IEM Kraków 2026 preview and predictions

Bruno Sobieraj Published January 23, 2026

2026 has only just begun, but one of the most coveted tournaments of the year will soon be upon us, with IEM Kraków 2026 kicking off shortly.

This will be the first time the flagship IEM event is held in Kraków, after changing location from Katowice, which hosted the event for over a decade.

Nevertheless, it’s still bound to bring all the best CS2 players to the server. Here’s our preview.

Format and Schedule

Stage 1 is looking pretty stacked. Credit: © ESL

The IEM Kraków 2026 tournament will consist of three stages: Stage 1, Stage 2, and the playoffs.

• Stage 1: Stage 1 will take place from January 28th to January 30th. 16 teams will battle it out in a double-elimination bracket, with eight teams advancing to Stage 2.
• Stage 2: Games in the next stage of the tournament, Stage 2, will be carried out from January 31st to February 3rd. The eight squads that advanced from Stage 2 will join eight of the best CS2 teams that were invited straight to Stage 2. Stage 2 consists of two eight-team double elimination groups, with three teams from each group advancing to the playoffs. All the games in Stages 1 and 2 will be played in a best-of-three format.
• Playoffs: The playoffs in the Tauron Arena will take place from February 6th to February 8th, culminating on Grand Final Sunday. The quarter-finals and semis will be BO3s, while the Grand Final will be a best-of-five game.

IEM Kraków schedule:

• Stage 1: Jan 28-30
• Stage 2: Jan 31- Feb 3
• Playoffs: Feb 6-8

IEM Kraków odds for today

Attending Teams

Will Vitality continue to dominate? Credit: © StarLadder

24 of the best CS2 teams will be in attendance at IEM Kraków 2026. 16 of them will begin their journey in Stage 1, while eight of the CS2 betting favorites are already waiting in their assigned Stage 2 groups.

Here’s the rundown of all the teams in attendance.

Stage 1 Teams and opening matchups:

• G2 vs. Passion UA
• Aurora vs. GamerLegion
• Liquid vs. Ninjas in Pyjamas
• 3DMAX vs. FUT
• Astralis vs. paiN
• B8 vs. NRG
• PARIVISION vs. HEROIC
• Legacy vs BC.Game

Stage 2 Teams:

Group A

• FURIA
• The MongolZ
• Natus Vincere
• Spirit

Group B

• Vitality
• FaZe Clan
• MOUZ
• Falcons

IEM Kraków Outright Odds

Odds provided by GG.Bet on Jan. 23. Subject to change.

Biggest Storylines and IEM Kraków Predictions

s1mple and electroNic are back in Tier 1. Credit: Adela Sznajder | © ESL

There are several factors that make IEM Kraków 2026 a must-watch event for Counter-Strike fans. One of them being the return of Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev.

The CS:GO GOAT is finally back at a tier one LAN event representing BC.Game Esports. It will be interesting to see how he fares against such high-level opposition at this point in his career.

Speaking of high-level opposition, Vitality will be eager to defend their IEM Katowice 2025 title and continue their charge at another ESL Grand Slam. Victory for the Bees is likely – they are currently CS2 odds favorites to take home the trophy once more.

Let’s not forget about the new location for the event. Although Katowice and the Spodek Arena are synonymous with Counter-Strike, Kraków should be a great new home for one of the most prestigious IEM events in Counter-Strike.

Revamped Anubis will make its debut at IEM Kraków. Credit: © Valve

Lastly, IEM Kraków 2026 will be the first event using the updated version of Anubis. Teams should have enough time to get acclimatized with the map and conjure up clever solutions to deal with the layout changes.

Feature image credit: © ESL