After an intense showdown in Cluj-Napoca that saw MOUZ becoming champions, PGL is ready to host its second international Counter-Strike 2 event of the year, PGL Bucharest 2025. A total of 16 teams will take the stage at the PGL Studio from April 6th to 13th to compete for glory and a massive $1,250,000 (~£966,018) prize pool.
With MOUZ’s absence, Team Falcons will be aiming to lift the trophy this time, while FaZe Clan will be seeking revenge after being denied a spot in the Cluj-Napoca Grand Final by Team Falcons. As the hype builds up, here is everything you need to know about PGL Bucharest 2025.
PGL Bucharest 2025 Format and Prize Distribution
The 12 invited teams and four qualified teams will begin their journey in the Swiss Stage, with the top eight advancing to the Playoffs, featuring a single-elimination bracket. All matches will be best-of-three, except for the best-of-five Grand Final.
The opening day of the tournament will kick off at 10 AM EST / 7 AM GMT / 9 AM CET and the starting matchups have already been revealed:
The PGL Bucharest 2025 winner will take home $400,000 (~£309,126), while the runner-up will receive $187,500 (~£144,902). Here’s the complete prize pool distribution:
| 1st | $400,000 (~£308,920) | 5th-8th | $62,500 (~£48,269) |
| 2nd | $187,500 (~£144,094) | 9th-11th | $31,250 (~£24,134) |
| 3rd | $150,000 (~£115,845) | 12th-14th | $18,750 (~£14,409) |
| 4th | $87,500 (~£67,282) | 15th-16th | $12,500 (~£9,654) |
Teams and Players to Watch
Nikola ‘NiKo‘ Kovač played a crucial role in helping Team Falcons secure a runner-up finish at PGL Cluj-Napoca. However, the team has struggled after that, underperforming at both BLAST Open Spring and ESL Pro League Season 21. Now, with top contenders like Spirit and Vitality not playing in PGL Bucharest, this could be their chance to make a strong comeback.
Meanwhile, Team Liquid recently parted ways with head coach Torbjørn ‘mithR‘ Nyborg following a disappointing run so far this season. As the organisation looks for a replacement, it will be interesting to see how the team performs under the guidance of analyst Jay ‘Demars DeRover‘ Li, stepping in as the temporary head coach.
Invited Teams
- G2 Esports
- The MongolZ
- Faze Clan
- Eternal Fire
- Team Falcons
- Team Liquid
- FURIA
- Virtus.pro
- GamerLegion
- 3DMAX
- Astralis
- paiN Gaming
Qualified Teams
- Apogee Esports
- Complexity
- Legacy
- Rare Atom
How to Watch PGL Bucharest 2025
Unlike PGL Cluj-Napoca, PGL Bucharest will not feature a live audience. However, fans can catch all the action live on PGL’s official Twitch and YouTube channels.
Apart from this, multiple content creators like Mark ‘ohnePixel‘ Zimmermann and Erik ‘fl0m‘ Flom will also be co-streaming the event, providing a community space to watch the matches together.
