Close Menu
blix.gg
    Newest
    IEM Krakow 2026 Preview: Format, Teams, and Opening Matches Schedule
    January 27, 2026
    PGL Wallachia Season 7 Invited Teams Revealed – Full Dota 2 Lineup (2026)
    January 27, 2026
    Boolk Returns as BetBoom Team Coach, rmN- Departs Ahead of Dota 2 Tournaments
    January 27, 2026
    X (Twitter)
    blix.gg
    • CS2
      • CS2 Skins and Cases
      • CS2 Predictions
      • CS2 Configs
      • CS2 Guides
      • Best CS2 Gambling Sites in 2026 – Ranked & Reviewed
        • Review of Best CS2 Crash Sites 2025
      • Best CS2 Betting Sites for 2025
    • Valorant
      • Valorant Skins
      • Valorant Guides
      • Valorant Leaks
    • Dota 2
      • Dota 2 Updates
      • Dota 2 Tournaments
      • Dota 2 Guides
    • LoL
      • League of Legends Guides
      • League of Legends Skins
    • Rainbow 6
    • Mobile Games
      • COD Mobile
        • Best Loadouts for CoD Mobile
      • Mobile Legends
    • Games
      • Deadlock
        • Deadlock Guide
        • Deadlock News
      • Marvel Rivals Articles and Guides
      • Apex Legends
    • Industry
    blix.gg
    Home»News»CS2»IEM Krakow 2026 Preview: Format, Teams, and Opening Matches Schedule
    CS2

    IEM Krakow 2026 Preview: Format, Teams, and Opening Matches Schedule

    By Jimmy “Infernal” YoungJanuary 27, 20262 Mins Read
    Share
    Twitter

    The second big event of the year is IEM Krakow 2026, and it will run from January 28 to February 8. Eight teams have direct invites to the Main Stage, while sixteen others will battle in Stage 1 for the remaining spots. Stage 1 takes place from January 28 to 30.

    PARIVISION is one of the teams in Stage 1. After winning BLAST Bounty 2026, many expect them to move forward. Fans will be watching to see if their win marks the start of a winning streak or was just a single standout moment.

    The tournament has a $1.25 million prize pool, which will be shared between clubs and players. Here’s a look at the tournament format, the teams taking part, and the schedule for the first matches.


    Contents

    • 1 IEM Krakow 2026 Tournament Format
    • 2 Stage 1
    • 3 Main Stage, Group Stage
    • 4 Playoff Stage
    • 5 Teams Stage 1 & Stage 2
    • 6 Stage 1 Teams
    • 7 Main Stage Teams
    • 8 IEM Krakow 2026 Stage 1 Opening Matches Schedule
    • 9 January 28
    • 10 How to Watch IEM Krakow 2026

    IEM Krakow 2026 Tournament Format

    Stage 1

    • Double-Elimination bracket
    • All matches are Bo3
    • The top eight teams advance to the Group Stage

    Main Stage, Group Stage

    • Two double-elimination format (GSL) Groups
    • Each group has eight teams
    • All matches are Bo3
    • The top three teams from each group advance to the Playoffs:
    • Group stage winners advance to the Semifinals
    • Group stage runners-up advance to the Quarterfinals as the High Seeds
    • Group stage 3rd place teams advance to the Quarterfinals as the Low Seeds

    Playoff Stage

    • Single-Elimination bracket
    • All matches are Bo3
    • The Grand Final is Bo5

    Teams Stage 1 & Stage 2

    Stage 1 Teams

    IEM Krakow – Stage 1 Teams
    PARIVISIONG2
    3DMAXLiquid
    AuroraPassion UA
    paiNB8
    AstralisGamerLegion
    HEROICLegacy
    FUTNinjas in Pyjamas
    NRGBC.Game
    IEM Krakow 2026 Stage 1 Teams

    Main Stage Teams

    IEM Krakow – Stage 2 Teams
    VitalityFURIA
    SpiritFalcons
    FaZeTheMongolZ
    Natus VincereMOUZ
    IEM Krakow 2026 Main Stage – Invited Teams

    IEM Krakow 2026 Stage 1 Opening Matches Schedule

    January 28

    • Aurora vs. GamerLegion and HEROIC vs. PARIVISION starting at 11:00 CET
    • Astralis vs. paiN and NRG vs. B8 starting at 13:30 CET
    • Legacy vs. BC.Game and FUT vs. 3DMAX starting at 16:00 CET
    • Liquid vs. Ninjas in Pyjamas and Passion UA vs. G2 starting at 18:30 CET

    How to Watch IEM Krakow 2026

    Streaming Platform Twitch

    The IEM Krakow 2026 will be streamed live for viewers worldwide. You can enjoy every thrilling moment at home, at work, or on the go. 

    There will be official Twitch, YouTube streams:

    • IEM Krakow 2026 Official Twitch Primary Stream
    • IEM Krakow 2026 Official YouTube Stream
    • IEM Krakow 2026 Official Twitch Secondary Stream

    Keep up with our coverage for more insights on the latest esports news and updates.

    CS2 CS2 News CS2 Tournaments
    Jimmy “Infernal” Young
    • X (Twitter)

    You may also like

    By Jimmy “Infernal” Young

    Shanghai Major Teams List Finalized

    November 25, 2024
    By Jimmy “Infernal” Young

    Shanghai Major European RMR B Starting Tomorrow. Tournament Format And Schedule

    November 20, 2024
    By Jimmy “Infernal” Young

    ESL Announced 2025 Circuit, Planning To Invest $22 Million Until 2026

    October 18, 2024
    By Jimmy “Infernal” Young

    BLAST Premier World Final 2024 Overview: Tournament Format And Participants

    October 16, 2024
    Add A Comment
    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    Recent Post
    PGL Wallachia Season 7 Invited Teams Revealed – Full Dota 2 Lineup (2026)
    January 27, 2026
    Boolk Returns as BetBoom Team Coach, rmN- Departs Ahead of Dota 2 Tournaments
    January 27, 2026
    Best M4A4 Skins in CS2 (2026) – Top 15 Picks Ranked by Price & Style
    January 27, 2026
    Top 10 Best Desert Eagle Skins in CS2 (2026 Guide & Prices)
    January 26, 2026
    blix.gg
    X (Twitter) RSS
    • Editorial Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy policy
    • About us
    • Our Authors
    • Join Our Team
    © 2026 BLIX.GG. All rights reserved.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    Manage Consent
    To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
    Functional Always active
    The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
    Preferences
    The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
    Statistics
    The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
    Marketing
    The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
    Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
    View preferences
    {title} {title} {title}