The grand finale of the IEM Cologne Major 2026 attracted over 2.76 million Peak Viewers, making it the most-watched match in Counter-Strike history. This marked a record-breaking achievement, solidifying the event as the largest tournament the discipline has ever seen, according to Esports Charts.
Team Falcons secured a 3:0 victory over FURIA in the final match, claiming their first Counter-Strike Major title. The win also marked the first Major trophies for Nikola ‘NiKo’ Kovač and Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov, while Finn “karrigan” Andersen earned his second Major title.
Cologne emerged as the most popular Counter-Strike tournament in history in terms of Peak Viewers and Hours Watched, surpassing the concurrent viewership record set by PGL Major Stockholm 2021. The event also set a new milestone for Average Viewers, setting a new standard for the discipline’s key audience metrics.
This article is currently being updated. Final viewership metrics for the tournament will be available within 24 hours in our detailed event report.
IEM Cologne Major Makes History with Over 100M Hours Watched
The IEM Cologne Major 2026 concluded as the largest tournament in Counter-Strike history across all major viewership metrics tracked by Esports Charts. The event set new records for Peak Viewers, Average Viewers, and Hours Watched, achieving an unprecedented sweep of the discipline’s audience benchmarks.
Falcons Dominate Grand Final
Team Falcons secured their spot in the final after defeating NAVI, Team Vitality, and Team Spirit during their journey in Cologne. While FURIA also entered the final undefeated, they couldn’t match Falcons’ performance.
Falcons controlled the best-of-five series from the start and emerged victorious without dropping a single map in the final. The win marked a long-awaited Major title for NiKo and a first Major trophy for m0NESY at Valve’s flagship event.
For karrigan, Cologne brought his second Major title. After reaching five Major finals with FaZe Clan, winning PGL Major Antwerp 2022 and finishing as runner-up in four others, his move to Falcons in April 2026 paid off with a Major championship just two months later.