IEM Kraków 2026 is almost over, with only the FURIA vs. Vitality Grand Final left to play.
Before the Grand Final, we had the chance to speak with Janko “YNk” Paunovic, about his Kraków experience, analyst work, and Grand Final predictions.
Bruno: Hello Janko.
YNk: I think it’s been great. We’ve been doing something different for this event with the desk, even more so at stage one and two. So I think for me it’s been fun to be able to sort of just have more time to dig into, you know, some topics or to have a proper conversation with the other people on the desk. But outside of that, you know, even though we changed cities, it all feels pretty much the same otherwise. So, yeah, I’ve just been enjoying it. It’s been almost three months since I last was at an event, so nice to get back into the swing of things.
Bruno: Yeah, and how has it been working with dupreeh and jL on the desk? I mean, Dupreeh has worked for like a year, and JL, obviously, it’s his first big event.
YNK was joined on the desk by Freya, dupreeh, and jL throughout the event. Credit: ESL
YNk: dupreeh has been great. I’m pretty impressed. You know, obviously, I mean, he knows a lot about the game and is a five-time Major winner and all that, but also a bit on the broadcasting side of things, just taking the opportunities, you know, talking, digging into stuff, not also being willing to, you know, challenge me or anyone else in terms of where he disagrees with something he’s vocal about it, which I think provides some good moments and good segments.
I think JL has been good as well. I think it’s just he’s been very nervous, you know, about being on camera and being on the desk and getting him to just be himself and not overthink things has been the challenge for him. I think there’s definitely been moments where he provided great insight, you know, being the most recent active player and major MVP closer of the year, just a year and a half ago really.
So yeah, that’s been enjoyable as well to hear his perspective on some of the things in these games.
YNk: I think you don’t really notice it all too much because you’re focused on what you do. We have the big headset so you don’t necessarily hear it as much on the other side. But I think once we got some good moments in the games yesterday, especially in the FURIA vs. Spirit game, we can hear the crowd really get involved and it’s getting pretty loud. Yeah, it’s always, you know, we’ve been in the Spodek for so long it feels a bit weird to be somewhere else. But I think it’s been great, the turnout has been great from the fans and I think especially for the Grand Final I think it’s going to be a great game so I think that’s where they’ll really have something to cheer for.
Bruno: Yeah, and you were also on the desk at the PGL Kraków Major with moses.
YNk playing the PGL Kraków Major showmatch in 2017. Credit: © PGL
YNk: That’s crazy. I thought about it recently, and I couldn’t remember much about that event. I remember the drama about BIG and the crouch jumping, and that was a big deal at the time. I remember FaZe bombing out and being one of the big favorites but going 0 and 3. Obviously the bracket that we had and the final being completely unexpected. I don’t remember too much. The show match as well, us playing, but yeah, it’s weird. It’s one of those events that just feels like a bit of a blur thinking back about it.
Bruno: You also run the podcast with SPUNJ and moses, Talking Counter.
YNk: I mean, it’s always difficult because we only really do it when we’re at an event together and we get a player, or if it’s at least two out of the three of us, but then it’s the people that are working that we have our own schedules. Maybe we’re not on the same shift. So then it’s difficult. And on top of that, you have players who don’t have much time off. And the little time that they do have off, they don’t necessarily want to spend it coming on to a podcast and do some more sort of media obligations in a way. So that’s been a little bit tricky to pull off. It’s not something that we have given up on or anything. It’s just the logistics of it are proving more and more difficult since it’s not every event that the three of us are even there. Some of these events now have been or will be online, like the Pro League one will be online. So that has been challenging, but we will try to get players somewhat more involved in the future.
YNk: Good question.
I wish, for example, I wish we could get someone from Spirit or from some of the teams, if we spoke Russian, because we don’t know too much about some of these teams. They’re not very open in interviews either. Just from that standpoint, it would be cool to be able to sit down with someone like Shiro and get his origin story and how things work from the inside in some of those previous teams or in Team Spirit as well.
Because most of the information we get is from the vlogs while some of these other teams, even when you run into players at events, you get to chat with them behind the scenes. So I think for me, that would be cool if we were somehow able to have an in-depth convo with them and get some more insight into how their team works.
Bruno: And you also run the eNat bootcamp facility.
YNk: I think it was a combination of things. I wanted to get involved into something outside of just going to events. Start something on the side. Ever since I was coaching and I went to bootcamps, I thought that Belgrade would be a very good location for that. I also thought that there were a lot of good bootcamps out there, but there wasn’t really one that kind of has everything in one place. One is missing something. Maybe accommodation isn’t the best. The other one is maybe too remote. The third one maybe doesn’t have the best equipment. So I thought that there was room to create something where everything is in one place and you just don’t have to worry about anything. And also Belgrade being not in the Schengen and travel-wise makes a lot of sense for these teams to get there. It’s a great thing for people to play from there. So yeah, I think it was a combination of all those things that had me thinking it’s a good business opportunity. That’s why I in the end got into it.
Bruno: And back to this event:
Vitality are ready tod efend their title. Credit: © StarLadder
YNk: I think it’s going to be a banger. I think there’s no way that this final is not great CS. I have a hard time seeing it be a stomp. It doesn’t mean it’s not a trio, but I think the games will be competitive. I think they will be close.
FURIA compared to when they played the first game in this tournament, FURIA are a completely different team. Really improved throughout the event. Found their confidence again. It feels like FalleN’s been calling great. molodoy was incredible against Spirit as well. And then Vitality is Vitality. Just continuing where they left off, although I don’t think they’ve been truly tested in this tournament yet. MOUZ is not a test for them, unfortunately. Might be for some other teams, but against them, it’s just you know what’s going to happen beforehand. So, considering that FURIA also beat them the last two times, including that Chengdu Grand Final, there’s definitely knowing apEX, he took that personally, and there’s going to be a lot of fire in Vitality to get revenge for that.
Grand Slam is also a talking point, right? FURIA, they [will] have two and they [will] have one of the championship ones. Vitality already has two, but they need Cologne or Kraków in the four wins. So, yeah, a lot on the line and two of the best teams in the tournament are in the final. Two teams that they played the best Counter-Strike, and that’s always great when you get that, especially in a best of five. So, yeah, I think it’s going to be one of the good ones.
YNk: That’s tough. It’s tough. I don’t know, I just like how FURIA has been improving with every game. I think it’s hard to predict because you don’t know some of the maps, where they’re at. FURIA seems to have lost some confidence in Overpass, which they were the best team in the world on, and it seems like they rated lower than their opponents rated for them. And Vitality also, we saw them play Nuke yesterday for the first time this season, which has been a bit of a weakness, but then against MOUZ, how much does it matter? So there’s some unknowns on some of the maps, which makes it hard to predict, but…
let’s just say FURIA because it will make for a more fun 2026 if Vitality doesn’t win the first big event of the year.
Bruno: Thank you for your time and good luck on the desk.
YNk: Thank you.
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Feature image credit: © ESL
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