ESL Reveals Full Broadcast Talent Lineup for IEM Kraków 2026

ESL Reveals Full Broadcast Talent Lineup for IEM Kraków 2026

ESL has officially announced the broadcast talent for IEM Kraków 2026, the first Intel Extreme Masters Counter-Strike 2 event held in Kraków, Poland. The tournament is scheduled to take place from January 28 to February 8, 2026, featuring a 16-team opening stage feeding into a second stage of elite competition.

Talent Team Overview

The broadcast roster consists of 17 on-air personalities covering presenting, stage hosting, analysis, and live commentary. One talent — described as a pundit — has not yet been revealed.

Presenter

• Freya “Freya” Spiers — Anchoring the broadcast as the main presenter.

Stage and Sideline Hosts

• Oliver “OJ Borg” D’Anastasi — On-stage host.

• Tres “stunna” Saranthus — Sideline host bringing insights and player reactions.

• Eefje “sjokz” Depoortere — Making a return as a Counter-Strike sideline interviewer and event personality.

Pundit Desk

• Janko “YNk” Paunović — Analyst providing tactical breakdowns.

• Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen — Former pro-player now contributing expert analysis.

• TBA — One additional pundit yet to be confirmed.

Casting Team

ESL’s casting lineup includes five pairs of commentators tasked with calling every match throughout the event’s dual-stream best-of-three format:

• Chad “SPUNJ” Burchill — Experienced play-by-play caster.

• Alex “Machine” Richardson — Lead caster across key matches.

• Harry “JustHarry” Russell — Commentator focusing on play-by-play action.

• Hugo “Hugo” Byron — Lead caster bringing strategic context.

• Jason “moses” O’Toole — Veteran analyst caster.

• Adam “Dinko” Hawthorne — Color commentator.

• Neo “Ne0kai” Caine — Analyst and commentator.

• Cole “Xner” McHenry — One half of a commentary duo.

• Garret “Phy” Schier — Commentary partner with Xner.

These pairs will rotate across streams to ensure full coverage of matches from Group Stage through the final.

Event Format Reminder

• Stage 1 begins January 28 with 16 teams competing in a double-elimination bracket for eight spots in Stage 2.

• Stage 2 expands to include invited top teams and will culminate with finals in early February at TAURON Arena Kraków, where the world’s elite CS2 teams vie for a sizeable prize pool.

Context in 2026 CS2

IEM Kraków is part of an increasingly packed global CS2 esports calendar in 2026 alongside other ESL events and Majors, reflecting sustained competitive and broadcast growth in the scene.

---

Key Takeaways (Bullet Format)

• ESL confirmed 17 broadcast talents for IEM Kraków 2026.

• Freya Spiers leads as presenter.

• High-profile hosts include OJ Borg, stunna, and sjokz.

• Analysis desk features YNk, dupreeh, plus one unannounced pundit.

• Five casting duos cover live match commentary.

• The tournament runs Jan 28–Feb 8, integrating dual streams and best-of-three play.