IEM Kraków 2026 Stage 1 starts with the matchup between Legacy and BC.Game — two teams opening the tournament in a double elimination format, where every match in the upper bracket carries enormous importance. A victory provides a comfortable margin of safety at the start of the tournament, while a loss immediately pushes the team into survival mode in the lower bracket.
For Legacy, this is a chance to confirm their status as a stable mid–top-20 team, while for BC.Game it is an opportunity to create a major upset and challenge the perceived gap in class between the teams.
IEM KRAKÓW 2026 STAGE 1 — THE START OF THE LAN JOURNEY
IEM Kraków 2026 Stage 1 is held in a LAN format with 16 teams and a double elimination system. All matches are played in a Bo3 format, where not only mechanics and player form matter, but also endurance, consistency, and the quality of veto preparation.
At this stage, there are no “easy” series: every loss immediately changes a team’s tournament trajectory. For Legacy and BC.Game, this is the moment to either secure a solid position in the upper bracket or fall under maximum psychological pressure.
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HEAD-TO-HEAD — A SLIGHT ADVANTAGE FOR LEGACY
The history of head-to-head meetings favors Legacy: Legacy — 2 wins, BC.Game — 1 win.
The rivalry is not one-sided, but Legacy more often demonstrate better stability in key rounds. BC.Game, in turn, are dangerous due to their aggression and their ability to impose a chaotic pace of play.
CURRENT FORM
Legacy — a structured team with consistent firepower
Legacy approach the match as the more organized and systematic team. They show strong teamwork, excellent play on Inferno, and confident mid-round decisions. lux, latto, and n1ssim form a stable core that allows them to control the pace of a series and avoid deep collapses. In a Bo3 format, their consistency often becomes the decisive advantage.
BC.Game — an underdog with upset potential
BC.Game look less stable, but dangerous. They are capable of creating pressure through individual plays and aggressive timings. They become especially threatening on maps where they can play off chaos and unconventional decisions. Their main issue is instability in positional play and weak adaptation to changes in series tempo.
MAP POOL & VETO
Statistics for the last 3 months (Legacy | BC.Game):
- Dust2: 50% | 40%
- Mirage: 25% | —
- Inferno: 88% | 82%
- Nuke: 62% | 54%
- Overpass: — | 20%
- Ancient: 25% | 44%
- Anubis: — | —
Expected veto
- Legacy are very likely to remove Ancient — the map where BC.Game look more confident by win rate and can gain a positional advantage.
- BC.Game will almost certainly ban Inferno — Legacy’s strongest map with nearly a 90% win rate, where their structure and tempo control look most dangerous.
Likely picks
- Legacy: Nuke — a map where they consistently combine discipline and strong defensive structure.
- BC.Game: Dust2 — a comfortable option for aim-based play and fast decisions without complex tactical structure.
Decider: Inferno or Nuke look like the most logical candidates for the deciding map if the veto develops unusually. This is where Legacy’s team stability can become the key factor in long series and clutch situations.
KEY DUELS
- latto vs aragornN — the fight for control of key areas and mid-round stability
- lux vs s1mple — the duel for initiative and opening rounds
- n1ssim vs MUTiRiS — who will play the anchor role more consistently
In a Bo3, these local matchups often determine who controls the series economy more frequently.
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PREDICTION
BC.Game have the potential to cause problems through aggression and individual plays, but Legacy look significantly stronger in terms of stability, game structure, and map pool. In a Bo3 format, system play and tempo control usually prevail over a chaotic style.
Predicted result: Legacy 2–1 BC.Game
