The ESL has announced that IEM Katowice, a premier Counter-Strike 2 tournament in Poland also called the Hall of Heroes, will become IEM Kraków 2026 as the IEM moves cities within Poland.
IEM Kraków 2026 will take place at the Tauron Arena in Kraków, Poland, from February 6 to February 8, 2026. There, 24 teams will fight for the EPT Winter Championship and the ESL Grand Slam, and the $1.25 million prize pool.
While ticket sale details weren’t released yet, a few details were. There will be three waves of ticket sales for IEM Kraków 2026, and players will get the best price the earlier they buy tickets.
This will be the first time that the Tauron Arena, the new location for the Hall of Heroes, will hold a Counter-Strike 2 tournament.
This is the third chapter of the Hall of Heroes, with the first being held in Hanover and the second in Katowice. ESL has released a trailer for IEM Kraków 2026, which fans can view below:
A few FAQs on the site give fans a bit of information on what to expect for IEM Kraków 2026. Most of these point back to subscribing to the event’s newsletter.
However, one of the biggest updates is that there will be no standalone IEM Expo surrounding the event, though there will be vendors and other on-site activities to experience.
This also means that there’s no dedicated area for non-ticket holders. In the past, there was a free viewing area for IEM Expo visitors. This will no longer be an option, considering there’s no IEM Expo.
For more information on Counter-Strike 2 esports, check out the Counter-Strike 2 Asia Championships 2025 and Counter-Strike 2’s presence at the Esports World Cup 2025.
