ESL has announced it will be returning to Katowice, Poland, in 2026 to host a Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) event.
The announcement follows the tournament organiser’s decision to move its prestigious IEM Katowice event away from the city to Kraków, Poland, next year.
Announced on social media, the post reveals that Counter-Strike is returning to Katowice and, importantly, the Spodek Arena in 2026. ESL has yet to reveal any details surrounding which of its events will take place in Katowice.
The tournament organiser has already shared information on its 2026 CS2 calendar. In June, it was revealed that the Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) tournament circuit will take place in Brazil, the United States, China and Kraków.
Outside of IEM, the event organiser hasn’t revealed details on an event taking place at the end of September and Season 23 of the ESL Pro League. In a previous release, it revealed that Season 23 will take place “in front of a live audience in an arena environment in Europe”. The Spodek Arena could potentially act as the venue in question.
Katowice is no stranger to the world of Counter-Strike esports, having hosted an IEM event at the Spodek Arena since 2013. In May, it was announced that Kraków would be the new host of Europe’s IEM event, with the inaugural edition taking place from January 27th to February 8th, 2026.
ESL’s Counter-Strike Evolution
A return to Katowice is one of several announcements made by ESL surrounding its Counter-Strike esports initiatives. In July, it revealed plans to add third-place matches to its events due to updates to the Valve Regional Standings (VRS), which have become the sole determining factor to decide the teams competing at a Major.
Elsewhere, the qualification format for the Pro League and Challenger League has been adjusted to adhere to Valve’s tournament guidelines.
