NAVI wins, Donk dominates, Poland on the map: the Cologne Major will not be boring after all

A surprisingly quiet week follows e Counter-Strike esports, Valve’s first-person shooter came back to life at the culmination of two Tier 1 tournaments that set the stage for a potentially exciting Cologne Major.

With NAVI and Team Spirit adding a trophy to their cupboards, an undefeated power falling into the quarter-finals, and the unveiling of another high-profile event for 2027, there’s plenty to share around the world.

After playing second fiddle to the frontrunners Group Vitality the list of the first four months of 2026, NAVI finally got its hands on the Tier 1 title with a victory at IEM Atlanta 2026. The Ukrainian sports federation swept aside GamerLegion in the Grand Final thanks to a brilliant display from Hor “w0nderful” Zhdanov. The Ukrainian shooter topped the scoreboard with 60’s on all three maps, often outscoring the opposition.

Before the Grand Final, NAVI had already caught the attention of the Counter-Strike scene, defeating a tired team Strong Team in the quarter-finals.

“I’m not going to lie, I’m tired of the team,” wrote the leader in the middle of the game Dan “apEX” Madesclaire on social media.

Despite being tired, NAVI showed its ability to perform well on the big stage, beating GamerLegion to win its first Tier 1 trophy since StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2025.

The win marks another step forward for an organization that is often on the cusp of standing on the top rung of the field. Going to the Cologne Major with another title to its name puts it in a position to lift the major trophy, which the organization has not achieved since 2024.

For the first time in nine months, Team Spirit emerged victorious in a high-profile Counter-Strike tournament.

Instead of making the trip to Atlanta, the Russian team was one of several teams that chose to compete in Kazakhstan for a chance to win the championship.

It’s led by yet another standout Danil “donkey” KryshkovetsTeam Spirit completed a flawless run in the playoffs, going 3-0 Team Falcons a system that continues to adapt Finn “Karriga” Andersen in the starting list.

Donk started the Grand Final on the back foot, starting Dust II 0-6, but quickly made an impact in the first round of overtime with a clutch one against three, showing his excellent execution and time management.

After finishing second at IEM Rio, the victory in Astana is a continuation of Team Spirit’s climb back to the top of the Counter-Strike world. Alongside NAVI, the team is certainly in contention for a strong Cologne Major campaign.

Along with producing the biggest names in Counter-Strike, Poland has cemented its place as a prime location for tournament organizers to host events. For several years, the city of Katowice has hosted the Intel Extreme Masters, an event that remains one of the most prestigious competitions on the scene.

This year the city of Krakow took the lead, after that ESL FACEIT Group decided to move the event to Katowice. Nevertheless, Katowice still holds a place within the Counter-Strike calendar and will host the ESL Pro League Season 24 games in October.

It’s not just ESL that uses Poland as a destination for Counter-Strike esports. My partner is the organizer of the tournament PGL revealed plans to host the event in the city of Lodz in March 2027, marking the first time since the 2017 Krakow Major that the event has been held in the country.

Poland’s place as a sports venue is thanks to various factors. In addition to strong infrastructure and a passionate fan base, the support of the state government also plays an important role. 2017 saw the Polish Law on Sports receive an update, declaring “any form of competition based on intellectual activity, aimed at achieving a sporting result” should also be considered a sport.

As a result of Team Vitality’s early exit from IEM Atlanta, the cracks in the impenetrable armor are starting to show ahead of the Cologne Major. A lack of practice combined with fatigue contributed to a slight dip in the form of the world’s best Counter-Strike team ahead of the main title event.

Coupled with the recent victories of NAVI and Team Spirit, the first Major of 2026 is starting to shape up to be a highly contested event instead of one for fans to tune in to see Team Vitality explode against any opponent it meets.

For Team Vitality, a win in Cologne would be the team’s third consecutive Vitality victory, an honor achieved only by the legendary Danish core. Astraliswho won the London, Katowice, and Berlin Majors in 2018 and 2019.

With several teams finding form at the right time, and the top three in Stage 3 for the first time, the Cologne Major will see the best teams book their place in the LANXESS Arena for a chance to win Counter-Strike’s grand prize.

Over the past 12 months, China’s Fight-Strike scene has exploded onto the world stage, with several teams regularly entering Division 1 tournaments and making an impact against established names.

Following a string of strong regional results, Lynn Vision continued its work on time Asian Champions Leaguethis year’s only regional qualifier Esports World Cup. The Chinese team blew past the favorites Alter Ego again THUNDERdownUNDERwith all five members of the team contributing to the overall win in Group B.

52 circle map of Dust II between Lynn Vision and JiJieHao opened the Grand Final, who once led before getting Ancient 13-6 to go within one map of the trip to the Esports World Cup.

Despite a strong fight from JiJieHao in the third game, Lynn Vision closed the top five with a score line of 3-1 to become the first team to qualify for the tournament.

The Esports World Cup is still in the public eye, as there are reports that plans to move from Riyadh to Paris, France, are ongoing due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Moving to the French capital can be a great decision for planners. The event is a form of sports washing, a tactic used by the Saudi Arabian government to undermine its human rights record. The move to France gives the event the chance to tap into a truly passionate fan base, giving fans from Europe and the rest of the world the chance to attend the event to see the biggest teams fighting for the big prize.