CS2: IEM Krakow to Replace IEM Katowice in 2026

Counter-Strike 2 event organiser ESL have confirmed that IEM Katowice will be replaced by IEM Krakow. Read on to find out more details.


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IEM esports news

ESL revealed that next year’s Intel Extreme Masters Katowice will move to Krakow, which will serve as a new stop on the ESL Pro Tour Championship schedule for years to come.

The first iteration of the IEM Krakow Counter-Strike tournament will take place from January 27 to February 8, 2026, filling the spot on the calendar previously held by IEM Katowice.

With the change of location also came a change of the venue, moving from the Spodek Arena to the Tauron Arena, which will allow for a bigger audience.

This is part of a multi-year deal between ESL FACEIT Group and the city of Krakow, making IEM Krakow a recurring stop on the CS season for 2026 and beyond.

“For almost two decades, Intel Extreme Masters has built a heritage full of emotional and defining moments in esports history. From the early days in Hannover to the rise of new legends in Katowice, every stop along the way has left its mark on our legacy,” said VP of Product Development at ESL FACEIT Group Michal Blicharz.

 “Today, as we begin a new chapter of this story, we look forward to continuing it with the world’s best gamers and esports fans, as they add new pages to it in Krakow on a bigger scale than ever before.”

The move from IEM Katowice to IEM Krakow marks the end of a long history of Katowice hosting some of the biggest Counter-Strike tournaments of the year.

Katowice has been a regular stop on the IEM schedule since Season VII in 2013, when the city hosted League of Legends and StarCraft II tournaments and its first Counter-Strike event in 2016 as a part of the IEM Season IX World Championship.

The move to Krakow also marks the return of top-tier Counter-Strike to the Polish city, which previously hosted one of the most memorable Majors in CS history – PGL Major Kraków 2017.

In preparation for the introduction of IEM Krakow to the competitive calendar, ESL decided to display the trophy at Galeria Krakowska from May 30 to June 2 and in Krakow City Hall.

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