The 2026 IEM Cologne will undergo a historic change, eliminating the BO1 format.

Amid the eager anticipation of Counter-Strike 2 esports fans worldwide, the 2026 IEM Cologne, scheduled for this summer, has officially announced a landmark major format change.

The tournament organizers have confirmed that the traditional BO1 (best-of-three) format will be completely abolished in the third stage of this tournament, and all matches will be played in BO3 (best-of-three) format.

According to the official schedule, the main event of IEM Cologne 2026 will be held from June 2nd to June 21st. The highly anticipated third stage is scheduled for June 11th to 15th.

In the history of the Cologne tournament, regular group matches that are not elimination or qualifying rounds typically use a best-of-one (BO1) format to speed up the early stages of the game. However, while this format is fast-paced, it is also prone to upsets due to the unpredictability of individual maps or fluctuations in player performance.

To further enhance the fairness and entertainment value of the tournament, the organizers have decided to completely break with tradition in the third stage this year, allowing all teams to compete in a full best-of-three (BO3) series. This revolutionary change in the rules means that the randomness and probability of upsets during the matches will be significantly reduced.

Under the new format, a team's victory will no longer depend solely on tactical brilliance or luck in a single match, but must be built upon a deep map pool, stable performance on the day, and tactical depth for long-term battles.

For teams trying to break through, the difficulty of relying on a single miracle to turn the tide will increase significantly; while for top teams, this is undoubtedly the ultimate test of their comprehensive strength.

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