Kraków 2026
Hall of Heroes:
the third chapter
- 24 Teams
- EPT Championship
- $1,250,000
February 6 - 8, 2026TAURON ARENA KRAKÓW | Tournament starts January 28
NEW CITY, SAME LEGENDARY TOURNAMENT
The Hall of heroes
moves to Kraków
It’s time to write a new chapter in the history of IEM, as across February 6-8, 2026, the legendary tournament makes its move from Katowice to Kraków, Poland. The TAURON Arena Kraków will host the world’s best Counter-Strike 2 teams for the first time, as they compete for the coveted EPT Winter Championship trophy, the ESL Grand Slam, and their share of $1,250,000 in total winnings.
Tickets
Wave 1 Starts now
Tickets to IEM Kraków 2026 will go on sale in 3 separate waves - in order to secure the best price, purchase early. Full details on ticket prices, waves, and when tickets go on-sale will be released closer to the event. To be the first to hear about tickets, sign up to our official wait list.
Tickets
Wave 3 is live
The final wave of tickets for IEM Kraków are now on sale! With many categories already sold out, now is your last chance to secure a ticket to the Hall of Heroes in Kraków.
Wave 1: July 3rd, 15:00 CEST - SOLD OUT
Wave 2: July 10th, 15:00 CEST - SOLD OUT
Wave 3: July 17th, 15:00 CEST - LIVE
Please note that the minimum age to attend this event is 16.
Tickets Step 1: Choose your distance to the action
Premium3-day ticket
- Access to all 3 days of IEM
- Free seating in the Infield
- IEM+ Upgrade included
- Premium attendee badge
- Free drinks (incl. Beer)
2,200 Zł(~515€)
Sat&Sun
sold out
Weekend lower reserved3-day ticket
- Access to all 3 days of IEM
- Reserved seat in the block and row of your choice
1300 Zł(~305€)
ALMOST
GONE
Weekend lower3-day ticket
- Access to all 3 days of IEM
- Free seating in the Lower Ranks
1000 Zł(~235€)
Sold Out
Weekend Upper3-day ticket
- Access to all 3 days of IEM
- Free seating in the Upper Ranks
660 Zł(~155€)
SOLD
OUT
1-day lower1-day ticket
- Access on either Friday, Saturday or Sunday
- Free seating in the Lower Ranks
360-430 Zł(~85-100€)
Sat + Sun
sold out
1-day Upper1-day ticket
- Access on either Friday, Saturday or Sunday
- Free seating in the Upper Ranks
240-290 Zł(~55-70€)
Sat + Sun
sold out
Add-onStep 2: Enhance your experience with an Add-on
IEM+ UpgradeAvailable for all ticket types
520 Zł(~120€)
What's included?
Dedicated Entrance
with 1 hr early access
Presale Access for the
next IEM Kraków event
Collectable
Black Coin
IEM Kraków
Socks
IEM Kraków
T-Shirt
Exclusive
IEM Kraków
Postcard Set
IEM Kraków
Poster
IEM Kraków
Pinback Button
IEM Kraków
Gym Bag
Randomised Player Autograph
Powered by Kolex
Each player at the event will submit 20 autographs, spread between all IEM+ upgrades.
*To add an IEM+ Upgrade to your existing ticket, use the email address you used to purchase your existing ticket to access the Upgrade shop.
Souvenir ticketEvent themed hard ticket
30 Zł(~7€)
Perfect for collectors and enthusiasts alike, take home a unique memento of your time in the Hall of Heroes.
Travel package
Fancy a trip to Kraków, but don't know where to start? Make your IEM experience a memorable one - secure a great rate, and stay at select premium hotels with our Travel Packages.
