An institution of the competitive Counter-Strike scene is about to disappear. On Thursday, ESL revealed via X that IEM Katowice—one of the most revered fixtures on the esports calendar since 2014—will be moved to the Polish city of Kraków beginning in 2026. The first edition of the tournament is scheduled to take place from January 27 to February 6, with the final three days—the playoffs—set to be held at the Tauron Arena, which will succeed the legendary Spodek Arena in Katowice. Following in the footsteps of Hanover and Katowice, Kraków will become the new host city for what is considered one of the two flagship events of the ESL Pro Tour, alongside Cologne.

“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,” explained Michal Blicharz, VP of Product Development at ESL FACEIT Group. “Today, 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 new pages to it in Kraków, on a bigger scale than ever before.”

A $1,250,000 prize pool

Kraków and the Tauron Arena are no strangers to hosting top-tier Counter-Strike events. In 2017, the venue welcomed the world’s best during a Major tournament organized by PGL. That same organizer had initially planned a return to the Tauron Arena in 2027, but announced a change of venue in February of this year, citing no reasons at the time—a decision now made clearer by ESL’s announcement. IEM Kraków will feature 24 teams competing for a $1,250,000 prize pool.