PGL Bucharest: the action heats up as the top teams start to show up

G2 and FaZe Clan lead the line, but are they indeed the favorites? Read on to find out this and much more about the upcoming PGL Bucharest Counter-Strike 2 tournament.

PGL tournament circuit, explained

Having been founded in 1997, PGL, or the Professional Gamers League, is one of the longest-running tournament operators in gaming. While their involvement with CS over Global Offensive was limited, they established a full-fledged tournament circuit for the new open era. PGL Bucharest is its second event.

What is the PGL Bucharest tournament schedule and format?

PGL Bucharest will take place between April 6 and April 13. The tournament format is identical to that of PGL Cluj-Napoca: a sixteen-team, five-round Swiss bracket for the group stage, with best-of-three matches throughout, and a single-elimination playoff with a best-of-five grand final. There is also a third-place decider match.

Unlike Cluj, however, the prize pool is earmarked at $625,000, half of the previous event – this is because of the agreements PGL reached with the participating teams, who wanted to secure appearance fees rather than a more merit-based prize pool with larger chunks of it going to the players. This is commonplace in the current CS esports environment, and ESL and BLAST offer the same incentives – they, however, maintain it as part of the prize pool.

The prize pool portion is distributed according to finishing positions in the following breakdown:

• 1st place: $200,000
• 2nd place: $93,750
• 3rd place: $75,000
• 4th place: $43,750
• 5th-8th place: $31,250 each
• 9th-11th place: $15,625 each
• 12th-14th place: $9,375 each
• 15th-16th place: $6,250 each

All PGL CS2 events feature an open qualifier pathway, with 12 VRS invites and one team from each of the main regions (Europe, North America, South America, and Asia) participating. Cluj-Napoca was the only exception to this, with 16 directly invited squads.

Which Counter-Strike teams skipped PGL Bucharest?

Having resolved their standoff with the biggest teams in the space – brought about on account of PGL’s decision to distribute prize money in a different way than fellow tournament organizers – many of the big teams are now participating in their upcoming tournaments, but it is quite close to a straight clash with IEM Melbourne on account of travel time, meaning there are some notable outliers.

First of all, there is no Team Vitality, so some other team might have a chance to win. No MOUZ, either, who are among one of the most on-form teams right now, and also championship contenders. Copenhagen Major winners NAVI also controversially skipped another PGL event right in their backyard and opted to fly for Melbourne instead for IEM’s event. Team Spirit, of donk fame, are also going to be missing in action. The rest of the top ten, however, are present and correct, making this a stacked event well worth watching for CS2 esports fans and bettors.

PGL Bucharest 2025 teams and players – and expectations

G2 Esports

(huNter-, NiKo, m0NESY, malbsMd, Snax)
#2 in the February 3 Valve global rankings

If there’s ever a proof that VRS rankings are a lagging indicator, G2 are the epitome of it. Just a month and half after February, when they still had results from NiKo’s stint to lean on, they are down to seventh in the HLTV and VRS rankings alike, as it is becoming more and more clear that the team’s calling and in-game leading aspects are sorely lacking, and while they are still very much capable of the individual monster game, there just isn’t enough consistency and tactical depth in this squad to make deep runs and challenge for tournament titles. The tilt factor also does not help.

The MongolZ

(bLitz, Techno, Senzu, mzinho, 910)
#3 in the February 3 Valve global rankings

While The MongolZ disappointed in the previous PGL tournament in Cluj-Napoca, where they fumbled the on-form favorites designation and only made it to a quarterfinal finish, they made it to the semis of the significantly more stacked ESL Pro League Season 21 soon thereafter, proving once again their longevity and relevance at the highest levels of play, so much so that a top eight finish at BLAST Open Spring almost feels like a disappointment. Once again, this PGL tournament sees them as one of the strongest squads around, and you’d hope that the slowly accumulating arena experience would see them make the leap to title challenger designation. In this field, they should still be seen as the favorites.

