This stage of the tournament combines teams who qualified through the Play-In stage with the directly invited, higher-ranked teams. Key highlights to watch for include how PARAVISION performs, the return of star player s1mple, and the exciting matchups between top players before the playoffs begin.
Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Kraków 2026 will feature two groups of teams. The tournament begins with matches between the directly invited teams and those who earned their spot through the Play-In stage. As the competition progresses to the second round, fans can expect some truly exciting and high-level Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) matches.
How to watch CS2 IEM Kraków 2026 Groups: Stream
You can watch the IEM Krakow 2026 Group Stage matches on two official streams, both available on the ESL Counter-Strike YouTube channel. Stream A is playing above, and you can find information about Stream B in the schedule.
Schedule
| Estimated startStream AStream B | 2 p.m. CET / 8 a. m. ET, Jan. 28NAVI 2:1 PARAVISION 13:11 on Dust II 16:19 on Anubis 13:5 on AncientG2 2:0 The MongolZ 13:2 on Dust II 13:11 on Ancient |
4:30 p.m. CET / 10:30 a. m. ET, Jan. 28Astralis 0:2 Team Spirit 13:16 on Dust II 8:13 on Overpass 11:13 on Mirage 6:13 on Dust II |
7 p.m. CET / 1 p. m. ET, Jan. 28Vitality vs BC.Game Dust II Overpass Inferno3DMAX 1:0 FaZe 13:7 on Inferno Nuke Ancient |
The group stage of IEM Kraków 2026 will take place over three days, from January 31st to February 3rd. A detailed schedule of matches is available below.
Group Stage results at IEM Krakow 2026
This phase of the competition includes 16 teams, split into two groups. Both groups will play a double-elimination tournament. Teams can advance to the playoffs by either reaching the winner’s bracket final or winning the loser’s bracket final.
Group A
| Upper quarterfinals | Upper Semifinals | Upper final | To playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|
| FURIA 0:2 FUT 11:13 on Mirage 6:13 on Dust II |
FUT vs G2 | TBD vs TBD | TBD |
| G2 2:0 The MongolZ 13:2 on Dust II 13:11 on Ancient |
|||
| NAVI 2:1 PARAVISION 13:11 on Dust II 16:19 on Anubis 13:5 on Ancient |
NAVI vs Team Spirit | ||
| Astralis 0:2 Team Spirit 13:16 on Dust II 8:13 on Overpass |
| Lower quarterfinals | Upper Semifinals | Upper final | To playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|
| FURIA vs The MongolZ | TBD vs TBD | TBD vs TBD | TBD |
| PARIVISION vs Astralis | TBD vs TBD |
Group B
| Upper quarterfinals | Upper Semifinals | Upper final | To playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vitality vs BC.Game Dust II Overpass Inferno |
TBD vs TBD | TBD vs TBD | TBD |
| 3DMAX 1:0 FaZe 13:7 on Inferno Nuke Ancient |
|||
| MOUZ vs NRG | TBD vs TBD | ||
| Aurora vs Falcons |
| Lower quarterfinals | Upper Semifinals | Upper final | To playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|
| TBD vs TBD | TBD vs TBD | TBD vs TBD | TBD |
| TBD vs TBD | TBD vs TBD |
Stories to unfold during IEM Kraków 2026 Groups
The CS2 esports season kicked off with BLAST Bounty Winter, a major event that surprised many in the pro scene. Now, IEM Krakow is set to reveal the next chapter in these developing competitive rivalries.
- PARAVISION became amazing heroes at Bounty Winter 2026. Not only did they win the event, but PARAVISION players also defeated mighty opponents: Team Spirit, FURIA, and Team Falcons.
- Team Vitality stumbled in the semifinal. The Budapest Major champions were defeated by Falcons, again. While this result is not stunningly new on its own, we need to see Vitality’s performance in Krakow. Is this truly their era in Counter-Strike or not?
- FURIA and Falcons lost to an underdog team. Have they recovered for IEM in Kraków?
- NAVI and FaZe Clan couldn’t qualify for the main event at Bounty Season 1. It’s the first time we see them at a LAN tournament in 2026.
BC.Game Esports of s1mple
Counter-Strike fans were excited to see Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev back in professional play. He and his new team received an invitation to compete in IEM Krakow.
Okay, so things got a little rough when BC.Game Esports totally bombed at the IEM Rio 2026 qualifier – they finished dead last! It definitely made me rethink my esports bets, because the odds on betting sites changed a lot after that.
- In the Play-In stage, BC.Game Esports lost to 3DMAX but defeated Legacy and Ninjas in Pyjamas — to still qualify for the groups at Intel Extreme Masters Krakow 2026.
The top six teams from the group stage will compete in the IEM Kraków 2026 playoffs, taking place in a large arena from February 6th to 8th. This event marks the first time fans will be able to attend a CS2 esports competition in 2026!
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2026-01-31 23:12