To the delight of Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) esports fans, April kicks off with a thrilling S-Tier event: PGL Bucharest 2025. With 16 incredible teams competing, high production value, and some top commentators on hand, the hype is at a fever pitch.
Our in-depth guide to PGL Bucharest 2025 outlines all essential aspects of the tournament, including teams, format, schedule, prize pool distribution, how to watch the action live, and expert betting predictions. Let’s get to it!
PGL Bucharest 2025 Schedule & Format
PGL Bucharest 2025 runs from April 6 to 13 and features two stages of competition at the PGL Studio in Bucharest, Romania. According to the organizers, the tournament format is designed to ensure fair competition and maximize viewer excitement.
The action begins with a Group Stage featuring one giant 16-team Swiss-system format group. All matches in the Group Stage are best-of-three, with the eight losing teams heading home.
As for the top eight teams, they’ll proceed to the Playoff Stage to compete in a single-elimination bracket. The Quarterfinals and Semifinals of the Playoff Stage are best-of-three, and the Grand Final is best-of-five.
Prize Pool Distribution For PGL Bucharest 2025
The table below outlines how much money each team stands to make at this year’s PGL Bucharest tournament, which has a prize pool of $1.25 million.
| Place | Prize Money | Club Reward |
| 1st | $200,000 | $200,000 |
| 2nd | $93,750 | $93,750 |
| 3rd | $75,000 | $75,000 |
| 4th | $43,750 | $43,750 |
| 5th-8th | $31,250 | $31,250 |
| 9th-11th | $15,625 | $15,625 |
| 12th-14th | $9,375 | $9,375 |
| 15th/16th | $6,250 | $6,250 |
| Total | $625,000 | $625,000 |
How To Watch PGL Bucharest 2025
You can watch all of PGL Bucharest 2025 at Thunderpick in our CS2 betting section. Navigate to the “Live” tab and select any match you want to watch. You’ll see the live stream as well as our bet slip, making it easy to place wagers while enjoying the matches. You can also watch all the action on the PGL Twitch and YouTube channels.
Teams Competing In PGL Bucharest 2025
PGL invited 12 teams based on the Valve Regional Standings (VRS) Global Feb. 25, 2025 update. To round out the lineup, four additional squads qualified through winning their regional events.
You’ll find a list of all 16 teams competing in the PGL Bucharest 2025 tournament below, including whether they were directly invited based on VRS or made it through a qualifier.
- G2 Esports (VRS)
- The MongolZ (VRS)
- FaZe Clan (VRS)
- Eternal Fire (VRS)
- Team Falcons (VRS)
- FURIA Esports (VRS)
- Team Liquid (VRS)
- Virtus.pro (VRS)
- Astralis (VRS)
- GamerLegion (VRS)
- paiN Gaming (VRS)
- 3DMAX (VRS)
- Complexity (North American Qualifier)
- Legacy (South American Qualifier)
- Rare Atom (Asian Qualifier)
- Betclic Apogee Esports (European Qualifier)
Our Predictions For PGL Bucharest 2025
Who’ll step up to the plate and smash the opposition to claim the top spot? That’s what our PGL Bucharest 2025 betting predictions aim to answer. Let’s take a look at the top four contenders and their claims to the throne.
Important note: We didn’t just pull our PGL Bucharest 2025 betting predictions out of a hat. We performed meticulous research based on expected team/player form, a wealth of stats, HLTV World Rankings (March 17), Valve Global Ranking (March 18), and results from recent S-Tier events such as PGL Cluj-Napoca. Our analysis should not be considered betting advice to act upon. Past performances do not guarantee future results. Always gamble responsibly.
Team Falcons
Can Team Falcons soar to the top of the food chain and claim their first S-Tier trophy with Bosnian superstar NiKo? With some of their biggest competition not in attendance, PGL Bucharest 2025 may be the perfect place to claim a top spot.
