Counter-Strike 2 Update
IEM Cologne 2026 Major Hub is now live with the Viewer Pass and Pick'Em Challenge, plus Souvenir items can now be used in Trade Up Contracts.
Key Changes
- 1IEM Cologne 2026 Major Hub is now available for tournament items and Pick'Em Challenge
- 2Souvenir items can now be used in Trade Up Contracts (Souvenir attributes are removed)
- 3Cologne 2026 Viewer Pass added with an upgradable coin and rewards
- 4Active Pass Leaderboard introduced for Pick'Em Challenge performance
- 5Increased spectator in-eye flash amount
- 6Fixed weapon pickup hint text not appearing for certain entities
- 7Fixed scoreboard timeline presentation errors during overtime
- 8Adjusted finger animation on the Bayonet model
- 9Fixed tire fire particle flickering in the advanced video preview
All Changes
🏆Major Hub(5)
- newIEM Cologne 2026 Major Hub: IEM Cologne 2026 Major Hub is now available for tournament items and Pick'Em Challenge.
- newCologne 2026 Viewer Pass: Cologne 2026 Viewer Pass added to receive an upgradable event coin.
- newCologne 2026 Coin: Upgradable Cologne 2026 Coin added for active pass holders.
- newPick'Em Challenge: Pick'Em Challenge available to earn rewards and upgrade the event coin.
- newActive Pass Leaderboard: Active Pass Leaderboard added to compare Pick'Em performance with friends.
💰Items & Economy(1)
- changeTrade Up Contract: Souvenir quality items can now be selected in Trade Up Contracts; Souvenir attributes are removed and the result is a single normal item of higher quality.
🖥️UI/UX(3)
- fixScoreboard: Fixed incorrect scoreboard timeline presentation in overtime.
- fixUI: Fixed weapon entities disallowing pickup from showing pick up weapon hint text.
- changeSpectator: Increased spectator in-eye flash amount.
👁️Visuals(2)
- fixVideo Preview: Fixed tire fire particles flickering in the advanced video preview.
- changeBayonet: Adjusted finger animation on the Bayonet model.
Summary
IEM Cologne 2026 Major
The tournament hub is now live, allowing players to purchase items and participate in the Pick'Em Challenge. The Viewer Pass grants access to an upgradable event coin and a leaderboard to track performance against friends.
Economy & Items
A significant change has been made to Trade Up Contracts, which now accept Souvenir quality items. Note that using a Souvenir item in a contract will strip its Souvenir attributes, resulting in a standard item of higher quality from the combined collections of the items selected.
UI and Visual Fixes
The update addresses several technical issues, including scoreboard timeline errors in overtime and missing weapon pickup hints. Additionally, the Bayonet's finger animation has been adjusted, and spectator flash effects have been increased for better visual clarity.