ESL has confirmed that Counter-Strike 2 action will be returning to the Polish city of Katowice, just weeks after announcing that the historic IEM Katowice event will no longer be there and will instead take place in Krakow, leaving fans confused.
On May 30, ESL made the announcement that they would be relocating the IEM event to a bigger venue after more than a decade, a huge step for the company after making the city feel like home over the years.
Then, on July 7, they shared that actually, Counter-Strike will still be at the fabled Spodek Arena in 2026. The post, shared to social media, said, “When one journey ends. Another begins.”
While exact dates and event details were not made clear, this is definitely an interesting change to the CS landscape, and has fans questioning what they could be doing at the Spodek if not hosting IEM there.
Katowice has long been considered one of the spiritual homes of Counter-Strike, with its grand finals in the Spodek Arena delivering unforgettable moments year after year. Since first hosting the event in 2014, the Polish city has become synonymous with Counter-Strike’s elite competitive tier and has played host to some of the game’s most celebrated performances and players.
The announcement suggests that ESL remains committed to the prestige of long-standing events like IEM Katowice, even as the broader esports ecosystem continues to evolve.
With the 2026 event now on the horizon, attention will soon turn to which teams will earn their place on one of Counter-Strike’s biggest stages, and what exactly the tournament looks like in comparison to the prestigious IEM events.
