ESL Announces Return to Katowice in 2026

ESL has officially announced the return of CS to Katowice — in 2026, the Spodek Arena will once again host the tournament. This event will be part of the revamped ESL calendar and will highlight Katowice's special place in CS history.

According to preliminary information, the playoffs of one of the ESL Pro League seasons will take place here — most likely, S23. This format suggests that the group stage will be held online, with the best teams meeting in Katowice to compete for the trophy on stage in front of spectators.

Complexity's General Manager Graham "messioso" Pitt has already commented on ESL's announcement:

It makes sense for this to be one of the two EPL finals played in the arena after the online groups
messioso

On May 29, 2025, ESL FACEIT Group announced that the legendary IEM Katowice tournament is moving to Krakow — IEM Kraków 2026 will take place from February 6–8 at the Tauron Arena. There, 24 CS2 teams will compete for a prize pool of $1,250,000.