Intel Extreme Masters Kraków 2026

CompletedTier S

The Intel Extreme Masters Kraków 2026 is one of the largest elite tournaments (Masters Championship) in esports for the game Counter-Strike 2, held in the city of Kraków, Poland, at the "TAURON Arena" from January 28 to February 8, 2026. The event saw the participation of 24 teams from the strongest international teams competing over three stages (qualifiers, groups, and knockout rounds) for a share of a total prize pool of $1,000,000.

Counter StrikeJan 28, 2026 – Feb 8, 2026Kraków, Poland

$1,000,000ESL

Format

Play-In (January 28th – 30th, 2026)

Format: Double-Elimination bracket.
Match Type: All matches are Best-of-3 (Bo3).
Qualification: The top eight teams advance to the Group Stage.

Group Stage (January 31st – February 3rd, 2026)

Format: Two double-elimination (GSL style) groups, each consisting of eight teams.
Match Type: All matches are Best-of-3 (Bo3).
Playoff Qualification: The top three teams from each group advance to the Playoffs:
Group Winners: Advance directly to the Semifinals.
Group Runners-up: Advance to the Quarterfinals as High Seeds.
3rd Place Teams: Advance to the Quarterfinals as Low Seeds.

Playoffs (February 6th – 8th, 2026)

Format: Single-Elimination bracket.
Quarterfinals & Semifinals: Best-of-3 (Bo3) matches.
Grand Final: Best-of-5 (Bo5) match.