Today, June 5, the decisive fourth playday of IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage 1 will take place. After three days of competition, the Swiss bracket has narrowed down to the final group — 2–2, where the teams have one last chance to continue the fight for a place in Stage 2.
All of today’s matches carry the same weight: a win means qualification to the next stage with a 3–2 record, while a loss means immediate elimination from the tournament at 2–3. By the end of the day, the final three participants of Stage 2 will be known, as well as the complete list of teams whose Major in Cologne will end already in the first stage.
Schedule for the day
The fourth day of Stage 1 is fully dedicated to the 2–2 group matches. The teams no longer have any room for error — every series will effectively become a life-or-death match within the Major. Unlike the opening BO1s, today all meetings will be played in the Best of 3 (LAN) format, which minimizes randomness and maximally highlights the depth of team preparation.
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Matches for qualification to Stage 2 (Best of 3 / LAN)
15:00 CET: TYLOO vs Lynn Vision
17:30 CET: Liquid vs FlyQuest
20:00 CET: NRG vs BIG
Today, attention will be focused on every single series without exception, because all the matches are direct qualification finals. The winners will finish Stage 1 with a 3–2 record and join the teams that have already secured their places in Stage 2, while the losers will end their run at IEM Cologne Major 2026 with a 2–3 result.
Live broadcast
The fourth day of IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage 1 will become the final test for the teams still left in contention. If the previous days still allowed room for a mistake, now every map could become the last one of the tournament.
We will update the article throughout the day: match results, the final Swiss table, the list of the last Stage 2 participants, and the teams that ended their run at the tournament.
Interim and final results
After three days of competition, Stage 1 has approached its conclusion. Today, the final teams that can still advance with a 3–2 record will be determined, and the full list of participants who will leave the Major with a 2–3 result will also be finalized.
After the matches are completed, the results and the current standings of the teams will be updated here:
2–2 group matches (Best of 3 / LAN)
- TYLOO vs Lynn Vision — 2:0
- Liquid vs FlyQuest — pending
- NRG vs BIG — pending
Current Stage 2 status
- Already qualified for Stage 2: B8, BetBoom, GamerLegion, MIBR, M80, TYLOO
- Fighting for the final slots: Liquid, FlyQuest, NRG, BIG
- Eliminated: SINNERS, Gaimin Gladiators, THUNDER dOWNUNDER, Sharks, HEROIC, Lynn Vision
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Skin.Club Pick’em ChallengeВ
Running alongside the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 is the Skin.Club Pick’em Challenge — an interactive feature where fans predict match results, choose advancing teams, and earn points throughout the tournament. By making accurate picks, participants unlock rewards ranging from premium skins to rare gloves and knives, with the ultimate prize being the iconic AWP | Dragon Lore.
