The inaugural IEM Kraków will be hosted from 27 January to 8 February 2026, featuring 24 teams fighting for their cut of a US$1.25 million prize pool.
Renown esports tournament organiser ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) announced on Thursday (29 May) that they have moved the venue for their most historic Counter-Strike (CS) tournament in their Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) series from the Spodek Arena in Katowice to the Tauron Arena in Kraków, Poland.
The inaugural edition of IEM Kraków will be hosted from 27 January to 8 February 2026, featuring a total of 24 CS2 teams fighting for their share of a US$1.25 million prize pool. While ESL have yet to reveal the full format for the tournament, six teams are set to qualify for the Playoffs while the final three days of IEM Kraków 2026 will be held in the Tauron Arena from 6 to 8 February.
EFG said in a press release that they signed a multi-year agreement with the city of Kraków to establish IEM Kraków “as a recurring event in the global esports calendar for years to come.”
“Taking the next step and transferring the ESL Pro Tour Championship event to Kraków is a natural evolution of the tournament and a commitment to meeting the growing expectations of the community eager to watch Counter-Strike on the biggest stages. The new setting allows for a larger audience and a world-class in-arena experience that continues to push the boundaries of live esports production,” the organiser added.
As part of the agreement between EFG and the city of Kraków, viewing events for the IEM trophy will be hosted in the city. From 30 May to 2 June, the trophy will be available for viewing at the Galeria Krakowska. Then on 8 June, the trophy will be available to visitors of Kraków City Hall during an open day and will remain there for two weeks.
Fans staying in Kraków will have an unique chance to get up and close to the Intel Extreme Masters trophy on May 30–June 2 at Galeria Krakowska. On 8 June, the trophy will be available to visitors of Kraków City Hall during an open day and will remain in the city hall for a two-week period.
“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. 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 Kraków, on a bigger scale than ever before,” added Michal Blicharz, VP Product Development at ESL FACEIT Group.
"Kraków is a city proud of its royal history, but simultaneously open to the future and innovation. The global reach of Intel Extreme Masters Kraków is a chance to present Kraków to new audiences as an ideal destination for business, tourism, and investment," said Aleksander Miszalski, Mayor of Kraków.
The first-ever IEM Katowice was hosted all the way back in January 2013, and was the first IEM event to feature Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO), though it was only a side tournament named ‘Your Road to Katowice’. Katowice then hosted IEM's CS:GO World Championship tournaments from Season X in 2016, to Season XIV in 2020.
Katowice then continued to be a mainstay of the IEM circuit from 2022 to 2025. The final edition of IEM Katowice was held back in February, when French juggernaut 
Team Vitality began their ongoing historic streak of six straight tournament victories and 30 consecutive matches won.
More details on IEM Kraków ticket sales will be available at a later date.
