31 rookies to debut at IEM Cologne, including full teams

Thirty-one players will make their Major debuts at IEM Cologne, spread across the tournament’s three VRS stages. The field includes two full-rookie teams, Sharks and SINNERS, three teams with multiple debutants and two players starting in Stage 3.

Seventeen rookies enter in Stage 1, 12 in Stage 2 and, for the first time since the VRS format began, two rookies start in Stage 3. The number of first-time Major players rose to 42 when the Major expanded to 32 teams in Austin, fell to 19 in Hungary, and now stands at 31 in Cologne.

Stage 3 starters are Caner “soulfly” Kesici of Aurora and Adrian “xelex” Vincze of MOUZ. Soulfly, 21, joined Aurora before the 2026 season and recorded a 1.01 rating in the lead-up to Cologne while playing as an anchor-lurker. Xelex, 17, was promoted from MOUZ’s academy late in the season and posted a 1.01 rating at PGL Astana followed by a 1.18 at CAC.

Stage 2 features cores from FUT, 9z and Monte. FUT fields four rookies-dziugss, dem0n, Krabeni and cmtry-alongside veteran Laurențiu “lauNX” Țârlea; dziugss is the top-ranked prospect in pre-Major lists and cmtry won MVP at PGL Bucharest. 9z brings three rookies in meyern, luchov and HUASOPEEK with Major veterans Maximiliano “max” Gonzalez and Franco “dgt” Garcia; meyern has transitioned to an AWPer role and registered a 1.04 rating since joining 9z, luchov has averaged 1.19 since November and produced a 1.29 at PGL Astana, and HUASOPEEK has a 1.10 rating since 2023. Monte’s lineup includes rookies afro, Gizmy, AZUWU and Rainwaker, with Aurimas “Bymas” Pipiras returning to the Major for the first time since 2021; Monte climbed from lower VRS ranks into Stage 2 this season.

Stage 1 contains the largest group of debutants and a mix of full teams and solo players. Sharks are a full-rookie squad featuring koala (a 1.14-rated prospect ranked in pre-Major lists), doc (1.17 rating since 2023), rdnzao, gafolo and Argentine AWPer maxxkor. SINNERS field five first-timers: SHOCK, beastik, MoDo, stressarN and kisserek. Other Stage 1 rookies include HEROIC’s nilo (21, 1.10 rating), TYLOO’s Zero (the tournament’s only Chinese rookie), BIG’s 20-year-old AWPer gr1ks, and 16-year-old s1zzi, the youngest debutant at Cologne. APAC representation among rookies comes from THUNDER dOWNUNDER’s TjP and asap; asap has averaged a 1.23 rating since joining the team in October 2025. No rookies originate from the North American subregion at this Major.

There were recent roster and attendance questions for some players. Russian player d1Ledez had earlier visa-related uncertainty that led to Timur “FL4MUS” Marev standing in during preparations; the roster situation has since been clarified.

Prospect rankings appear across the list of debutants: FUT accounts for several of the top young players headed to Cologne and multiple debutants are included in pre-Major prospect updates. The distribution of rookies across stages reflects the expanded Major field and roster changes among teams this season.