO3 in Expanded Format

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.