Introduction to IEM Krakow 2026

The IEM series, a renowned Counter-Strike 2 tournament, is set to take place in Krakow, Poland for the first time. The event replaces the usual location, Katowice, and showcases the skills of 24 exceptional CS2 teams. It is organized by the ESL FACEIT Group and is scheduled to run from January 28 to February 8, 2026, held at the TAURON Arena Kraków. The competition offers a substantial prize pool of $1,000,000, with the winning team earning $400,000.

Tournament Format and Schedule

The IEM Krakow 2026 is divided into three main stages: Play-In, Group Stage, and Playoffs.

• Play-In Stage 1 (January 28–30): This stage includes a double-elimination format with each match being the best-of-3. The top 8 teams will move on to the Group Stage.
• Group Stage (January 31–February 3): The Group Stage houses two groups of eight teams each in double-elimination GSL format, with all matches being the best-of-3. The top 3 teams from each group advance to the playoffs – the first team heads to the Semifinals while the second and third teams advance to the Quarterfinals.
• Playoffs : The Playoffs stage is single-elimination. All matches are best-of-3, with the exception of the Grand Final, which is a best-of-5 showdown.

Participating Teams

A total of 24 teams will participate in the tournament. Prominent teams like FURIA, Vitality, Team Falcons, Spirit, Natus Vincere, MOUZ, FaZe Clan, and The MongolZ will kick off at the Group Stage, while the remaining teams will begin their journey from Play-In. The IEM Krakow 2026 is the inaugural event for the 2026 ESL Pro Tour and forms part of the illustrious ESL Grand Slam.

Prize Distribution

The prize pool of $1,000,000 is distributed among the various placements as follows:

• 1st: $400,000
• 2nd: $180,000
• 3rd: $100,000
• 4th: $60,000
• 5th-6th: $40,000 each
• 7th-8th: $24,000 each
• 9th-12th: $16,000 each
• 13th-16th: $10,000 each
• 17th-20th: $4,500 each
• 21st-24th: $2,500 each

Change of Location and Additional Information

This event marks a shift from Katowice to Krakow in IEM’s series, aiming for a larger audience and elevated production quality. The deal to host the tournament in Krakow extends over multiple years. Historically, the event has successfully gathered over 100,000 visitors, featuring high-caliber CS2 competition in front of a live audience. Liquipedia will provide ongoing updates on brackets and results as the tournament progresses.