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PGL announces Counter-Strike tournaments for 2025-26
PGL has announced its 2025 and 2026 CS2 tournament schedule, offering players a glimpse of what to expect in the coming years. As CS2 transitions to a more open competitive scene in 2025, other tournament organizers, including StarLadder, have also confirmed their return to Counter-Strike, ending the long-standing dominance of ESL and BLAST.
In their press release, the tournament organizer emphasized that this shift marks a crucial turning point in esports, aiming to democratize event organization and cultivate a more vibrant and diverse competitive scene.
"This change represents a pivotal moment in the evolution of esports" PGL stated, highlighting their commitment to fostering a broader and more inclusive environment for competitors and organizers alike.
PGL’s new schedule will bring Counter-Strike to various locations worldwide, many of which are new to the Tier 1 scene.
2025 Tournament Lineup:
- PGL on FiRe Buenos Aires 2025: February 13th – 23rd at Teatro Gran Rex
- PGL Bucharest 2025: April 3rd – 13th at PGL Studios
- PGL Astana 2025: May 8th – 18th at Barys Arena
- PGL Belgrade 2025: October 23rd – November 2nd at Belgrade Arena
- PW CAC 2025: October 1st – 23rd, location TBD (Organized by Perfect World, with PGL as the media partner outside China)
2026 Tournament Lineup:
- PGL on FiRe Buenos Aires 2026: February 12th – 22nd at Estadio Mary Terán de Weiss
- PGL Bucharest 2026: April 2nd – 12th at PGL Studios
- PGL Astana 2026: May 7th – 17th at Barys Arena
- PGL Belgrade 2026: August 6th – 16th at Belgrade Arena
- PGL on FiRe São Paulo 2026: October 1st – 11th, location TBD
- PGL Barcelona 2026: October 22nd – November 1st, location TBD
PGL has clarified that these events will not feature Open Qualifiers due to the packed schedule in the coming years. Instead, teams will be selected based on the Global Valve Rankings, following the rulebook effective from 2025. Each event will feature a prize pool distributed as follows:
- 1st place: $425,000
- 2nd place: $150,000
- 3rd-4th place: $125,000
- 5th-8th place: $62,500
- 9th-11th place: $31,250
- 12th-14th place: $18,750
- 15th-16th place: $12,500
Each 16-team event will offer a Major-level prize pool of $1.25 million and a $450,000 budget for hospitality, covering tickets, accommodation for eight people, meals, and six-person practice rooms for each invited team. These events will also be classified as 'Ranked' in accordance with Valve's new rulebook.
Tournament Format:
Group Stage
- 16-team Swiss System Format
- All matches are best-of-three
- Top eight teams advance to Playoffs
Playoffs
- Single-elimination format
- Quarterfinals and Semifinals are best-of-three
- Grand Final is best-of-five
PGL also noted that while these are the confirmed tournaments for 2025 and 2026, they may organize additional events if new opportunities arise.
Featured Image source: PGL
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