This tournament phase mixes the Play-In teams and higher-seeded invited competitors. The main intrigue moments are the performance of PARAVISION, the return of s1mple, and pre-playoff clashes of the top players.
There are two groups at Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Kraków 2026. The stage starts with matches between invited teams and underdogs: those who qualified from the Play-In. The competition may intensify significantly in the second round, with the most spectacular matchups in Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) esports.
How to watch CS2 IEM Kraków 2026 Groups: Stream
There are two official streams to follow the IEM Krakow 2026 Group Stage matches. Both are on the ESL Counter-Strike YouTube channel. You can watch Stream A above. Info on Stream B is in the schedule section.
Schedule
Estimated start | 2 p.m. CET / 8 a. m. ET, Jan. 28 Aurora 2:1 Falcons 13:7 on Dust II 10:13 on Ancient 13:8 on Inferno MOUZ 2:0 NRG 13:9 on Anubis 13:9 on Mirage | 4:30 p.m. CET / 10:30 a. m. ET, Jan. 28 FURIA 2:1 The MongolZ 11:13 on Mirage 16:12 on Inferno 13:2 on Nuke FUT 1:2 G2 13:9 on Mirage 9:13 on Dust II 9:13 on Ancient | 7 p.m. CET / 1 p. m. ET, Jan. 28 NAVI 0:1 Spirit 14:16 on Mirage Dust II Ancient PARAVISION 0:1 Astralis 11:13 on Overpass Dust II Ancient |
Three tournament days at IEM Kraków 2026 are dedicated to the groups, from Jan. 31 to Feb. 3. You'll find the detailed schedule of what's coming in the table below.
Group Stage results at IEM Krakow 2026
The total number of participants in this phase is 16 teams. They are divided into two double-elimination groups. To qualify for the playoffs, the competitors should reach the upper final or win the lower 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 1:2 G2 13:9 on Mirage 9:13 on Dust II 9:13 on Ancient | G2 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 2:1 The MongolZ 11:13 on Mirage 16:12 on Inferno 13:2 on Nuke | FURIA vs TBD | TBD vs TBD | TBD |
| PARIVISION vs Astralis | FUT vs TBD |
Group B
Upper quarterfinals | Upper Semifinals | Upper final | To playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vitality 2:0 BC.Game 13:8 on Dust II 13:5 on Overpass | Vitality vs 3DMAX | TBD vs TBD | TBD |
| 3DMAX 2:0 FaZe 13:7 on Inferno 13:2 on Nuke | |||
| MOUZ 2:0 NRG 13:9 on Anubis 13:9 on Mirage | MOUZ vs Aurora | ||
| Aurora 2:1 Falcons 13:7 on Dust II 10:13 on Ancient 13:8 on Inferno |
Lower quarterfinals | Upper Semifinals | Upper final | To playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|
| BC.Game vs FaZe | TBD vs TBD | TBD vs TBD | TBD |
| NRG vs TBD | TBD vs TBD |
Stories to unfold during IEM Kraków 2026 Groups
We already witnessed the first big event of the CS2 esports season 2026, BLAST Bounty Winter. That tournament shook up the pro community — and IEM Krakow should show us the next twists in those competitive stories.
- 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
The Counter-Strike community was generally hyped for the return of Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev to the top scene. With his new team, the legend got an invite to IEM Krakow.
Then, there were big concerns, as BC.Game Esports finished last in the global qualifier for IEM Rio 2026. That certainly affected odds on esports betting sites.
- 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.
Six teams from the Group Stage advance to the IEM Kraków 2026 playoffs. They will battle in a big arena, from Feb. 6 to Feb. 8. It's the first CS2 esports event in front of a crowd in 2026!