Team Falcons showed a lot of promise at PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025, finishing second behind an on-form MOUZ. But they then earned a disappointing 9th-11th place finish at ESL Pro League Season 21. Our bold prediction is that Team Falcons will bounce back and secure a victory in Bucharest. They certainly have the firepower to do it.
Team Falcons roster:
- Nikola “NiKo” Kovač
- Emil “Magisk” Reif
- René “TeSeS” Madsen
- Abdulkhalik “degster” Gasanov
- Damjan “kyxsan” Stoilkovski (IGL)
- Danny “zonic” Sørensen (Coach)
G2 Esports
If you’re looking for an intriguing storyline in this tournament, you need to keep an eye on G2 Esports. Why? Well, prodigy moNESY and Guatemalan star malbsMd could face off against their ex-teammate, NiKo, in the finals. That is, of course, if G2 and Team Falcons go all the way.
It is worth noting that G2 hasn’t made it to a final since NiKo’s last dance with the squad at the BLAST Premier World Final 2024. That said, star AWPer moNESY has vowed to become a better player after a poor IEM Katowice 2025 performance.
We predict that G2 Esports will reach their first final of the year and lose a dramatic best-of-five match against Team Falcons. If moNESY is in form, and malbsMd or huNter- can go toe-to-toe with NiKo, G2 Esports could take home the crown.
G2 Esports roster:
- Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov
- Nemanja “huNter-” Kovač
- Mario “malbsMd” Samayoa
- Nikita “HeavyGod” Martynenko
- Janusz “Snax” Pogorzelski (IGL)
- Wiktor “TaZ” Wojtas (Coach)
Eternal Fire
Turkish side Eternal Fire is an absolute powerhouse, ranked 5th in the world by HLTV and 6th by Valve. As one of the highest-ranked teams at PGL Bucharest 2025, Eternal Fire should shine in the Group Stage and the Quarterfinals. However, they may struggle against either Team Falcons or G2 Esports in the Semifinals.
There is hope for the squad, though, and it depends on three key factors: newcomer jottAAA performing well, AWPer woxic finding his form, and XANTARES continuing to dominate. If that happens, Eternal Fire could very well claim the PGL Bucharest 2025 trophy.
Eternal Fire roster:
- İsmailсan “XANTARES” Dörtkardeş
- Ali “Wicadia” Haydar Yalçın
- Özgür “woxic” Eker
- Samet “jottAAA” Köklü
- Engin “MAJ3R” Küpeli
- Sezgin “Fabre” Kalaycı
The MongolZ
Mongolian side The MongolZ continue to impress, slowly climbing through the top 10 world rankings. They haven’t left the top 10 HLTV World Rankings since early December 2024, and they’ve earned impressive placements at S-Tier events. To say they’re the best-performing team from the Asia region feels like an understatement.
The MongolZ get better in every tournament, play more cohesively, and click heads more accurately. As evidenced by their 3rd/4th place finishes at IEM Katowice 2025 and ESL Pro League Season 21, they’re a true force on the server. We wouldn’t expect anything less than a top-four finish at PGL Bucharest from the TWC 2024 winners.
The MongolZ roster:
- Sodbayar “Techno4K” Munkhbold
- Usukhbayar “910” Banzragch
- Ayush “mzinho” Batbold
- Azbayar “Senzu” Munkhbold
- Garidmagnai “bLitz” Byambasuren (IGL)
- Erdenedalai “maaRaa” Bayanbat (Coach)
Final Thoughts on PGL Bucharest 2025
PGL Bucharest is shaping up to be an unforgettable CS2 event featuring elite teams battling it out for bragging rights and some serious cash. While we have our eye on powerhouses like G2 Esports and Team Falcons gunning for the title, we also know anything can happen in these tournaments. That’s especially true when the teams are so evenly matched and facing off in a single-elimination format.
Stay tuned to Thunderpick for live streams, the latest odds, and your chance to bet on the matches as they happen. Just head over to our CS2 section to get started today!
Always practice Responsible Gambling and check out our latest promo offers and boosts. T&Cs apply. 18+ to play.