What's included
- Your preferred IEM Kraków ticket
- Stay at a premium hotel of your choice
- Other extras, including breakfast and amenities
Schedule
Day #1 - Friday 6thQuarter Finals
12:00 IEM+ Upgrade Early Access
13:00 General Admission Access
14:00 Inside Arena Doors Open
15:30 Opening Ceremony
15:45 Quarter Final #1 (Bo3)
19:00 Quarter Final #2 (Bo3)
20:00 IEM Expo Tent Closes
Day #2 - Saturday 7thSemi Finals
12:00 IEM+ Upgrade Early Access
13:00 General Admission Access
14:00 Inside Arena Doors Open
15:35 Opening Ceremony
15:45 Semi Final #1 (Bo3)
19:00 Semi Final #2 (Bo3)
20:00 IEM Expo Tent Closes
Day #3 - Sunday 8thGrand Finals
11:00 IEM+ Upgrade Early Access
12:00 General Admission Access
12:00 Inside Arena Doors Open
13:30 3rd/4th Place Match
16:45 Opening Ceremony
17:00 IEM Kraków Grand Final (Bo5)
20:00 IEM Expo Tent Closes
Format and Teams
Stage 1
- 16 team Double-Elimination bracket
- All matches Bo3
- Top 8 teams advanced to Stage 2
Stage 2
- 2 x 8 team Double-Elimination brackets
- All matches Bo3
- Top 3 of each group advance to Playoffs
- Group winners advance to Semi-Finals
- Group runners-up advance to Quarter-Finals as the High Seeds
- Group 3rd place teams advance to Quarter-Finals as the Low Seeds
PlayOffs
- 6 team Single-Elimination bracket
- Quarter-Finals and Semi-Finals Bo3
- Third-Place decider Bo3
- Grand Final Bo5
Total Winnings: $1,250,000
Place | Prize Money | Club reward |
|---|---|---|
1st | $400,000 | $60,000 |
2nd | $180,000 | $36,000 |
3rd | $100,000 | $31,000 |
4th | $60,000 | $25,000 |
5th-6th | $40,000 | $21,000 |
7th-8th | $24,000 | $14,000 |
9th-12th | $16,000 | $7,000 |
13th-16th | $10,000 | - |
17th-20th | $4,500 | - |
21st-24th | $2,500 | - |
- Team invites cut off date: January, 2026
- Stage 1: Jan 28 - 30
- 8 teams advance to Stage 2
TBD
Global VRS Invite
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Tournament History
Where it all began
IEM Cebit
Hanover, Germany
In 2007 at CeBIT, one of the world’s largest technology expos at the time, the first form of Intel® Extreme Masters took place. IEM was a step up compared to the Intel Friday Night Games that had come before it - a higher prize pool, a big expo crowd, and the promise of a truly global competition.
Players competed on chunky CRT monitors, playing Counter-Strike 1.6 amongst other titles. A number of now endemic esports teams made their mark with wins at IEM CeBIT - mousesports in 2008, fnatic in 2009, and NaVi’s back-to-back wins in 2010 & 2011.
By IEM CeBIT’s last iteration in 2013, it was clear that the tournament had outgrown its surroundings, and something needed to change.
Hanover, Katowice,
And now Kraków
For almost two decades, Intel Extreme Masters has built a heritage full of emotional and defining moments in esports history. From the early days in Hannover to the rise of new legends in Katowice, every stop along the way has left its mark on our legacy. As we begin a new chapter of this story, we look forward to continuing it with the world’s best gamers and esports fans, as they add their mark in Kraków, on a bigger scale than ever before.
- Michal ‘Carmac’ Blicharz
FAQs
Attendees must be a minimum of 16 years old to enter the Event Venue, however, those between 13 and 16 years of age are required to present written consent from a parent or legal guardian prior to entering the Venue. Individuals under the age of 13 are only permitted to enter and remain at the Event Venue if accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
Please reach out directly to Ticketmaster support via https://help.ticketmaster.pl/ - they can help you through the purchase process.
Yes. Tickets are capped at 8 per customer.
You can expect an array of partner activations and on-site activities including the ESL Shop throughout the event, similar to IEM Cologne.
In the past, the free viewing area was reserved for IEM Expo visitors. IEM Kraków won’t feature a separate expo zone and so will be fully ticketed.
You will receive the sales date, prices and presale link on the email you used to purchase the add-on before tickets officially go on sale. Information will also be available on our official channels.
To not miss any updates on when tickets for next IEM Cologne go live, make sure to sign up for our newsletter and follow ESLCS on X, Instagram, and Facebook.
IEM Kraków will be taking the spot of IEM Katowice as one of the two Championship events with the ESL Pro Tour ecosystem (IEM Cologne being the second one). The tournament will therefore follow the format of a Championship event, featuring Stage 1, Stage 2 and the Playoffs.
As per our announcement in January, all teams participating at IEM Kraków will be invited based on Valve Regional Standings (VRS). Invites will follow the first available monthly VRS publication of January 2026.
Yes! If you have purchased a ticket and want to add on the IEM+ Upgrade, you can head over to Ticketmaster (click here) and using your email address tied to your Ticketmaster account as the password, purchase an IEM+ Upgrade.
Newsletter
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As one race ends, another begins. The $1,000,000 derby continues as top-tier teams will look to pick up the next title towards winning the ESL Grand Slam VI and forever mark their names in the books of Counter-Strike history.