FaZe Clan

(karrigan, rain, broky, frozen, EliGE)
#5 in the February 3 Valve global rankings

If we continue to shit-talk G2 in these columns, we also need to man up and admit that this FaZe Clan side ain’t it either, and they are understandably behind m0NESY and co. in the current HLTV and VRS rankings. While frozen did benefit from the role adjustments that came in the wake of ropz’s departure, the rest of the team feels less than the sum of its parts. EliGE is still lacking confidence in his positions, and inconsistencies continue to creep into the games of karrigan and rain. As for broky, he has long been too mercurial to be considered a truly elite AWPer, and his unreliable performances often cost his team in critical mid-rounds. Sporting a 1.05 rating with the big green is simply not good enough. It’s just tough to see what kind of internal change would turn this team around. What was once a “no one seems worth cutting” situation is quickly slipping into “you could cut almost anyone here” at a rapid pace.

Eternal Fire

(jottA, MAJ3R, Wicadia, woxic, XANTARES)
#7 in the February 3 Valve global rankings

The Turkish side has now fully established itself as a playoffs team thanks to their decision to replace Calyx with the young jottA. Title runs are still beyond them, however, and it feels like both the tactical playbook and the mental fortitude on display are a step below that of the absolute elite. That is still more than enough to make them a real dark horse team – and one that is very fun to watch – but you could never really rely on just your aim to consistently win titles in Counter-Strike esports, as evidenced by the relative struggles of this side at the business end of tournaments. At the time of writing, they climbed to fifth place in the latest VRS and HLTV rankings alike, a designation they seem more than worthy of.

Team Falcons

(NiKo, Magisk, TeSeS, degster, kyxsan)
#9 in the February 3 Valve global rankings

Falcons’ Counter-Strike superteam? More like LUL. One of the few top teams to have held their VRS ranking throughout the last month and a half, Falcons is exactly what the topline numbers would suggest: a team that mostly struggles to make playoffs but has the capacity for the occasional deep run courtesy of the star power of NiKo. But evidently, this is yet another roster iteration that will never challenge for the biggest titles in the game. Here, in Bucharest, they might have a chance for a good run – their best-ever performances with this side came at the previous PGL event, after all, where some of the top teams were also missing in action.

Team Liquid

(jks, NAF, NertZ, Twistzz, ultimate)
#9 in the February 3 Valve global rankings

With every passing tournament, it is becoming more clear that Twistzz is wasted in the in-game leader role. The team’s lack of tactical depth was also evidenced by their long overdue coaching change, where they finally moved on from mithR, a man who was maligned by many in the community for offering little more than swear-infused hype calls. With rumors suggesting that the org is targeting ousted MOUZ IGL siuhy, this is likely a dead roster walking. Even if the move doesn’t come through, the recognition that they need a change in the leadership department is a good one – and no doubt limits what remaining potential Twistzz had in the role. Playing with freedom can come with its advantages – but this squad simply doesn’t have enough in the tank to go on a Last Dance-esque run.

FURIA Esports

(FalleN, chelo, yuurih, KSCERATO, skullz)
#10 in the February 3 Valve global rankings

There are only so many ways to say that FalleN is past it, and KSCERATO is wasting his career, so why try again? This is another roster crying for a change, and it’s now reached the point where it feels like the org values marketing considerations over sporting excellence in the Counter-Strike department. That can be a very valid and rational economic choice – just don’t expect anything better than a group stage exit and some true stinkers along the way.

Virtus.pro

(electroNic, FL1T, fame, FL4MUS, ICY)
#12 in the February 3 Valve global rankings

VP’s spotty tournament attendance has made them a bit of an enigma in the winter (going out at the first hurdle from the BLAST Bounty Spring qualifiers, making playoffs at IEM Katowice, then a group stage exit Cluj-Napoca, while also skipping ESL Pro League), and while that is still the case somewhat, the mysteries are beginning to be solved, and the level displayed by the other top teams is simply so high that VP don’t seem like a realistic contender, not even in this diminished field. While their lower bracket final finish at BLAST Open Spring might seem somewhat impressive on paper, the wins over FaZe and Falcons, both diminished sides, followed by a straightforward loss to Team Spirit, don’t suggest much.

GamerLegion

(sl3nd, ztr, Tauson, PR, REZ)
#13 in the February 3 Valve global rankings

GamerLegion’s coach, ashhh, continues to find gold in every stream he looks. While GL is not a title contender by any means, they consistently keep punching above their weight and unearthing exciting talent. While the team has not yet participated in many events this year – an early exit at BLAST Bounty, a lower bracket finals loss at IEM Katowice and a 9-11th finish at ESL One Pro League Season 21 after a strong start – this is exactly the sort of squad where you would expect to see significant benefits of extended time off in this kind of coaching environment. Playoffs bound? More than possible.

