IEM Cologne 2026: CS2 Upcoming Tournaments Stage 1 Pick'ems Guide

Intel Extreme Masters Cologne is back, and Stage 1 kicks off on June 2nd with 16 teams fighting for their spot in the next phase. Four days of round-robin play will sort the field before June 5th settles everything, and your Pick'ems decisions start now.

Gocore's Pick'ems platform is live for IEM Cologne Stage 1. Lock in your predictions before matches begin and track your bracket across all the days of play.

Day 1 Predictions: CS2 Predictions for June 2nd

Eight matches open Stage 1, and there are some clear favorites to build your Pick'ems around on day one.

Our picks:

✅ GamerLegion vs NRG.

✅ B8 vs TYLOO.

✅ HEROIC vs Sharks.

✅ BetBoom Team vs Gaimin Gladiators.

BIG vs Team Liquid. ✅

✅ M80 vs Lynn Vision.

✅ mibr vs THUNDERdOWNUNDER.

✅ Sinners vs FlyQuest.

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Day 2 Predictions: June 3rd Matches

The second day sees teams regroup after opening results, and a few trickier calls come into play.

Our picks:

GamerLegion vs Team Liquid. ✅

✅ B8 vs Sinners.

✅ HEROIC vs mibr.

✅ BetBoom Team vs M80.

✅ BIG vs FlyQuest.

✅ NRG vs THUNDERDoWNUNDER.

✅ TYLOO vs Lynn Vision.

Sharks vs Gaimin Gladiators. ✅

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Day 3 Predictions: June 4th Matches

The middle of Stage 1 is where the bracket picture starts to take shape. These picks reflect the emerging form from the opening two days.

Our picks:

✅ B8 vsHEROIC.

✅ BetBoom Team vs Team Liquid.

✅ GamerLegion vs Gaimin Gladiators.

BIG vs NRG. ✅

M80 vs TYLOO. ✅

✅ mibr vs Sinners.

✅ Sharks vs FlyQuest.

✅ Lynn Vision vs THUNDERDoWNUNDER.

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Day 4 Predictions: June 4th Matches

As teams jostle for positioning ahead of the final day, these matches carry significant weight for advancement.

Our picks:

✅ HEROIC vs NRG.

✅ Team Liquid vs mibr.

✅ GamerLegion vs TYLOO.

✅ M80 vs Sharks.

✅ Gaimin Gladiators vs Lynn Vision.

Sinners vs BIG. ✅

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Day 5 Matches

Three matches on June 5th close out the round-robin before final standings lock in.

Our picks:

TYLOO vs BIG. ✅

NRG vs mibr. ✅

Gaimin Gladiators vs M80. ✅

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Final Stage 1 Standings

When the dust settles on Stage 1, here is how the full standings should look:

• B8 and BetBoom Team both go through with a perfect 3:0 record.
• HEROIC, Team Liquid, and GamerLegion advance with 3:1 records.
• BIG, mibr, and M80 survive at 3:2.
• The teams going home are FlyQuest and THUNDERdOWNUNDER, who finish 0:3 and exit IEM Cologne Stage 1 without a win.

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Head to our Pick’ems section to lock in your full Stage 1 bracket before June 2nd. Every pick counts, and the top five on the monthly leaderboard win prizes.

TL;DR

• IEM Cologne 2026 Stage 1 runs June 2-5 with 16 teams in Swiss System Format format
• B8 and BetBoom Team predicted to advance 3:0; HEROIC, Team Liquid, GamerLegion at 3:1
• BIG, mibr, and M80 predicted to survive at 3:2; FlyQuest and THUNDERdOWNUNDER eliminated 0:3
• Lock in your full Stage 1 bracket before matches begin