IEM Krakow 2026 invite team list revealed

Darragh Harbinson, Senior Editor

Last Updated: 07/01/2026

ESL have revealed the lineup of teams set to attend IEM Krakow 2026 from January 28 to February 8.

The 24 teams represent the top 24 teams in the Valve Regional Standings, with all eligible teams accepting their invite.

IEM Krakow 2026 full team list

IEM Krakow will have two group stages. Stage 1 will feature the 9th-24th-ranked teams in the VRS.

Eight Stage 1 teams will then qualify for Stage 2, where they will join the 1st-8th-ranked rosters.

The Stage 1 teams are (from highest to lowest VRS rank):

• Aurora
• B8
• Legacy
• G2
• Liquid
• 3DMAX
• Astralis
• Parivision
• Heroic
• paiN
• FUT
• Ninjas in Pyjamas
• Passion UA
• BC.Game
• NRG
• GamerLegion

The Stage 2 teams are:

• Furia
• Vitality
• Falcons
• Spirit
• Natus Vincere
• Mouz
• FaZe
• The MongolZ

Six teams will advance from Stage 2 to the playoffs, with two undefeated teams advancing straight to the semi-finals.

The remaining four teams will join in the quarter-finals, culminating in a Best of 5 Grand Final on February 8.

Teams show up for Kraków debut

It is little surprise that all 24 invited teams accepted their invites to what is now the successor event to IEM Katowice in ESL’s mind.

The event, now located in the much larger Tauron Arena for playoffs, will be the first big test for many teams in 2026, and the first Tier 1 event for those who decided to skip BLAST Bounty.

20,000 fans will attend the Tauron Arena to watch the three-day playoffs between February 6-8.

For Oleksandr ‘s1mple’ Kostyliev, it will mark a return to Tier 1 for the first time since his temporary stint in FaZe, and the first Tier 1 event under a permanent deal since ESL Pro League Season 18 in 2023.

Following BC.Game’s acquisition of SAW’s core, they have snuck into this event, but sit at Number 22, meaning they will have to deliver to secure future invites of this kind.

Other notable teams that snuck into the event include NRG and GamerLegion, who secured their invites through their first and third-place finishes at Fragadelphia Miami.

Those teams will debut in Stage 1 of the event, but many more transfer moves are expected between now and then, so stay tuned for a future preview of IEM Krakow 2026.

IEM Krakow tournament details

Dates: January 28-February 8 (Playoffs February 6-8)

Location: Kraków; Playoffs: Tauron Arena, Kraków

Prize pool: $1,250,000 ($100,000 Prize Money + $250,000 Club Share)
First place: $460,000 ($400,000 Prize Money + $60,000 Club Share)

Darragh Harbinson, Senior Editor

Darragh Harbinson is an esports writer specialising in Counter-Strike. He has written for Esports News UK, Esports Insider, UKCSGO, Dexerto, and Rush B Media.

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