ESL teases return to Katowice and the Spodek in 2026

ESL announced today that it will be hosting an event at the Spodek Arena in Katowice in 2026.

While Counter-Strike is evidently returning to Katowice next year, this is NOT the return of the famed IEM Katowice event, considering the language used in the announcement: "When one journey ends. Another begins."

The IEM Katowice tournament that has been a staple of the Grand Slam schedule and the Counter-Strike calendar has officially been moved to Krakow, and is scheduled to take place January 2026. IEM events in Brazil, the United States, and China have also been confirmed for 2026.

HLTV speculates in their report today that Katowice and the Spodek Arena could host the playoffs of ESL Pro League Season 23. Back in March of this year, ESL committed to "hosting the playoffs in front of a live audience in an arena environment in Europe" for EPL Season 23. Those playoffs would also feature a best-of-three third-place match that would take place before the best-of-five grand finals.