IEM Katowice to move to Krakow from 2026

ESL has revealed that there will be a new event on their Counter-Strike calendar from 2026, IEM Krakow, which will replace the iconic IEM Katowice. The first edition of IEM Krakow will be held between January 27 - February 8, 2026 in Krakow, Poland.

The Playoffs will take place in Krakow's Tauron Arena with IEM Krakow joining ESL's Pro Tour Championship events, along with IEM Cologne. The event will have a total of 24 teams battling it out for the $1,250,000 prize pool pool with the Playoffs having six teams battle it out in the arena.

IEM Krakow 2026 will also be the country's first premier Counter-Strike event since the PGL Krakow 2017 Major which was also held at the Tauron Arena. ESL has announced that the tickets will be sold in 3 separate waves with further details about the sale to be released closer to the event date.

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. 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 their mark in Kraków, on a bigger scale than ever before.
Michal ‘Carmac’ Blicharz, VP Product Development at ESL FACEIT Group

Vitality, who 3-0'd Spirit in the IEM Katowice 2025 final to pick up the organisation's first-ever Katowice title, will remain as the final Katowice champions for the time being, unless Katowice returns to calendar in the future.