The 2026 IEM Cologne Major, one of the biggest Counter-Strike 2 events of the year, kicked off its Stage 3 bracket this week with 16 teams competing for playoff spots. What’s notable for the crypto world isn’t what’s happening on the server. It’s what’s not happening in the sponsorship lineup.

Not a single cryptocurrency or blockchain company is sponsoring the event. For an industry that spent years aggressively courting esports audiences, the absence is hard to ignore.

The tournament itself

The IEM Cologne Major runs from June 11 to June 15, 2026, at the Palladium in Cologne, Germany. It’s the first time the Major has returned to Cologne in a decade, and organizer ESL, working with Valve, has made the…