Counter-Strike’s IEM Event Moves to Krakow

For the first time, the esteemed IEM series of Counter-Strike will be taking place in Krakow, Poland. Up until this edition, the tournament had been traditionally held in Katowice. This time, 24 leading CS2 rosters are gearing up to engage in a heated contest.

IEM Krakow 2026 Tournament Details

The IEM Krakow 2026 Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) major tournament is scheduled to take place from January 28 to February 8, 2026. The venue for this prominent esports event is the TAURON Arena Kraków located in Poland. A total of 24 teams will be battling it out for a staggering prize pool worth $1,000,000, out of which $400,000 will be awarded to the victor.

Tournament Format

The event has been divided into three stages. The Play-In stage, which will take place from January 28–30, will feature a double-elimination format with all matches being best-of-three. Play-In stage matchups include exciting battles like Aurora Gaming vs. GamerLegion, Heroic vs. PARIVISION, and more. The top 8 teams from this stage will then advance to the Group Stage.

The Group Stage will run from January 31–February 3. Here, two groups, each of 8 teams, will engage in a double-elimination GSL format with best-of-three matches. The top three teams from each group will proceed to the Playoffs, with the top team making it to the semifinals and the others heading to the quarterfinals.

The Playoffs, slated for February 4–8, follow a single-elimination bracket. All matches in this stage will be best-of-three, with the final Grand Final match being a best-of-five contest. The playoffs will take place at the TAURON Arena.

Participating Teams

A selection of top-seeded teams such as FURIA, Natus Vincere, Vitality, MOUZ, Team Falcons, FaZe Clan, Team Spirit, and The MongolZ have received direct invites to the Group Stage. The Play-In teams featuring seeds from 9 to 24 consist of tough contenders like G2 Esports, Heroic, Team Liquid, Astralis, among others.

Prize Pool Distribution

The champions of the tournament will walk away with a grand prize of $400,000, with the second and third-place teams receiving $180,000 and $100,000, respectively. From the fourth place onwards, the distribution of the prize pool ranges from $60,000 down to $2,500, reaching till the 24th spot.

As an ESL Pro Tour Championship event, the IEM series brings in a significant number of visitors, with previous events seeing a turnout of over 100,000 guests. This tournament promises to kickstart the year 2026 with some top-notch CS2 competition. Competitive gaming enthusiasts can look forward to real-time tracking of brackets and results on esports platforms.