The first stage of IEM Kraków 2026 has concluded, with eight teams being eliminated, and the other eight advancing to the next stage alongside some of the top CS2 teams.
Stage 1 certainly delivered, with numerous upsets, impressive individual plays, and exciting stories unfolding on the server – one of them being Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev’s return to tier one.
With that in mind, here is our IEM Kraków Stage 1 roundup and Stage 2 preview.
ultimate couldn’t help Liquid qualify on home soil. Credit: © ESL
While some of the top teams, like G2 and PARIVISION, delivered on their CS2 odds favorite status, others fell short in an uninspiring manner.
The most disappointing result of all is probably Legacy bombing out without a single map victory. They were on the wrong end of a massive BC.Game comeback and got battered by FUT in the elimination game.
Now, it seems like Legacy’s underwhelming performance at the StarLadder Budapest Major wasn’t just a blip, but the start of a downhill trajectory for the Brazilian outfit.
Another massive name going out in the first stage is Liquid. While they played G2 really close in their qualification match, their performance against FUT was absolutely shocking and frankly deserving of elimination.
The only saving grace for Liquid is that they were not playing with their full lineup, having Karim “Krimbo” Moussa standing in for Keith “NAF” Markovic.
s1mple is very happy to be back winning on LAN. Credit: © ESL
As some of the favorites fell short, that means some underdogs pulled through, upset their opponents, and made it to the next stage.
The most interesting of those teams is definitely BC.Game. Their journey thus far has been full of ups and downs, coming back against Legacy, getting destroyed by 3DMAX, before outclassing Ninjas in Pyjamas when it mattered most.
Another massive winner of Stage 1 is FUT. The team full of youngsters played to a really high level, with all players performing well in their victories against Legacy and Liquid. They were very competitive in their match against 3DMAX as well.
Lastly, not many people expected NRG to go through, but they managed to do it. Josh “oSee” Ohm played extremely well and topped the charts in the NA team’s matches against Astralis and B8.
Besides the obvious benefits of going through to the next round, all these teams gained a lot of precious VRS points that will help them get invites to upcoming CS2 events.
FURIA and Spirit are favorites to make it out of Group A. Credit: ESL
The bracket for Stage 2 has been set, and there are several exciting matchups coming up very shortly.
Vitality’s game against BC.Game is the headliner, as Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut and s1mple, some of the best CS2 players, will cross paths on the server for the first time since 2023.
Another good opening matchup is the battle of tactical prowess, with Natus Vincere taking on BLAST Bounty winners PARIVISION. Let’s see if Dzhami “Jame” Ali and his teammates can continue their brilliant run.
s1mple vs. ZywOo matchup is nearly here. Credit: ESL
G2 will have a chance to avenge themselves against The MongolZ, who handed them an unbelievable beating at the StarLadder Budapest Major. The game will also mark the debut of Anarbileg “cobrazera” Uuganbayar.
It’s difficult to call who exactly will make it through to the Tauron Arena, but here’s our shot at predicting the playoff teams:
The game’s kick off today, January 31st, at 2 pm CET, so make sure to tune into the action.
Feature image credit: © ESL
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