As one of the world’s oldest esports tournament circuits, Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) will move its top-tier CS2 event from the traditional Katowice to Kraków, Poland’s second-largest city, for the first time in 2026. IEM Kraków 2026 will be held from January 28th to February 8th, 2026, featuring all LAN matches, with the playoffs being held live at TAURON Arena Kraków.
This tournament is not only a key stop on the ESL Pro Tour Championship, but also contributes to the ESL Grand Slam points system, significantly impacting each team’s season ranking and prize money.
Participating Teams: 24 Teams Gather, Top Teams Clash
A total of 24 teams are participating in IEM Kraków 2026, including 8 top seeds who directly qualified and 16 teams that qualified through the Play-In qualifiers.
Directly Invited Teams (Group Stage)
FURIA
Team Vitality
Team Falcons
Team Spirit
Natus Vincere (NAVI)
MOUZ
FaZe Clan
The MongolZ
These teams earned their direct qualification based on the Valve Regional Standings rankings at the beginning of 2026 and are the core contenders for the championship.
Play-In Qualifying Teams
The 16 participating teams are:
Aurora, B8, Legacy, G2, Team Liquid, 3DMAX, Astralis, PARIVISION, HEROIC, paiN, FUT, Ninjas in Pyjamas, Passion UA, BC.Game Esports, NRG, and GamerLegion.
These teams will compete fiercely in the Play-In stage from January 28th to 30th for a spot in the main stage group stage.
Tournament Overview
Three-Stage Structure with Bo3/Bo5 Matches
IEM Kraków 2026 uses a three-stage format:
1. Stage 1 — Play-In (January 28th–30th)
16 teams will compete in a double-elimination format, with Bo3 matches, and the winners advance.
2. Stage 2 — Group Stage (January 31 – February 3)
16 teams (8 directly invited + 8 qualified) are divided into two groups, using a double-elimination GSL format and a best-of-three (Bo3) format. The top 3 teams from each group advance to the playoffs.
3. Playoffs (February 6 – 8)
Single-elimination tournament, except for the final which is Bo5, all other matches are Bo3. The final champion will be decided at the TAURON Arena.
This format balances fairness and entertainment value, ensuring a balance between the possibility of upsets and consistent performance from top teams.
Prize Pool and Distribution
The IEM Kraków 2026 prize pool is **US$1,250,000**, including cash prizes and club rewards.
| Placement | Prize Money (USD) | Club Reward (USD) | Total (USD) |
| Champion | $400,000 | $60,000 | $460,000 |
| Runner-up | $180,000 | $36,000 | $216,000 |
| 3rd Place | $100,000 | $31,000 | $131,000 |
| 4th Place | $60,000 | $25,000 | $85,000 |
| 5th–6th | $40,000 | $21,000 | $61,000 |
| 7th–8th | $24,000 | $14,000 | $38,000 |
| 9th–12th | $16,000 | $7,000 | $23,000 |
| 13th–16th | $10,000 | – | $10,000 |
| 17th–20th | $4,500 | – | $4,500 |
| 21st–24th | $2,500 | – | $2,500 |
Data Source: Official tournament fee schedule.
The nearly half-million-dollar prize pool and additional club rewards make IEM Kraków not only one of the largest prize pools in the esports world, but also increase the return on investment for clubs and the strategic depth of tactical deployment.
THE EVIDENCE AND ANALYSIS: WHO WILL WIN?
From the list and latest record:
As the Brazilian side, FURIA ranks in the highest place of excellence worldwide on a regular basis and has repeatedly reached the deep rounds of S-level tournaments. With highly star-littered rosters and vast tournament experience, Team Vitality and FaZe Clan are considered favorites to win. NAVI and Team Spirit are capable of scoring big upsets, and show tactical brilliance in big tournaments. However, Play-In qualifying teams might just become dark horses, and this would leave IEM Kraków 2026 extremely unpredictable, a subject of conversation for much of the tournament and debate.
Conclusion
Welcome to another chapter at Kraków, Setting the Pace for the 2026 Season.
The 2026 IEM Kraków is not only the next chapter of the esports event tradition, but also marks a new stage in the CS2 competitive arena. The innovative format, prize pool, and participating teams of this year’s tournament are propelling the global CS2 ecosystem towards a more mature and commercialized future. It will become one of the main foci in the event landscape from start to end for both professional teams and gamers alike.ason.