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.
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.
IEM Kraków schedule:
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:
Stage 2 Teams:
Group A
Group B
| Teams | Odds to win |
|---|---|
| Team Vitality | 3.25 |
| FURIA Esports | 4.25 |
| Team Falcons | 5 |
| Team Spirit | 5.5 |
| MOUZ | 8 |
| Natus Vincere | 13 |
| The MongolZ | 15 |
| FaZe Clan | 17 |
| G2 Esports | 19 |
| Aurora Gaming | 21 |
| Team Liquid | 41 |
| B8 | 67 |
| Legacy | 67 |
| 3DMAX | 76 |
| PARIVISION | 76 |
| PaiN Gaming | 101 |
| Astralis | 101 |
| Passion UA | 151 |
| Ninjas In Pyjamas | 151 |
| HEROIC | 251 |
| GamerLegion | 251 |
| BC.Game Esports | 251 |
| FUT Esports | 251 |
| NRG | 501 |
Odds provided by GG.Bet on Jan. 23. Subject to change.
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
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