PGL will also introduce eight-team playoffs and commit to making payments within two weeks of an event’s conclusion.
PGL has announced updates for the 2025-2026 season. Notably, the tournament initially set to take place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, has moved to Cluj-Napoca, Romania. The event will now take place on February 14-23, and the playoffs will be held at the BT Arena.
Schedule
PGL’s events for 2025 are now:
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
* PGL will also run Perfect World’s international broadcast for CS Asia Championship on October 1-13, 2025.
PGL’s events for 2026 will be:
PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026: February 12-22
PGL Bucharest 2026: April 2-12
PGL Astana 2026: May 7-17
PGL TBD (location announcement soon): August 6-16
PGL TBD (location announcement soon): October 1-11
PGL Belgrade 2026: October 22-November 1
Qualifiers
Community feedback made PGL rethink its invite policy, and the tournament organizer has now introduced Open Qualifiers to all of its events after Cluj-Napoca. They will be hosted on the Esportal platform, which the Romanian TO recently acquired.
Open Qualifiers
SA/NA/EU:
Four Open Qualifiers.
The top two teams from each qualifier progress to the Closed Qualifiers.
Asia:
Four Open Qualifiers.
The top 4 teams from each qualifier progress to the Closed Qualifiers.
* If teams invited to the Closed Qualifiers based on VRS decline their invitations and no other teams are eligible for an invite, additional slots will be opened in the Open Qualifiers.
Closed Qualifiers
SA/NA/EU:
32 teams.
8 teams from Open Qualifiers.
24 teams invited based on VRS rankings.
Asia:
16 teams from Open Qualifiers.
16 teams invited based on VRS rankings.
CQ Round 1
32 teams divided into four groups of 8 teams.
Each group plays a Double Elimination bracket with a Best-of-3 format.
The 1st-place team from each group advances to Round 2.
CQ Round 2
4 teams compete in a Single Elimination bracket.
Matches are Best-of-3, with a Best-of-5 Grand Final.
The winner advances to the Main Event.
Invites
With the addition of qualifiers, invitations to the main tournament will be distributed as follows:
12 invites based on VRS
1 team from SA Closed Qualifiers
1 team from NA Closed Qualifiers
1 team from EU Closed Qualifiers
1 team from Asia Closed Qualifiers
Playoffs
PGL has also announced that its events will have eight-team playoffs and third-place decider matches, straying from other organizers’ progressive brackets.
PGL’s playoff schedule will be:
Friday: Four quarterfinals
Saturday: One showmatch and two semifinals
Sunday: Third-place decider and final (Bo5)
Prize pool and payments
PGL will also continue its commitment to paying teams out in a timely manner, stating that payouts will be made within two weeks of an event’s conclusion as long as invoices are submitted promptly.
The $1,250,000 prize pool distribution for each tournament will be the following:
1. $400,000 (32.0%)
2. $187,500 (15.0%)
3. $150,000 (12.0%)
4. $87,500 (7.0%)
5-8. $62,500 (5.0% each)
9-11. $31,250 (2.5% each)
12-14. $18,750 (1.5% each)
15-16. $12,500 (1.0% each)
On top of the prize money, PGL will provide hospitality packages to teams attending their events, offering:
Eight roundtrip flight tickets for team members.
Accommodation for 8 people per team in a minimum 4-star hotel.
A hospitality package to cover food, beverages, and snacks throughout their stay.
A practice room equipped for six people, available during their stay.
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