3DMAX

(bodyy, Maka, Lucky, Ex3rcice, Graviti)
#14 in the February 3 Valve global rankings

9-12th seems to be the name of the game for 3DMAX, who finished there in their last three significant tournaments. Ultimately, the bodyy pickup turned out to be more than just a side grade, and the team is still very much within a shout for direct Major qualification – but it is going to be close, and if you ever needed extra motivation to go a bit beyond, this would be it. In the current Valve rankings, they are all the way up to tenth, though HLTV has them at number #14 – these small things could make all the difference when it comes to a spot in Austin.

Astralis

(device, cadiaN, stavn, jabbi, Staehr)
#15 in the February 3 Valve global rankings

It shows how far Astralis have fallen that they would not have even received a direct invitation to this event had it not been for the rejections from some of the top dogs. You could point to the team’s unexpected third-place finish in Cluj-Napoca as a good sign of improvement, but I would like to counter with their abysmal joint-last finish in Lisbon. It’s not just the losses – defeats to Vitality and FaZe Clan could be argued away – but the performances: rudderless and meek, never breaking the 7-round barrier on any of the four maps played. It feels like a silent implosion has already happened.

paiN Gaming

(biguzera, dav1deuS, nqz, snow, TBD)
#15 in the February 3 Valve global rankings

For a while now, paiN have been among the more impressive Brazilian outfits in CS2 esports, but there was a clear and quite hard ceiling on their prospects. With the benching of kauez and no replacement announced at the time of writing, it is tough to tell which way this team will go – but expect something temporary and puggy in Bucharest for the time being, with a potentially subpar showing such a playbook often implies. The impressive qualities of biguzera notwithstanding, this probably won’t be an event to remember for paiN fans.

Apogee Esports

(Prism, hypex, Demho, hfah, jcobbb)
European qualifier winners

A recent addition to the CS2 scene, Apogee entered the esport last August and has entirely revamped their lineup heading into the new year, so there is little tangible to go on. They did beat out multiple more established teams in the qualifier – HEROIC, OG, and BetBoom Team come to mind – beating the latter two directly in the playoffs and also scoring notable wins over NiP and Fnatic along the way. They are underdogs for sure but with clear surprise potential.

Complexity

(JT, Grim, hallzerk, Cxzi, nick)
North American qualifier winners

While it is admirable that Complexity aim to maintain their North American roots, it clearly comes at the expense of potential in the servers. With EliGE gone, the team has little to offer firepower-wise, and the tactics are also aren’t there to compensate. Couple this with one of the more disappointing professional AWPers in the form of hallzerk, and it’s a recipe for a 0-3 finish. The one flash of brightness: a comprehensive 3-0 win in the qualifier grand finals over Wildcard.

Legacy

(latto, dumau, saadzin, n1ssim, lux)
South American qualifier winners

One of the lesser Brazilian sides, Legacy earned their spot through the qualifier in a thrilling 3-2 grand final over 9z Team, their only somewhat notable scalp throughout the run. It is worth noting that not even this five-mapper ended up on Train – which they immediately banned –, so don’t expect big map curveballs from this side.

Rare Atom

(somebody, Summer, L1haNg, ChildKing, kaze)
Asian qualifier winners

Ranked #34 in the world, mostly thanks to their Shanghai Major appearance – where they only got the one win over a floundering Fnatic despite the monstrous crowd buff – Rare Atom likely won’t threaten anyone else in this competition.

Conclusion

PGL Bucharest is the second event of the organizers’ new CS2 tournament circuit, and thanks to the agreements they found, it features more of the top teams than Cluj-Napoca did. Teams in the middle of the pack will be fighting hard for VRS points and the last direct Major invitation spots. In terms of name recognition, G2 and FaZe are the biggest draws, but there is a good argument to be made that The MongolZ and Eternal Fire are the real favorites this time around.

The action begins on April 6, so make sure to tune in and check out the Bitsler blog for more information about esports. In the meantime, why not create an account to explore everything Bitsler has to offer?