IEM Cologne 2026 could give the scene not only a new champion, but also a new historic record. If everything follows the current scenario, apEX will become the player with the highest number of Major appearances in Counter-Strike history.
apEX moves into first place at a highly symbolic moment
Right now, apEX and karrigan share first place in the number of Major appearances — 21 each. But at IEM Cologne 2026, the French player is expected to move ahead and become the sole record holder with the 22nd Major of his career, while FaZe remain outside the tournament.
This record looks especially powerful because of the very type of apEX’s career. This is not a story about a short peak or one successful cycle. It is the story of a player who lived through several eras of Counter-Strike and remained relevant for so long that he is now climbing to the top of one of the most enduring historical leaderboards in the scene.
FaZe’s absence makes this record even louder
The context around karrigan matters here as well. The record is not simply passing to apEX in the abstract — it is changing hands at the very moment when FaZe are missing the first Major of 2026. Because of this, the whole story gains additional weight: one veteran continues to hold his place in the elite, while the other temporarily falls out of the scene’s biggest tournament.
Analytically, this is a very precise marker of Vitality’s current strength. For apEX, the record is not a tribute to the past — it comes at a moment when his team still remain among the main favorites for a major tournament. So this is not about a “legend playing out the end,” but about a captain who continues to accumulate historic numbers at the very highest level.
FalleN is also approaching a major historical milestone
Alongside apEX’s story, another important number could be matched in Cologne. FalleN is set to reach his 18th Major and thereby draw level with dupreeh, who still remains among the absolute leaders in this category.
That is also highly telling for the scene as a whole. The table for number of Major appearances always works as a separate cross-section of eras: random names do not stay there. Only those who survived years of changes in metas, rosters, game versions, and tournament formats remain. And the fact that apEX and FalleN are still moving upward shows very clearly how long their careers at the top level have turned out to be.
apEX’s record is not just a number, but the result of longevity
In apEX’s case, the most important thing is not even the number 22 itself, but the road to it. To reach such a mark, it is not enough simply to be a good player. You have to spend years staying on teams that consistently qualify for Majors, endure changes in the scene, and remain needed even when Counter-Strike around you has already changed several times.
That is exactly why this record reads as a reward for longevity, not only for trophies. Counter-Strike has had plenty of players with brighter peaks, but far from all of them managed to last this long across the most important tournaments. apEX is winning precisely in that category right now — endurance, consistency, and the ability to remain part of major rosters across different periods of the scene.
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Cologne could cement another important part of apEX’s legacy
IEM Cologne 2026 could become for apEX not just another Major, but the moment when he definitively moves into first place in history for the number of appearances — 22. Against the backdrop of FaZe missing the tournament, this record looks even more striking.
For the scene, it is a strong historical note ahead of a major tournament. And for apEX himself, it is one more piece of proof that his career has long been measured not only by trophies, but also by the scale of his presence in the very history of Counter-Strike.
