IEM Krakow 2026: New Frontiers in Counter-Strike 2 Play-In Battles

The competitive scene remains abuzz this week with the ongoing BLAST Bounty Winter 2026 tournament in Counter-Strike 2. As this tournament wraps up by the weekend, the excitement continues to build, with teams set to make their way to Poland for IEM Krakow 2026.

Scheduled to kick off on January 28, organizers have just confirmed the initial match-ups for the Play-In portion of the event. In this phase, 16 teams will battle to secure one of eight coveted spots, which will lead them into the main event to face off in the Group Stage against eight prequalified elite teams. The invited squads have been divided into two groups, with their seedings announced as follows:

Group A:

• Details of the teams and seeding are pending further information.

Group B:

• Details of the teams and seeding are pending further information.

Reviewing the structure of the Play-In segment reveals a double-elimination format, meaning that any team suffering two defeats will be ousted from the competition. With this in mind, the initial Upper Bracket match-ups have been arranged accordingly.

In your opinion, who is poised to rise as the This maintains the original context while using unique phrasing frontrunner to claim victory at IEM Krakow 2026?