Kraków is officially the new home for the Hall of Heroes vibes, and Stage 1 is where the event actually starts feeling dangerous. No warmup matches, no free passes, just sixteen teams shoved into a double elimination bracket where only eight survive and move on.
If you are watching today, this is the part of the tournament where dreams die fast. One bad veto, one slow start, one map where your star goes missing, and suddenly you are staring at elimination matches on day two.
The setup in one minute
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Stage 1 dates | January 28 to January 30 |
| Teams | 16 |
| Format | Double elimination |
| Match type | Best of three |
| Advance | Top 8 teams move on |
Stage 1 is fast and unforgiving. You get a second life, but it does not feel comfortable. Lose once and your margin for error disappears immediately.
Stage 2 expands the pressure even more.
| Stage 2 format | Details |
|---|---|
| Groups | 2 groups of 8 |
| Teams | 8 seeded teams + 8 Stage 1 qualifiers |
| Playoffs | Top 3 from each group |
| Playoffs venue | TAURON Arena Kraków |
| Playoffs dates | February 6 to 8 |
The prize pool is massive, and the event feeds directly into both the EPT Championship race and the Intel Grand Slam storyline. Every map matters.
Teams already waiting in Stage 2
These teams are already locked into the group stage and watching Stage 1 closely.
Group A
| Team |
|---|
| FURIA |
| Team Spirit |
| Natus Vincere |
| The MongolZ |
Group B
| Team |
|---|
| Team Vitality |
| Team Falcons |
| MOUZ |
| FaZe Clan |
This is why Stage 1 is brutal. You are not qualifying into safety. You are qualifying into a group full of teams that punish every mistake.
Stage 1 teams overview
Stage 1 is where brand power meets volatility. Some of these teams can look top five on one day and completely lost the next.
| Category | Teams |
|---|---|
| Established giants | Astralis, G2 Esports, Team Liquid |
| Rebuilding or inconsistent | Ninjas in Pyjamas, HEROIC |
| Dangerous dark horses | BC.Game, B8, Aurora |
| Depth teams | GamerLegion, paiN Gaming, 3DMAX |
This is the stage where preparation matters more than raw talent.
What already happened today
The opening matches immediately showed how unstable this bracket is.
| Match | Result | Takeaway |
|---|---|---|
| Aurora vs GamerLegion | Aurora 2 to 0 | Clean series. Aurora looked composed and in control |
| HEROIC vs PARIVISION | PARIVISION 2 to 1 | First real upset. Bracket already flipped |
That is Stage 1 energy. No slow starts. No freebies.
Remaining opening matches and predictions
Match predictions
| Match | Prediction | Upset risk |
|---|---|---|
| Astralis vs paiN | Astralis 2 to 1 | Medium |
| NRG vs B8 | B8 2 to 1 | High |
| Legacy vs BC Game | BC Game 2 to 1 | High |
| FUT vs 3DMAX | FUT 2 to 0 | Low to medium |
| Team Liquid vs NiP | Liquid 2 to 1 | Medium |
| Passion UA vs G2 | G2 2 to 0 | Low |
Short reasoning highlights
• Astralis vs paiN
Structure versus aggression. Astralis should control the series, but slow starts open the door.
• NRG vs B8
Momentum match. Whoever wins the early rounds likely takes the series.
• Legacy vs BC Game
Pure volatility. Comfort maps decide everything.
• FUT vs 3DMAX
If FUT keep their tempo high, this ends quickly.
• Liquid vs NiP
Late round decision making favors Liquid.
• G2 vs Passion UA
Experience gap. G2 should close if veto goes normally.
Bracket storylines that matter
Double elimination is not comfort
Lose once and your schedule becomes brutal. You go from breathing room to survival mode instantly.
Qualifying without exposure
The best outcome is qualifying while hiding strategies. Teams forced into deep lower bracket runs usually arrive in Stage 2 fully scouted.
Map pool pressure in CS2
You need two strong picks and one survivable map. Anything less and the bracket catches you.
My Stage 1 survival list
| Teams I expect to advance |
|---|
| G2 |
| Liquid |
| Astralis |
| Aurora |
| PARIVISION |
| FUT |
| B8 |
| BC Game |
This is not about name value. It is about which teams can win two series quickly without perfect conditions.
What to watch closely during Stage 1
• Veto discipline
One bad veto can end a tournament run.
• CT side confidence
Early CT collapses snowball fast in CS2.
• Star impact early
If your best player disappears early, desperation follows.
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