Update on the IEM Krakow 2026 Stage Matchups

The IEM Krakow 2026 Play-In Stage has concluded, and ESL has decided on the Group Stage matchups. Sixteen teams have been divided into two double-elimination groups, with just six teams advancing to the playoffs overall.

Event Details

The IEM Krakow 2026 is an offline Counter-Strike 2 event, offering a prize pool of $1,000,000 USD. The event is organized by ESL and is taking place at the TAURON Arena Kraków. The event commenced on January 28, 2026, and will continue until February 8, 2026. The Group Stage will be held from January 31 to February 3, with sixteen teams contesting in two double-elimination GSL brackets. All Group Stage matches are best-of-three (Bo3), with the top three teams from each group proceeding to the playoffs. Namely, winners will proceed to the semifinals, runners-up to the high seed quarterfinals, and third-place finishers to the low seed quarterfinals.

Teams

Out of the sixteen participating teams, eight have made it through due to directly qualifying seeds, and eight have emerged as winners from the Play-In Stage.

In Group A, the teams are FURIA, The MongolZ, Natus Vincere (NAVI), Team Spirit, FUT Esports, G2 Esports, PARIVISION, and Astralis.

In Group B, the teams are Team Vitality, FaZe Clan, MOUZ, Team Falcons, BC.Game Esports, 3DMAX, NRG, and Aurora. It should be noted that one source listed Team Falcons twice, which was likely a mistake; Aurora was confirmed through the schedule.

Group Stage Schedule (PST/CET times)

The schedule for the Group Stage has been set, breaking down as follows:

Saturday, January 31 (Day 1, begins roughly at 12:45 GMT)

• The MongolZ vs G2: 5 am PST / 2 pm CET
• NAVI vs PARIVISION: 5 am PST / 2 pm CET
• FURIA vs FUT: 7:30 am PST / 4:30 pm CET
• Spirit vs Astralis: 7:30 am PST / 4:30 pm CET
• Vitality vs BC.Game: 10 am PST / 7 pm CET
• FaZe vs 3DMAX: 10 am PST / 7 pm CET

And the list goes on with scheduled matches for Sunday, February 1, Monday, February 2, and Tuesday, February 3.

Additional Tournament Details

The Play-In stage, which is already done, was a double-elimination Bo3, with the top eight, including PARIVISION who defeated Heroic, progressing to the next stage. The Playoff stage, scheduled for February 5-8, will be a single-elimination Bo3, with the Grand Final being a Bo5.

In regards to sponsorship, the event is backed by Intel, DHL, and FACEIT. In related news, BC.Game, along with s1mple, swept Legacy in the Play-In stage, and future CS2 Majors are reportedly to be held in Buenos Aires and Shanghai (2027).

It’s important to note that schedules might be updated. Thus, for live results and updates, it is advised to check official ESL sources. As one tracker notes, there may be no upcoming stages post-event or incomplete data.