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The latest CS2 news: tournament results, roster changes, match analysis and Valve updates for Counter-Strike 2.
IEM Cologne Major 2026: The Only Playoffs Pick'Em Challenge Guide You Need

IEM Cologne Major 2026: The Only Playoffs Pick'Em Challenge Guide You Need

As Stage 3 of the IEM Cologne Major 2026 wraps up, the final eight Counter-Strike teams are locked in for the Lanxess Arena and the last sprint towards the trophy. The Pick’Ems have already punished risky calls and shaky favorites, and with Counter-Strike’s true heavyweights now colliding in a single-elimination bracket, predicting the playoffs only gets harder.

CS2
2h
Kaustavmani Choudhury
IEM Cologne Major 2026 Playoffs: Teams, Opening Matches, Bracket, and More

IEM Cologne Major 2026 Playoffs: Teams, Opening Matches, Bracket, and More

Two weeks ago, 32 teams arrived in Germany for one of the biggest Counter-Strike tournaments of the year—the IEM Cologne Major. After the dust settled on the three stages of intense competition, we got the final 8 teams that will set foot in the LANXESS Arena as one of them lifts the trophy.

CS2
4h
Ganesh Jadhav
9z Historic Run Secures IEM Cologne Major 2026 Playoffs

9z Historic Run Secures IEM Cologne Major 2026 Playoffs

9z are heading to the playoffs of the IEM Cologne Major 2026. The Argentine squad closed out Stage 3 with a 3-2 record on June 15, sending The MongolZ home in the process. It is a result that stings for the Mongolian roster and sparks something real for South American CS2.

CS2
10h
Thales Costa
FURIA and Team Spirit Head to Playoffs After Flawless 3-0 Runs at the IEM Cologne Major 2026

FURIA and Team Spirit Head to Playoffs After Flawless 3-0 Runs at the IEM Cologne Major 2026

The IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage 3 has its first two playoff-bound teams. FURIA Esports and Team Spirit both closed out a perfect 3-0 record, securing their spots in the knockout stage before anyone else. Two very different roads, but the same destination.

CS2
13 Jun
Thales Costa

More news

9z Stun Vitality at the IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage 3

9z Stun Vitality at the IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage 3

9z came into Stage 3 of the IEM Cologne Major 2026 as heavy underdogs and left everyone with their jaws on the floor, beating Team Vitality in what is already being called one of the biggest upsets in recent Counter-Strike 2 history.

CS2
12 Jun
Thales Costa
BetBoom Upset Team Falcons in IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage 3

BetBoom Upset Team Falcons in IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage 3

BetBoom did not come to IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage 3 to make up the numbers. They swept Team Falcons 2-0 in Round 2 of the Swiss stage, sending one of the world's top-three teams into the 1-1 pool with a performance nobody expected from the 13th-ranked side in the world.

CS2
12 Jun
Thales Costa
ZywOo Delivers Double Aces to Kick off Vitality’s IEM Cologne Major Campaign

ZywOo Delivers Double Aces to Kick off Vitality’s IEM Cologne Major Campaign

It’s Day 1 of IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage 3, and Team Vitality have already announced their arrival to the competition. Facing FUT, the defending Major Champions started with a map loss only to reverse-sweep their opponents in dominant fashion.    The highlight of the series, however, was the performance of the team’s ace, ZywOo. The Chose nOne recorded two aces in the Bo3, despite a terrible map 1.

CS2
11 Jun
Ganesh Jadhav
Esports Foundation Bets $2M on Creators to Bring EWC and ENC to Every Corner of the World

Esports Foundation Bets $2M on Creators to Bring EWC and ENC to Every Corner of the World

The Esports Foundation just made a major move for content creators. On June 11, 2026, the organization behind the Esports World Cup and the Esports Nations Cup officially opened applications for its 2026 Creator Program, the largest co-streaming initiative esports has ever seen, and it is backing it up with a $2 million investment in creator rewards.

11 Jun
Thales Costa
Valve to Phase Out Steam Physical Gift Cards By End of 2026

Valve to Phase Out Steam Physical Gift Cards By End of 2026

Valve have decided to cease restocking on Steam Gift Cards with retailers, with an estimate that they should be out of circulation by end of 2026. The reason cited was due to scammers' continue exploitation of the gift card system.

10 Jun
Foo Zen-Wen
The Road to LANXESS: What to Expect from IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage 3

The Road to LANXESS: What to Expect from IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage 3

The Palladium opens its door to the 16 CS2 teams who are in contention to set foot in the legendary Cathedral of Counter-Strike—the LANXESS Arena. These teams will take on each other starting June 11th in one of the grandest stages CS esports has to offer—the IEM Cologne Major 2026.

CS2
10 Jun
Ganesh Jadhav
IEM Cologne Major 2026: The Only Stage 3 Pick'Em Challenge Guide You Need

IEM Cologne Major 2026: The Only Stage 3 Pick'Em Challenge Guide You Need

The IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage 3 will run from June 11-15. Here are our 3-0, 3-1/3-2, and 0-3 picks for the Stage 3 Pick'Em Challenge.

CS2
9 Jun
Adarsh J. Kumar
Astralis Crashes Out of CS2 IEM Cologne Major 2026: Where Does the Dynasty Go From Here?

Astralis Crashes Out of CS2 IEM Cologne Major 2026: Where Does the Dynasty Go From Here?

Astralis extends its Major disappointment with a devastating exit from the IEM Cologne Major 2026 following a 1‑3 run in Stage 2. Here's what the future holds for the Danish dynasty.

