IEM Kraków 2026 results and highlights video
The inaugural event of the third chapter in the long-running Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Winter tournament, IEM Kraków 2026, came to a thrilling conclusion at the TAURON Arena Kraków in Poland. Sparks flew as the best Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) teams competed for the coveted trophy and their share of the huge $1,250,000 prize pool.
At the current Dollar to Rand exchange rate, that’s roughly R20 million. In case you couldn’t watch the action unfold live, we’ve got you covered with a battle report and a highlights video featuring the best plays from the Grand Final.
Vitality and FURIA clash in IEM Kraków 2026
After a nail-biting Group Stage, only six remained to fight in the Playoffs Stage in front of a roaring crowd, including defending champions, Team Vitality.
Continue reading to find out what happened, or watch our highlights video below…or both!
On the one side of the bracket, it was FURIA who took down Turkish powerhouse Aurora Gaming with a convincing 2-0 score in the Quarterfinals. FURIA faced Team Spirit in the Semifinals, and after a close three-map affair, FURIA managed to punch their ticket to the Grand Final of IEM Kraków 2026 by defeating Team Spirit 2-1.
On the other side of the bracket, MOUZ sent G2 Esports packing in a solid 2-0 showing in the Quarterfinal, with the first map requiring overtime. MOUZ then ran into the final boss, Team Vitality, who absolutely destroyed them in a very clean 2-0, showcasing why they are the best team in the world.
In the third-place decider match, Team Spirit made quick work of MOUZ with a 2-0 victory.
In the Grand Final of IEM Kraków 2026, it was FURIA who drew first blood against Team Vitality, winning Mirage 13-11. Team Vitality bounced back with brilliant plays, and the star power of their AWPer was on full display, winning Inferno 13-8 to tie up the series 1-1.
On Nuke, Team Vitality decimated FURIA 13-2, and on Overpass, Dan “apEX” Madesclaire’s men finished off proceedings with a 13-10 win, thereby securing the Grand Final with a 3-1 score.
Congratulations to Team Vitality on becoming the back-to-back IEM Winter championship winners. For his immense showcase of skill throughout the tournament, Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut was named the MVP, with a career-high big event rating of 1.59!
IEM Kraków 2026 final standings
Below, you can check out the top 16 final standings of IEM Kraków 2026, including how much money each team won.
| Standing | Teams | Prize Money (Per Team) | Club Share (Per Team) | Total Winnings (Per Team) |
| 1st | Team Vitality | $400,000 | $60,000 | $460,000 |
| 2nd | FURIA Esports | $180,000 | $36,000 | $216,000 |
| 3rd | Team Spirit | $100,000 | $31,000 | $131,000 |
| 4th | MOUZ | $60,000 | $25,000 | $85,000 |
| 5th – 6th | G2 Esports, Aurora Gaming | $40,000 | $21,000 | $61,000 |
| 7th – 8th | Astralis, Team Falcons | $24,000 | $14,000 | $38,000 |
| 9th – 12th | FaZe Clan, 3DMAX, Natus Vincere, FUT Esports | $16,000 | $7,000 | $23,000 |
| 13th – 16th | NRG Esports, BC.Game, PARIVISION, The MongolZ | $10,000 | — | $10,000 |
Stay tuned to Esports Central as another year of fantastic CS2 esports action is just getting started!
Header image via ESL.
