The opening-round matchups for Stage 2 of IEM Kraków 2026 have been confirmed following the conclusion of Stage 1. Sixteen teams remain and have been split into two double-elimination groups, with the first ties decided and the route to the playoffs now mapped out.
The marquee fixture is in Group B, where Vitality will meet BC.Game. The match is particularly notable because it will be the first time Mathieu 'ZywOo' Herbaut and Oleksandr 's1mple' Kostyliev face one another in competition since Gamers8 in August 2023.
Group B is stacked: Vitality versus BC.Game sits alongside FaZe against 3DMAX, MOUZ versus NRG, and Falcons taking on Aurora. Vitality's opening game is scheduled for 31 January 2026 and will draw attention due to the star names and implications for the bracket.
Group A's first round includes The MongolZ debuting Anarbileg 'cobrazera' Uuganbayar against G2. That group also features FURIA versus FUT — a rematch of their recent BLAST Bounty Round of 16 encounter — PARIVISION, fresh off their Bounty success, against Natus Vincere, and Spirit matched with Astralis.
The competition format rewards group winners with direct places in the semi-finals. Runners-up and third-placed teams from each group progress to the quarter-finals, and the single-elimination playoffs will culminate in a best-of-five final on 8 February 2026.
Several highly ranked teams enter Kraków among the favorites. Vitality head into the event as the number-one seed; FURIA are seeded second, Falcons third and MOUZ fourth. Other notable top sides include FaZe and PARIVISION, while Natus Vincere and The MongolZ also rank among the event's stronger entrants.
Individual player metrics highlight the level on display. Mathieu 'ZywOo' Herbaut, 25, holds a Rating 1.0 of 1.27 across 1,581 maps with a KPR of 0.84 and DPR of 0.60. Oleksandr 's1mple' Kostyliev, 28, posts a Rating 1.0 of 1.23 across 1,853 maps, with a KPR of 0.84 and DPR of 0.63.
The MongolZ's newcomer Anarbileg 'cobrazera' Uuganbayar, aged 20, arrives with a Rating 1.0 of 1.05 from 250 maps, a KPR of 0.72 and a DPR of 0.68, underlining why his debut will be watched closely.
With a double-elimination group stage that allows for recovery and rematches, the opening days in Kraków promise high-stakes encounters, potential upsets and plenty of narrative as teams fight to secure the best paths through the bracket.