This year, it’s the first big LAN finals powered by the energy of a live crowd. For the first time ever, Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) crowns Counter-Strike champions in Krakow instead of Katowice.
Six teams remained in the competition after two initial stages, Play-In and Groups. The previous tournament was a nice warm-up to start the season. The IEM Krakow 2026 Playoffs highlight the current state of the top Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) esports scene — and treat us to mind-blowing matches.
How to watch the CS2 IEM Krakow 2026 Playoffs: Stream
All the Playoff matches from IEM Kraków 2026 are on the official ESL Counter-Strike YouTube channel. You can watch the stream here, as it's embedded above.
Schedule
The final brackets of Intel Extreme Masters 2026 in Krakow are played from Feb. 6 to Feb. 8. The detailed schedule is in the table below.
Estimated start | Tournament stage | Match |
|---|---|---|
| 3:45 p.m. CET / 9:45 a.m ET, Feb. 6 | Quarterfinal | Aurora 0:2 FURIA 7:13 on Dust II 4:13 on Mirage |
| 7 p.m. CET / 1 p.m ET, Feb. 6 | Quarterfinal | G2 0:2 MOUZ 13:16 on Overpass 7:13 on Dust II |
| 3:45 p.m. CET / 9:45 a.m ET, Feb. 7 | Semifinal | Spirit vs FURIA |
| 7 p.m. CET / 1 p.m ET, Feb. 7 | Semifinal | Vitality vs MOUZ |
| 1:30 p.m. CET / 7:30 a.m ET, Feb. 8 | 3rd place match | TBD vs TBD |
| 5 p.m. CET / 11 a.m ET, Feb. 8 | Grand final | TBD vs TBD |
Results at the IEM Kraków 2026 Playoffs
Two group winners start from the semifinals. Group runners-up and third teams play in the quarterfinals on the first day of the IEM Krakow 2026 Playoffs.
Not only does this tournament have a decent prize pool of $1 million, but it is also part of the ESL Grand Slam VI series. Vitality have 2 wins on the leaderboard, while FURIA and Spirit are behind with one win each. All three are in the Krakow Playoffs!
Playoff brackets at IEM Krakow 2026
Quarterfinals | Semifinals | 3rd place match | Grand final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aurora 0:2 FURIA 7:13 on Dust II 4:13 on Mirage | Spirit vs FURIA | TBD vs TBD | |
| G2 0:2 MOUZ 13:16 on Overpass 7:13 on Dust II | Vitality vs MOUZ | TBD vs TBD |
- FURIA dominated over Aurora, quite expectedly. They made the Mirage score a disturbing 4:13.
- MOUZ defeated G2 Esports. The match start was very close, as G2 even had a chance to finish Overpass on regulation. MOUZ gained momentum on the T side on Dust II and secured their semifinal spot with a bang.
Final standings
Placement | Team | Prize money |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | TBD | $400,000 |
| 2nd | TBD | $180,000 |
| 3rd | TBD | $100,000 |
| 4th | TBD | $60,000 |
| 5th–6th | G2 Esports | $40,000 |
| 5th–6th | Aurora Gaming | $40,000 |
Moving to Krakow to lift the historic trophy
The CS2 tournament in Katowice was a traditional milestone at the start of a competitive year. That arena created so many memories, and now it's replaced with Krakow.
Sentiments aside, IEM Krakow features the first LAN Finals of 2026 in front of a live crowd — which is always super energetic for Counter-Strike. The starting brackets hint at potential tournament favorites, but such predictions are always wild, so use them cautiously on esports betting platforms.
- Vitality is in the semifinal, waiting for the G2 vs MOUZ winners. The Budapest Major 2025 champions are the favorites in this clash.
- Spirit struggled at BLAST Bounty Winter 2026, but their new/old roster could use that event to create proper synergy.
Quarterfinal teams
- FURIA should win over Aurora — if their late-2025 results can still be taken into account. Facing Spirit is still a great challenge for them.
- Seeing Aurora here is a surprise, considering how shaky they've been recently. They won PGL Masters Bucharest 2025, but then Aurora Gaming couldn't deliver at all in the early stages of the Budapest Major and at the online qualifier for Bounty 2026 Season 1.
- MOUZ are the favorites over G2, but the team has not been shooting as high as they did in the first half of 2025.
- G2 can unleash something spectacular or just fall apart. The second scenario was more often the case for them in 2025. G2 won BLAST Open Fall 2025 but were in the top 8 or lower at other tournaments, including smaller ones, like FISSURE Playground #2.
Katowice has not disappeared from the 2026 CS2 esports schedule. The iconic Spodek arena hosts ESL Season 24, from Oct. 3 to Oct. 11.
After IEM Krakow 2026, most top teams head to Romania for PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026. The tournament is from Feb. 14 to Feb. 22.
