In the history of Counter-Strike, only four clubs have managed to win two or more Majors. And what is especially symbolic is that three of them will be represented at IEM Cologne 2026: Astralis, Vitality, and NAVI. That automatically adds another strong historical layer to the tournament — in Cologne, organizations that have already won the scene’s biggest title more than once will gather again.
An elite group
These numbers once again show just how difficult it is not only to win a Major, but to repeat that success at least one more time. In different years, champions included FNATIC, Virtus.pro, NiP, LDLC, EnVyUs, Luminosity, SK, Gambit, Cloud9, FaZe, and others, but most of them either remained with a single title or no longer made it to the current Cologne in relevant status. Against that background, the clubs that have won a Major more than once truly look like a separate elite group.
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There are only four such clubs in CS history
The list is very short. The most successful club by number of Major titles remains Astralis — the Danish organization has four championships. It still sets the historical maximum that others are only trying to approach.
Next come Vitality and FNATIC, who each have three Majors, as well as NAVI with two. And that is where the list ends. All other championship brands on the scene remained with a single major title.
Three of those organizations will play in Cologne
The most interesting part here is that IEM Cologne 2026 will feature Astralis, Vitality, and NAVI — that is, three of the four clubs that have already proved they can win a Major more than once.
That makes the tournament especially rich not only in current team strength, but also in the historical weight of its participants. In Cologne, organizations will face off that already know how to go all the way to the title and have more than one such run in their history.
Spirit have a chance to enter this club
Against that background, Spirit stand out separately. Right now, they look like the only club at IEM Cologne 2026 that could join this closed company already this summer.
In other words, for Spirit the upcoming Major is not just another attempt to win the biggest tournament of the season. It is a chance to move into a completely different historical category and become the fifth club in Counter-Strike history to win more than one Major.
Many former champions are outside this story
Another telling point is who is currently not part of this conversation. FNATIC, despite their three titles, will not be among the participants in Cologne. And clubs such as Virtus.pro, NiP, LDLC, EnVyUs, Luminosity, SK, Gambit, Cloud9, and FaZe, which also won a Major in the past, either failed to qualify for the tournament or no longer have the same roster and status with which they wrote their championship history.
And that is exactly why the current picture looks so contrasting. Some old Major winners have already remained in the past as memories of an era, while others are still holding their place at the center of the scene and are heading to Cologne once again.
This adds another big storyline to the Major
Ahead of IEM Cologne 2026, we have not just a tournament with strong teams, but also a tournament with a very specific historical subtext. Astralis, Vitality, and NAVI are going to Cologne not just as famous organizations, but as clubs that already belong to the narrowest circle of multiple Major champions.
And Spirit are approaching the tournament as a team that could take a step into that same club. That is exactly what makes the upcoming Major interesting not only from the standpoint of current form, but also from the standpoint of a place in history.
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IEM Cologne 2026
As of today, only four clubs in CS history have won two or more Majors: Astralis, Vitality, FNATIC, and NAVI. Three of them will play at IEM Cologne 2026, while Spirit will get the chance to become the next organization to break into this elite list.
So this time, Cologne is not only a battle for a new title. For some, it is a chance to confirm historical status, and for others, a chance to finally enter the very narrow circle of clubs that have won a Major more than once.