CS2
8 Jun
Adarsh J. Kumar
NRG Choke a 12-0 Lead to Crash Out of the IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage 1

NRG Choke a 12-0 Lead to Crash Out of the IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage 1

The day has gone from bad to worse for North American Counter-Strike fans. After Team Liquid’s elimination earlier today, NRG, the second NA squad, blew a 12-0 lead on the final map. Resulting in the team’s exit from the IEM Cologne Major 2026.

CS2
5 Jun
Ganesh Jadhav
IEM Cologne Major 2026: The Only Stage 2 Pick'Em Challenge Guide You Need

IEM Cologne Major 2026: The Only Stage 2 Pick'Em Challenge Guide You Need

Stage 1 is in the books, and now the real pressure begins. The IEM Cologne Major 2026 Stage 2 is set to run from June 6 to 9, and it's time to lock in your predictions before the server fires up again. We've broken it all down so you don't have to: here's our IEM Cologne Major Stage 2 Pick'Ems Guide!

CS2
5 Jun
Thales Costa
Fnatic and KRIMZ Go Their Separate Ways After 10 Years Together

Fnatic and KRIMZ Go Their Separate Ways After 10 Years Together

It is the kind of news that makes you stop scrolling. Fnatic has officially parted ways with Freddy "KRIMZ" Johansson after more than a decade together, one of the longest player-organization partnerships in Counter-Strike history. The Swedish rifler joined the black-and-orange banner in 2014 and, aside from a brief two-month stint with GODSENT in late 2016, never left. That chapter is now closed.

CS2
5 Jun
Thales Costa
Team Spirit Coaches to Miss Stage 2 of IEM Cologne Major 2026

Team Spirit Coaches to Miss Stage 2 of IEM Cologne Major 2026

Team Spirit's IEM Cologne Major 2026 campaign faces an early setback as both coaches, hally and S0tF1k, miss Stage 2 due to hospitalization and visa issues. With no coach behind the team, IGL magixx must take on added responsibility as Spirit aim to secure their place in the LANXESS Arena. The situation presents an unexpected challenge for one of the tournament favorites and a crucial test of the squad's resilience.

CS2
4 Jun
Ganesh Jadhav
KSI Becomes First 'Original' in New Football Game 'GOALS'

KSI Becomes First 'Original' in New Football Game 'GOALS'

‘GOALS’ is a new online football game title designed by its namesake studio based in Stockholm, Sweden. Framed as a free-to-play, competitive, online title, ‘GOALS’ seeks to enter the competitive sports-esport cross-section with the tagline as the “next evolution of football gaming experiences”.

4 Jun
Foo Zen-Wen
G2 Esports Brings Fantasy Webcomic Red Aura to Global Audiences on WEBTOON

G2 Esports Brings Fantasy Webcomic Red Aura to Global Audiences on WEBTOON

G2 Esports, one of the world's most recognisable names in competitive gaming, is stepping further into the world of original entertainment with the English-language global launch of its fantasy-action webcomic, Red Aura, on WEBTOON. The series goes live on Saturday, June 6, under the platform's prestigious WEBTOON Originals label.

4 Jun
Martin Arévalo-Östberg
Esports or Stock Market? Valve's New CS2 Sticker System Makes Top 100 Cologne 2026 Stickers Cost $19,447!

Esports or Stock Market? Valve's New CS2 Sticker System Makes Top 100 Cologne 2026 Stickers Cost $19,447!

Buying one of each of the 100 most expensive CS2 Cologne 2026 stickers now costs $19,447.37. Valve removed capsules, introduced a token-based Major Shop with dynamic pricing, and tied revenue to rankings. The community is calling it a paywall that turned collecting into speculation. This article examines how the new system concentrates wealth at the top, hides pricing algorithms in a black box, and prices casual fans out of Major sticker culture.

CS2
4 Jun
André Guaraldo
IEM Cologne Major 2026 Viewer’s Guide: Schedule, Where to Watch, and More

IEM Cologne Major 2026 Viewer’s Guide: Schedule, Where to Watch, and More

The 32 best CS2 teams in the world will convene in Germany for the IEM Cologne Major 2026 from June 2-21. Here's the tournament's schedule and livestream details.

CS2
1 Jun
Adarsh J. Kumar

About this page

Welcome to the Counter-Strike news hub on Strafe, the ultimate source for all things related to the legendary world of Counter-Strike esports. Here, we offer you a variety of content that will keep you entertained and informed about the latest happenings in the world of Counter-Strike esports.

Immerse yourself in our comprehensive tournament recaps, where we provide detailed accounts of the most thrilling matches in Counter-Strike Majors and other prestigious events. We also cover breaking news and share the latest announcements from Valve Corporation, so you're always up-to-date on what's happening in the world of Counter-Strike.

To help you stay on top of the competitive scene, we provide in-depth match summaries that bring you up to speed on the most nail-biting clashes in Counter-Strike esports. We also keep you informed on game-changing patch notes and their implications for the ever-shifting meta. Our team and player interviews offer unparalleled access to the minds of the most renowned Counter-Strike professionals, giving you insights into their strategies and perspectives.

But that's not all - we also keep you informed on the latest team and player news, including roster changes, contract updates, and insider stories. Our expert opinions on the current state of the game, strategies, and map analysis are designed to provide you with valuable insights into the world of Counter-Strike esports. Additionally, our extensive gaming guides are designed to help you conquer the tactical world of Counter-Strike.

So, what are you waiting for? Become a part of Strafe's Counter-Strike community today and stay connected to the thrilling realm of Counter-Strike esports. We're here to provide you with the best possible experience, so you can enjoy everything that this incredible world has to offer.