IEM Cologne is one of Counter-Strike’s most iconic tournaments, alongside the likes of Katowice and the Majors. In terms of prestige, winning in Germany’s LANXESS Arena and joining the ranks of history’s IEM Cologne winners instantly secures your status as a legend of the game.
The latest champions are Team Spirit, having picked up the famous trophy at IEM Cologne 2025. But who are the rest of the IEM Cologne winners since its inception in 2014? Let’s find out.
| IEM Cologne Winners | |
|---|---|
| Year | Winner |
| 2014 | Ninjas in Pyjamas |
| 2015 | Fnatic |
| 2016 | SK Gaming |
| 2017 | SK Gaming |
| 2018 | NAVI |
| 2019 | Team Liquid |
| 2020 | None |
| 2021 | NAVI |
| 2022 | FaZe Clan |
| 2023 | G2 |
| 2024 | Team Vitality |
| 2025 | Team Spirit |
Read on to learn a little more about these IEM Cologne winners throughout history.
Counter-Strike’s first notable trip to Cologne came at ESL One: Cologne 2014, doubling as a Major championship. The event was won by the legendary Ninjas in Pyjamas lineup featuring the likes of f0rest and GeT_RiGhT, although they had to defeat an equally talented Fnatic squad to get over the line. For NIP, this was a win years in the making, and in hindsight, becoming IEM Cologne winners was a defining moment for their legacy.
ESL One: Cologne 2015 saw Counter-Strike make a repeat appearance at the LANXESS for the first time, again as a Major championship. This time, though, there would be no repeat of the previous year’s winners, with Fnatic‘s iconic Swedish lineup getting their hands on the trophy. To this day, it remains the first and only time Fnatic have been IEM Cologne winners.
Becoming an IEM Cologne winner and a CS:GO Major winner at the same time is certainly a nice way to write your name in the history books. SK Gaming achieved the feat by winning ESL One: Cologne 2016, taking down a Team Liquid roster in the Final that included players like s1mple and EliGE. It was this victory that really cemented a Brazilian era in Counter-Strike, with names like FalleN and coldzera becoming instant legends.
Just to prove 2016 wasn’t a fluke, SK Gaming went back-to-back at ESL One: Cologne 2017. While this time wasn’t a Major, it was a legacy-defining win all the same. This time around, SK Gaming had felps in place on fnx, but they were still able to become IEM Cologne winners by beating Cloud9 in a clean 3:0 sweep in the Grand Final.
NAVI‘s first LANXESS Arena triumph came at ESL One: Cologne 2018, where they were able to beat crowd favorites and hometown heroes BIG in convincing 3:1 fashion. To think, we were two maps away from smooya becoming an IEM Cologne winner.
There was a really bizarre three-month period in 2019 when Team Liquid were the best CS:GO team on the planet, winning everything in their path during this time. In the middle of it all, they managed to pick up a Cologne trophy by winning ESL One: Cologne 2019. It’s the one trophy prime Astralis never got their hands on – the one trophy Team Liquid can hold over their once-rivals.
Unfortunately, the reality of the COVID-19 pandemic meant that 2020 saw no IEM Cologne winners crowned. As competitive Counter-Strike moved online, ESL One: Cologne 2020 was canceled, instead moving to regional divisions across Europe, North America, Oceania, and Asia. These divisions were won by HEROIC, Evil Geniuses, Renegades, and TYLOO, although it would be a colossal stretch to describe any as Cologne winners.
As the world returned to a semblance of normality, Counter-Strike went back to a LAN setting at IEM Cologne 2021. The timing was perfect for NAVI, who were in the middle of a period of dominance over the scene. As an organization, it was their second time as IEM Cologne winners, a perfect achievement for one of the best CS:GO lineups ever put together.
After already picking up IEM Katowice 2022 and PGL Major Antwerp 2022, FaZe Clan asserted their dominance over the calendar year by adding IEM Cologne 2022 to their trophy cabinet. It was the jewel in the crown for a roster that had begun to cement itself as one of the best CS:GO teams of all time. To do it, they beat NAVI in a 3:2 Final, a match many believe to be among the greatest Counter-Strike matches ever played.
Winning IEM Cologne 2023 is arguably the biggest achievement for G2 as a Counter-Strike organization. After facing bitter disappointment at the BLAST.tv Paris Major, G2 reminded everybody of their quality by picking up the Cologne trophy in the LANXESS Arena. Years of hunting had finally led NiKo to lift one of the greatest prizes Counter-Strike has to offer.
Despite a difficult year, Team Vitality were still able to add their names to the list of IEM Cologne winners by securing victory at IEM Cologne 2024. For both apEX and ZywOo, this win was one of the few missing trophies from their cabinet, taking them one step closer to “completing Counter-Strike.” Given their failed attempt to retain the trophy in 2025, getting the win in 2024 may prove to be an important moment in these players’ legacies.
Team Spirit are the current IEM Cologne winners, having crowned themselves champions in 2025. It was an achievement that cemented donk’s remarkable legacy in the game, collecting all of its greatest prizes less than two years after arriving in Tier 1.
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