The first half of 2026 in CS2 has already given a clear picture of the balance of power on the scene. The main leader was Vitality, who won five LAN tournaments, while NAVI secured two titles, and Falcons claimed the most valuable trophy of this stretch — IEM Cologne Major 2026.
The strongest stretch — Vitality
This season turned out to be revealing not only because of the number of tournaments, but also because of how the wins were distributed among the top teams. Formally, Vitality had the best stretch, but the overall race was not one-sided.
NAVI consistently reached the later stages and remained among the main contenders, while Falcons, even without winning the most titles, ended the season with victory at the biggest tournament. That is exactly why the results of the first half of the year turned out to be much more interesting than just “one team won everything.”
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Vitality became the main team of the half-year
By the raw results, Vitality were the best. They won IEM Krakow, PGL Cluj-Napoca, BLAST Open Spring, IEM Rio 2026, and BLAST Rivals Spring — five major LANs in total.
That is the main indicator of their strength in the first half of the year. Vitality did not just have a good stretch — they genuinely controlled the scene for several months. This is further underlined by their five finals appearances, which also made them the leaders of the season in that category.
NAVI maintained their consistency
NAVI won ESL Pro League S23 and IEM Atlanta, and they also ended the half-year with four finals appearances. In other words, the Ukrainian team was not just a background presence during someone else’s dominance, but consistently remained among the main title contenders.
Yes, NAVI fell behind Vitality in the number of trophies, but in terms of overall deep runs they stayed extremely close to the top. And that is exactly what makes their season strong: the team regularly reached the decisive stages and never dropped out of the championship race.
Falcons won the main trophy of the season
If Vitality were first in the number of titles, then Falcons took the biggest trophy — IEM Cologne Major 2026. That alone automatically makes them one of the biggest winners of the entire half-year.
It is also very important that Falcons had a strong run overall: they reached four finals during this stretch. In other words, the Major was not a one-off flash — the team had already been consistently performing at the top level, and the victory in Cologne became the culmination of their season.
The scene did not revolve around one team alone
Despite Vitality’s dominance, the season was still not completely locked down. Besides them, LANs were also won by NAVI, Spirit, FUT, Legacy, and Falcons. That shows that even during a period of clear leadership by one team, the scene still remained alive.
That is the main conclusion of the first half of 2026. Vitality were the strongest, NAVI were very stable, and Falcons won the Major. In other words, the scene already has its leader, but the race is not actually closed.
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The first half of 2026
The first half of 2026 in CS2 ended with a very clear balance of power. Vitality became the main team of the season in terms of titles and finals, NAVI stayed close thanks to their consistency, and Falcons ended the stretch with the biggest win of all — at IEM Cologne Major 2026.
And that is exactly why the main conclusion is simple: the scene has a favorite, but the fight is not definitively over. The second half of the year begins with a very clear trio of leading forces.
