PGL has shared major changes to the CS2 circuits for 2025 and 2026, including a new event venue and changes to the tournament format. The initial schedule for 2025 that was released in August has been tweaked due to practicalities and to improve the experience for teams and spectators.
Buenos Aires was replaced by Cluj-Napoca
The most significant shift is the switch of the Buenos Aires event to Cluj-Napoca, Romania. The new event will include live playoffs at the BT Arena. As per PGL, this change is concerning travel as most of the leading teams compete in European tournaments prior to or after PGL tournaments. The revised 2025 schedule now looks like this:
- PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025: February 14–23
- PGL Bucharest 2025: April 5–13
- PGL Astana 2025: May 10–18
- PGL Belgrade 2025: October 25–November 2
Similarly, the 2026 schedule reflects the same change, ensuring a consistent structure for the circuit:
- PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026: February 12–22
- PGL Bucharest 2026: April 2–12
- PGL Astana 2026: May 7–17
- PGL TBD: August 6–16
- PGL TBD: October 1–11
- PGL Belgrade 2026: October 22–November 1
Although this decision may be a letdown for some Counter-Strike fans in South America, PGL’s decision is more beneficial in terms of scheduling and participation of the best teams.
Prize Pool and Distribution Changes
PGL has also committed itself to paying out the prize money within two weeks of the event’s completion. This commitment provides financial certainty for the organisations that are involved. The updated prize distribution for each event’s $1.25 million pool 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
New Playoffs and Format
PGL’s 2025 circuit will have eight-team playoff brackets, which are unique to Tier 1 events, and a third-place playoff match. This change not only increases the competitive pressure but also has a greater significance because it affects Valve Regional Standings.
Playoffs will follow this schedule:
- Friday: Four Quarterfinals
- Saturday: One Showmatch and Two Semifinals
- Sunday: Third-Place Decider and Grand Final (Best-of-5)
Open and Closed Qualifiers
All PGL tournaments will have Open Qualifiers beginning with the February 2025 Cluj-Napoca event. These will go to regional Closed Qualifiers, which will give teams from all over the globe an opportunity to qualify for the main tournaments. The final tournament invitations will be distributed as follows:
- 12 teams: Via Valve Regional Standings
- 1 team each: From South America, North America, Europe, and Asia Closed Qualifiers
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