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IEM Kraków 2026 Playoffs: Teams, Format, Schedule, and More
Successor to the prestigious Katowice, IEM Kraków 2026 has gotten off to a strong start already.
We have already bid adieu to the champions and the challengers of the previous event in Team Falcons and PARIVISION. The community favorite and Major finalist FaZe Clan are out, and so are the s1mple-led BC.Game. All-in-all, we have seen some amazing Counter-Strike to start the year.
With two stages behind us, we have the final six teams that will compete for the inaugural CS IEM Kraków title. With the Playoffs starting the day after, let’s see what the final stage has in store for us.
Teams and Format
The six teams that made out from the two groups of IEM Kraków 2026 are as follows:
Group A
Group B
Moving forward TAURON Arena will host the IEM Kraków 2026 Playoffs. The top seeds from both groups will directly qualify for the Semifinals. The remaining four seeds will play each other in the Bo3 quarterfinals.
The Playoffs will also feature a third-place decider that will be played before the Bo5 Grandfinals.
Schedule
The IEM Kraków Playoffs start Friday, February 6 and will conclude with the Grand finals on February 8.
The complete schedule for the last leg of the tournament is as follows:
Friday, February 6:
- 03:45 pm CET: Aurora vs. FURIA
- 07:00 pm CET: G2 Esports vs. MOUZ
Saturday, February 7:
- 03:45 pm CET: Team Spirit vs. TBD
- 07:00 pm CET: Team Vitality vs. TBD
Sunday, February 8:
- 01:00 pm CET: Third-place decider
- 05:00 pm CET: Grand Finals
Who Will Win IEM Kraków 2026?
As the successor for one of the biggest tournaments in Counter-Strike, the inaugural CS2 Kraków title will come with immense prestige. That said, the six teams remaining are in strong form and are sure to deliver when it comes to peak CS action, but who will actually win the trophy?
For us, the biggest contender for the title currently is Team Vitality. Led by apEX, they retained their back-to-back Major winning squad and still look like one of the best teams in the world. Despite their loss to Team Falcons at BLAST, Vitality’s base currently sits much higher than their competition, which hopefully will allow them to secure the first trophy of 2026.
Team Spirit, with magixx now handling the reins of the team, is another strong contender. Despite the inexperienced IGL, the team has a strong core that knows how to play with each other, and that synergy and donk are enough to dismantle many strong teams. But magixx and the team will be tested heavily, especially against FalleN and apEX and their experience, making their journey to the trophy a tad harsher than Vitality’s.
Next in line, should be FURIA, but they have been struggling a lot more in 2026. While they are the same roster, a lot of their rounds have come down to individual brilliance and FalleN, making them look much weaker than the aforementioned teams. But FalleN and FURIA aren't ones to go down without a fight.
MOUZ and G2 Esports are both similarly capable teams with a strong tactical spine and players that can rise up to any occasion. They both have strong cores but lack the decisive X-factor of the previous three teams. While that doesn’t mean they can’t win, it is hard to bet on them to win over Vitality.
Lastly Aurora, who almost defeated Vitality in the Group A finals, can make a run, but their over-reliance on mechanical talent to open up rounds will backfire against the current top teams. That being said, they are in strong form and can make a run. But that can be said about all these six teams, thus making for a much more exciting Playoffs.
The action will resume with Aurora taking on FURIA, followed by a clash between MOUZ and G2 Esports, where we expect FURIA and G2 to make it through to the semifinals.
Where to Watch?
ESL will broadcast the IEM Kraków 2026 Playoffs on Twitch and YouTube. Catch the action live starting Friday, February 6 3:45 pm CET.
You can also follow the tournament on Strafe.
Don't forget to follow Strafe Esports for the latest news about your favorite esports and to check out our X account for the most recent content and coverage.
Also, stay tuned to the Strafe YouTube channel for exclusive interviews, press conferences, and much more.
Featured Image Credit: ESL
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Team Falcons Fails to Make Playoffs at IEM Krakow 2026
