ESL Announces IEM Krakow 2027 for Counter-Strike 2

Tournament operator ESL has officially unveiled the first Intel Extreme Masters event for Counter-Strike 2 in 2027 - IEM Krakow 2027. The championship will take place from January 27 to February 7, 2027, with the decisive stage set to be held at Tauron Arena in Krakow, Poland. According to the announcement, 16 teams will compete in the tournament for a $1.25 million prize pool. The organizers have also предусмотрели four Wildcard invites, which will be distributed based on the Valve ranking.

The new tournament continues ESL’s course toward developing premium CS2 events in Europe and once again brings one of the most recognizable series back to Poland. For the scene, this is especially symbolic, considering that Polish arenas have long been associated with some of the biggest events in IEM history.

As a reminder, IEM Krakow 2026 took place from January 28 to February 8 and became one of the most notable tournaments of the early season. The winner was Team Vitality, who defeated FURIA 3-1 in the grand final. The standout star of the championship was Mathieu ZywOo Herbaut, who earned the MVP award after an outstanding performance.

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As a result, IEM Krakow 2027 already looks like one of the key tournaments of the first half of next season. Given the increased prize pool and the new invite system, the championship could become one of the most important starting points for the world’s best teams in 2027.