IEM Krakow 2026 ushers new CS2 Era, replacing iconic Katowice venue

Hannah Marie ZT, Senior Editor

Last Updated: 30/05/2025

Over a decade of historic tournaments at Intel Extreme Masters Katowice come to an end as ESL moves to host IEM Krakow in 2026. 

Krakow has not held a high-profile Counter-Strike tournament since the PGL Krakow major in 2017. Counter-Strike will return to the same venue in 2026 for IEM. 

ESL introduces IEM Krakow as a “new chapter” 

Honouring the place IEM Katowice has held at the heart of the Counter-Strike community for over a decade, ESL have embraced IEM Krakow as a “new chapter” for the tournament. 

Vice President of Special Projects at ESL, Michal ‘Carmac’ Blicharz, is quoted on ESL’s website explaining the shift to a new venue. Moving to a larger city and stadium will enable higher attendance. 

The new venue for IEM Krakow is the Tauron Arena, located near the city centre. The arena capacity is almost double that of the Spodek arena, where IEM Katowice was held. 

Fans are still processing the loss of what is considered to be an iconic venue. Still, Michal Blicharz has hinted that another event may take IEM Katowice’s place. 

What will change for IEM Krakow?

Following the venue change are some edits to the wider event format. The IEM Expo held at IEM Katowice will not be present at IEM Krakow. 

The IEM Expo was free to enter and did not require an admission ticket. Additionally, it featured a viewing area for the tournament, providing fans with an opportunity to see the action if they had missed the ticket sales. 

However, elements of the IEM Expo will remain for IEM Krakow – ESL confirmed that booths and on-site activities will be available in a format similar to IEM Cologne. There will be no opportunity to view the tournament without purchasing a ticket. 

ESL have confirmed that there will be no change to the tournament format.

The impact of IEM Katowice 

ESL first brought the Intel Extreme Masters to Katowice in 2013, with the tournament becoming integral to the IEM season the following year. The venue replaced Hannover, making Krakow the third venue to host this leg of the IEM competitive calendar. 

As the competition transforms once more, ESL have paid tribute to the influence IEM Katowice has held over the Counter-Strike community.

The final IEM Katowice tournament was won in February 2025 by Team Vitality, who defeated the reigning champions, Team Spirit, to have their name engraved on the trophy. 

Where does IEM Krakow fit into the CS2 IEM Schedule?

As of May 2025, the upcoming Intel Extreme Masters schedule is as follows: 

• IEM Cologne 2025. July 23rd to August 3rd, 2025
• IEM Chengdu 2025. November 3rd to November 9th, 2025
• IEM Krakow 2026. February 6th to February 8th, 2026

Hannah Marie ZT, Senior Editor

Hannah is a journalist specialising in the esports, gaming, and technology sectors. Working for outlets such as Dot Esports, Esports Insider, and of course ENUK, she has developed a love for wider esports, Apex Legends, and advocating for women's esports initiatives. You may have seen her at various esports and gaming events, including ALGS LANs, ESI London, EGX, and watch parties.

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