PGL announces the invitation dates, a new tournament structure, a new standard in prize pool payment, and new locations for its 2025-2026 CS2 competitive season
Bucharest, Romania - December 10, 2024 - PGL is thrilled to announce its updates for the Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) 2025-2026 competitive season, which features an innovative playoff structure and rapid prize payouts.
PGL CS2 2025 Location Update
The tournament, originally scheduled to take place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, will be relocated to Cluj-Napoca, Romania. It will take place between February 14 and 23, 2025; the playoffs will have a live audience inside BT ARENA. The tickets will be on sale soon.
Due to an exceptionally busy CS2 calendar with numerous back-to-back events, we have decided to relocate our February event from Buenos Aires to Cluj-Napoca.
With most top teams participating in European tournaments before and after our event, this move helps travel logistics and reduces strain on the teams. Hosting the tournament in Europe allows teams to participate more easily while continuing their competitive schedules seamlessly and maintaining a high competitive standard for our event.
We remain committed to delivering an outstanding experience for players, fans, and partners, and this adjustment aims to ensure the success of our tournament.
Global Schedule: Iconic Host Cities and Key Dates
PGL CS2 2025 Events - UPDATE
PGL will host its 2025 Tier 1 events in four incredible cities, blending esports excellence with rich cultural experiences.
- PGL Cluj Napoca 2025 - February 14-23
- PGL Bucharest 2025 - April 6-13
- PGL Astana 2025 - May 10-18
- PGL Belgrade 2025 - October 25 - November 2
*PW CAC 2025 will take place between October 1-13: Our partner, Perfect World, will host and organize the tournament, while PGL is the media partner outside China for this event.
Teams will be invited to participate in the events on the following dates using the updated VRS:
- PGL Cluj Napoca 2025: Monday, January 6, 2025
- PGL Bucharest 2025: Monday, February 3, 2025
- PGL Astana 2025: Monday, March 3, 2025
- PGL Belgrade 2025: Monday, September 1, 2025
PGL CS2 2026 Events - UPDATE
PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026 - February 11-22.
PGL Bucharest 2026 - April 2-12.
PGL Astana 2026 - May 7-17.
PGL TBD (location announcement soon) - August 6-16, 2026.
PGL TBD (location announcement soon) - October 1-11, 2026.
PGL Belgrade 2026 - October 22 - November 1.
Revolutionary Playoff Format
PGL is setting a new benchmark for Tier 1 tournaments with an exclusive playoff structure:
- Expanded Playoffs with Eight Teams: In 2025, PGL will host the only Tier 1 events with an eight-team playoff format. All PGL events in 2025-2026 will feature eight - teams in the playoffs, being the only TIER1 events with such a format.
- Third-Place Decider Match: PGL introduces a dedicated third-place match, giving the teams and fans another high-stakes showdown to look forward to.
The playoff schedule is as follows:
- Friday: Four Quarterfinals
- Saturday: One Showmatch and Two Semifinals
- Sunday: Third-Place Decider and Final (Bo5)
PGL Prize Pool Payment Date
PGL continues to lead innovation with its commitment to paying out prize money within two weeks of event completion, provided all teams submit their invoices promptly. This initiative ensures timely financial support for participating teams and sets a new standard for efficiency in the esports industry.
PGL Prize Pool Payment Dates
- PGL Cluj Napoca 2025 - Tournament Dates: February 14-23 - Prize Pool Payment Date: March 10
- PGL Bucharest 2025 - Tournament Dates: April 6-13 - Prize Pool Payment Date: April 27
- PGL Astana 2025 - Tournament Dates: May 10-18 - Prize Pool Payment Date: June 1
- PGL Belgrade 2025 - Tournament Dates: October 25 - November 2 - Prize Pool Payment Date: November 16
UPDATED Prize Pool Breakdown
The prize pool distribution for each tournament is as follows:
- 1st Place: 32.0% - $400,000
- 2nd Place: 15.0% - $187,500
- 3rd Place: 12.0% - $150,000
- 4th Place: 7.0% - $87,500
- 5th-8th Place: 5.0% each - $62,500
- 9th-11th Place: 2.5% each - $31,250
- 12th-14th Place: 1.5% each - $18,750
- 15th-16th Place: 1.0% each - $12,500
Total Prize Pool: $1,250,000
PGL Tournament Qualifiers (Not applicable to Cluj-Napoca)
We value community feedback and strive to incorporate it into our events. Following the Cluj-Napoca event, we will host qualifiers based on the format outlined below. The exact dates for the qualifiers will be announced soon. All qualifiers will take place on www.esportal.com.
Open Qualifiers
SA/NA/EUR:
- 4 Open Qualifiers (OQ).
- The top 2 teams from each qualifier progress to the Closed Qualifiers (CQ).
Asia:
- 4 Open Qualifiers.
- The top 4 teams from each qualifier progress to the Closed Qualifiers.
If teams invited to Closed Qualifiers based on VRS decline their invitations and no other teams are eligible for an invite, additional slots will be opened in the Open Qualifiers.
Closed Qualifiers
SA/NA/EUR:
Total Teams: 32
- 8 teams from Open Qualifiers.
- 24 teams invited based on VRS rankings.
Asia:
- 16 teams from Open Qualifiers.
- 16 teams invited based on VRS rankings.
Round 1
- 32 teams divided into 4 groups of 8.
- Each group plays a Double Elimination (DE) bracket, with matches in Best-of-3 (BO3) format.
- The 1st-place team from each group advances to Round 2.
Round 2
- 4 teams compete in a Single Elimination (SE) bracket.
- Matches are Best-of-3 (BO3), with the Grand Final being Best-of-5 (BO5).
- The winner advances to the Main Event.
With the addition of qualifiers to the tournaments, invitations to the Main Tournament will be distributed as follows:
- 12 invites based on VRS
- 1 team from SA Closed Qualifiers
- 1 team from NA Closed Qualifiers
- 1 team from EUR Closed Qualifiers
- 1 team from Asia Closed Qualifiers
Hospitality Support for Each Event – $450,000
PGL is the only company that provides accommodation for 8 people per team, setting a new standard in hospitality for esports events. Each team will benefit from a comprehensive hospitality package that includes:
- Eight roundtrip flight tickets for team members.
- Accommodation for 8 people per team in a minimum 4-star hotel.
- A hospitality package to cover food, beverages, and snacks throughout their stay.
- A practice room equipped for six people, available during their stay.
This extensive support ensures participants can focus entirely on their performance, with all logistics and comfort needs taken care of.