According to Kane, the modern Counter-Strike has long moved beyond the classic tournament format used at Majors. The current structure with 24 teams and a reduced playoff stage no longer reflects the real level of competition in the discipline.
He points out that even now, with two full Tier-1 tournaments running in parallel — PGL Astana 2026 and IEM Atlanta 2026 — the fight for playoff spots looks extremely tight and competitive. In his opinion, this once again proves that the scene has grown significantly and requires structural changes in its championship formats.
Why the format needs to change
Kane believes that a Major with 32 teams and a 16-team playoff is the logical next step for the development of the scene. The current format no longer accommodates the full pool of competitive teams and artificially limits the number of strong squads reaching the decisive stage.
He also emphasizes that the decision by tournament operators to move away from a 6-team playoff format is a correct step toward a more fair and entertaining system.
Kane is convinced that Counter-Strike has already grown into the scale of a true global championship. And just like in football, where formats are expanded to increase competitiveness, esports should also move in this direction instead of remaining within outdated structures.
As a reminder, the first matches for IEM Cologne Major 2026 have been announced