The tournament in Krakow kicks off with matches featuring smaller teams that still have big ambitions and impressive potential. It marks the first top-level event for BC.Game Esports, led by Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev.
We get to witness history in the making! For the first time ever, Intel Extreme Masters happens in Krakow instead of the iconic Katowice arena. Also, it’s the first LAN event of 2026 with Playoffs in front of a live crowd.
The Play-In stage of IEM Krakow 2026 features matches of 16 lower-seeded CS2 esports teams. They battle for eight spots in the group stage, where the top-most players join the competition.
IEM Krakow 2026 Play-In: Stream
2The official ESL Counter-Strike YouTube channel broadcasts the Play-In matches of IEM Krakow 2026. You can watch the stream here, as it’s embedded above.
Play-In schedule at IEM Krakow 2026
The Play-In stage at IEM Krakow 2026 starts on Jan. 28. Each day features a lot of CS2 esports matches. The detailed schedule is in the table below.
Estimated start | 2 p.m. CET / 8 a. m. ET, Jan. 28 GamerLegion 2:0 HEROIC 13:7 on Overpass 13:8 on Mirage Astralis 1:2 NRG 14:16 on Mirage 13:5 on Overpass 7:13 on Inferno | 4:30 p.m. CET / 10:30 a. m. ET, Jan. 28 BC.Game 2:0 NiP 13:7 on Dust II 13:9 on Nuke Aurora 2:0 paiN 13:7 on Mirage 13:6 on Overpass | 7 p.m. CET / 1 p. m. ET, Jan. 28 Astralis 2:0 GamerLegion 13:5 on Inferno 13:2 onOverpass Liquid 0:2 FUT 4:13 on Ancient 9:13 on Nuke |
Matchups and results: IEM Krakow 2026 Play-In
The competitive format here is double-elimination brackets. Each of the 16 participating teams has a chance to advance to the IEM Krakow 2026 Groups after two wins. One loss is still allowed, but two such missteps mean elimination.
Final standings
Play-in placament | Team | Groups qualification | Prize money |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st–4th | NRG G2 Esports 3DMAX PARAVISION | + | TBD |
| 5th–8th | Astralis FUT Esports Aurora BC.Game Esports | + | TBD |
| 9th–11th | GamerLegion Team Liquid paiN Gaming NiP | - | $4,500 |
| 12th–16th | HEROIC Legacy Passion UA B8 | - | $2,500 |
Upper brackets
Round 1 | Round 2 | Qualified teams |
|---|---|---|
| Aurora 2:0 GamerLegion 13:5 on Nuke 13:7 on Dust II | Aurora 1:2 PARAVISION 5:13 on Mirage 13:5 on Anubis 4:13 on Dust II | PARAVISION |
| HEROIC 1:2 PARIVISION 6:13 on Inferno 13:6 on Dust II 6:13 on Ancient | Liquid 1:2 G2 8:13 on Mirage 13:6 on Inferno 14:16 on Anubis | G2 Esports |
| Liquid 2:0 NiP 13:6 on Nuke 13:8 on Mirage | ||
| Passion UA 1:2 G2 13:8 on Overpass 6:13 on Dust II 3:13 on Mirage |
Round 1 | Round 2 | Qualified teams |
|---|---|---|
| Legacy 0:2 BC.Game 13:16 on Overpass 1:13 on Inferno | BC.Game 0:2 3DMAX 3:13 on Overpass 4:13 on Anubis | 3DMAX |
| FUT 1:2 3DMAX 16:13 on Ancient 13:16 on Anubis 5:13 on Dust II | Astralis 1:2 NRG 14:16 on Mirage 13:5 on Overpass 7:13 on Inferno | NRG |
| Astralis 2:0 paiN 13:10 on Dust II 13:7 on Overpass | ||
| NRG 2:1 B8 4:13 on Dust II 13:2 on Mirage 13:11 on Inferno |
Lower brackets
Round 1 | Round 2 | Qualified teams |
|---|---|---|
| GamerLegion 2:0 HEROIC 13:7 on Overpass 13:8 on Mirage | Astralis 2:0 GamerLegion | Astralis |
| NIP 2:1 Passion UA 8:13 on Overpass 13:5 on Nuke 13:10 on Anubis | BC.Game 2:0 NiP 13:7 on Dust II 13:9 on Nuke | BC.Game |
| Legacy 0:2 FUT 7:13 on Dust II 10:13 on Ancient | Liquid 0:2 FUT 4:13 on Ancient 9:13 on Nuke | FUT |
| paiN 0:2 B8 16:2 on Dust II 13:10 on Mirage | Aurora 2:0 paiN 13:7 on Mirage 13:6 on Overpass | Aurora |
CS2 teams to watch out for during the Play-In stage of IEM Krakow 2026
Arguably, the main intrigue of this tournament stage at IEM Krakow 2026 is the return of Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev to the competition. He joined BC Game Esports in July 2025 and helped the organization grind for a decent VRS placement.
The current BC Game Esports roster formed in January 2026, and their first results were not too great. BC Game Esports finished last at the IEM Rio 2026: Global Qualifier.
PARAVISION start IEM Krakow 2026 with the Play-In stage as well, but this team already won a big tournament in 2026. They are the champions of BLAST Bounty Winter 2026 after defeating opponents such as Team Spirit, FURIA, and Team Falcons.
Passion UA and B8 were among the most prominent underdog teams at the Budapest Major 2025. Passion UA did not shine at Bounty 2026 Season 1. Additionally, it’s the first big tournament in 2026 for B8.
Shaky favorites
Legacy and Aurora Gaming were strong throughout 2025, winning pretty big tournaments. Their current form is a question, though.
G2 Esports won BLAST Open Fall 2025, but their following results have been shaky. The team is still among the strongest at IEM Krakow 2026 Play-In: one of the favorites on any esports betting platform.
All CS2 tournaments can be a source of big surprises! The Play-In matches may show us new shifts in the esports power balance.
The top teams join the IEM Krakow 2026 tournament with the Group Stage. This starts on Jan. 31. The grand final happens on Feb. 8.
