IEM Krakow 2026 Power Rankings: Can Vitality and FURIA bounce back?

IEM Krakow 2026 is just around the corner, with 24 teams heading out to Poland in what will go down as one of the biggest CS2 events of the year. Krakow has replaced IEM Katowice, which was previously ESL’s premier event in Poland. New venue, new history, new opportunities.

Of all the teams in attendance, who are the favorites to win it all? Our IEM Krakow 2026 power rankings rank all 24 teams to identify the favorites and uncover some underdogs that could pose an unlikely threat on the server.

FURIA and Vitality seek to bounce back from Bounty disappointment

FURIA and Vitality, arguably the two best CS2 teams of 2025, both started this year with Semi-Final disappointment at BLAST Bounty Season 1 2026. Expectations were high coming into the season, but neither were able to live up to the hype, looking pretty flat to say the least.

I know it’s difficult to remember at times, but Counter-Strike teams are more than their last result. FURIA and Vitality still come to IEM Krakow 2026 as the major favorites to take the trophy, but they’ll need to show pretty rapid improvement if they’re going to have any real chance. With FURIA, it’s a case of getting everybody besides molodoy back online, with the AWPer continuing his stellar form into this year. But with Vitality, they just need ZywOo not to disappear, as he did during their Bounty elimination. If he can show his 2025 form, Vitality remain the big favorites in Krakow.

Are PARIVISION suddenly serious contenders?

After a surprise trophy win at BLAST Bounty Season 1 2026, PARIVISION have shot up our IEM Krakow 2026 power rankings. Although their Major showing at the end of last year was impressive, few expected them to quickly translate that into event victories. The question now is simple: are they real contenders to win IEM Krakow 2026?

I can’t in any good confidence say yes. But I could make myself look silly by definitively saying no, too. This is a PARIVISION team with the kind of young firepower you only usually meet in your 3 AM FACEIT lobbies. A team that has complete belief in IGL Jame’s way of playing the game. A team that is a stylistic nightmare for many of the best CS2 teams in the world. I’m watching PARIVISION with a keen interest at IEM Krakow 2026 – we’ll finally get to see if it’s just a hot streak, or if this lineup is here to really make a dent in the Tier 1 status quo.

Potential IEM Krakow 2026 underdogs

When you look at the teams attending IEM Krakow 2026, there’s a pretty stark divide between the top dogs and the chasing pack. That said, it’s still fun to address some potential underdogs who could really cause problems at this event. After all, who doesn’t love to see an upset?

The first potential upset-causers are undoubtedly FUT. The former NAVI Junior core (-makazze) have been causing all sorts of problems since they started to get top event invites, starting at the CS Asia Championships last year by beating FaZe and paiN, to this year already taking FURIA to the brink at BLAST Bounty. They’re not the finished article – far from it. But with immense firepower from the likes of dziugss and and dem0n, FUT can be a real threat to anyone at IEM Krakow 2026. A tough opener against 3DMAX is pretty much the perfect litmus test for FUT. No room for early nerves here.

Our next underdog to highlight is GamerLegion. With ash leaving and Snax coming in, it feels as though GamerLegion‘s stock is pretty low at the moment. But honestly, I still rate them as being a difficult team to face. I’m pretty high on Snax as an IGL compared to most, and think he’s an improvement on ztr. Meanwhile, PR continues to impress, and hypex is a stark upgrade on everyone GamerLegion have tried in the AWPing department over the last year. They’re obviously not contenders – not even close. But I wouldn’t be surprised to see GamerLegion play spoiler for one or two good teams at IEM Krakow 2026.