ESL Confirm Full Invite List for IEM Kraków 2026 Ahead of Valve Ranking Cutoff

ESL have officially confirmed all 24 invited teams for IEM Kraków 2026, with every squad accepting their spot at the tournament that replaces IEM Katowice as the traditional early-season Counter-Strike event.

The invite list was determined using the global Valve Regional Standings (VRS) snapshot referenced by ESL, making IEM Kraków one of the first top-tier tournaments fully shaped by Valve’s new ranking ecosystem.

IEM Kraków 2026 invite breakdown

Direct invites to Stage 2

The following eight teams will skip the opening phase and enter the tournament in Stage 2:

FURIA

Vitality

Falcons

Spirit

Natus Vincere

MOUZ

FaZe

The MongolZ

Stage 1 invites

Sixteen teams will begin their campaigns in Stage 1:

Aurora

B8

Legacy

G2

Liquid

3DMAX

Astralis

PARIVISION

HEROIC

paiN

FUT

Ninjas in Pyjamas

Passion UA

BC.Game

NRG

GamerLegion

All invites were accepted, locking in the full 24-team lineup well ahead of the tournament’s start.

Valve rankings and Fragadelphia results decide final spots

The final invitations came down to narrow margins in Valve’s early-January VRS update, with several teams benefiting from late LAN performances.

NRG secured a decisive rankings boost by winning Fragadelphia Miami, while GamerLegion also gained enough points through their deep run at the same event to move into invite territory. Those results proved decisive in pushing both teams into the top 24 at the cutoff.

Meanwhile, Aurora narrowly missed out on a direct Stage 2 invite, finishing just outside the top eight and instead starting from Stage 1.

BC.Game and s1mple add extra intrigue

One of the most closely watched storylines at IEM Kraków will be BC.Game, who qualified following their acquisition of the former SAW core and the addition of Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev.

After confirming his return to competition, s1mple publicly stated that his focus is firmly on results rather than reputation, describing the move as a long-term project rather than a short-term gamble. His presence immediately makes BC.Game one of the most scrutinized teams in the Stage 1 field.

A new era after Katowice

IEM Kraków marks the end of the long-running IEM Katowice era, one of Counter-Strike’s most iconic events. ESL have stated that while Katowice will no longer host the IEM flagship tournament, the city is still expected to feature on ESL’s event calendar in the future.

Players, teams, and broadcast talent have already acknowledged the symbolic shift, with many emphasizing Katowice’s legacy while expressing optimism that Kraków can carry the prestige forward.

What’s at stake

With Vitality entering as the defending Katowice champions, IEM Kraków 2026 will set the tone for the season’s elite competition under Valve’s ranking system. Seeding advantages, early eliminations, and ranking points will all carry added weight as teams adapt to the new ecosystem.

The confirmed invites ensure that every major region is represented, and the mix of title contenders, rebuilding rosters, and ranking climbers makes IEM Kraków one of the most anticipated Counter-Strike events of the year.