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PGL has officially confirmed a major update to its Counter-Strike 2 calendar for 2026, with the organiser relocating its planned Belgrade event to Romania. The tournament will now be known as PGL Masters Bucharest, taking place in Bucharest later that year with a $1.25 million prize pool on the line.

The announcement, shared on December 22, 2025, also locks in dates, qualifier formats, Valve Regional Standings invites, and a detailed integrity framework for teams and players.

Event Dates, Location, and Prize Pool

PGL Masters Bucharest 2026 will run from October 24 to October 31, 2026, slightly adjusted from its original October to November window. While the tournament was initially scheduled to be hosted in Belgrade, Serbia, it will instead be played in PGL’s Bucharest studio, continuing a trend seen with previous PGL events.

The total prize pool for the Tier 1 CS2 event stands at $1.25 million, underlining PGL’s ongoing commitment to top level Counter-Strike competition.

The main event will be played on LAN, while all qualifiers will be held online.

Team Invites and Valve Regional Standings

A total of 12 teams will receive direct invites to the main event, all drawn from the Global Valve Regional Standings.

Key invite details include:

  • Invites issued based on the July 6, 2026 VRS
  • Main event seeding determined using the October 5, 2026 VRS
  • Invites begin rolling out from July 6, 2026

If a team fails to respond to an invite within the deadline, the slot will automatically pass to the next eligible team in the VRS rankings.

Qualifier Schedule and Regional Breakdown

Alongside the direct invites, four additional teams will qualify through regional competitions.

Open and Closed Qualifiers

  • Open Qualifiers: September 3 to 6, 2026
  • Closed Qualifiers: September 9 to 13, 2026

Europe, Americas, and South America

  • Two open qualifiers per region
  • Top two teams from each open qualifier advance
  • Four additional VRS invited teams per region
  • Eight team closed qualifiers
  • Double elimination format
  • Best of three matches, with a best of five grand final
  • Winner of each closed qualifier earns a main event slot

Asia and Oceania

Asia is split into Oceania, West Asia, and East Asia sub regions:

  • Two VRS invited teams per sub region
  • One open qualifier per sub region, with the top two advancing
  • Four team closed qualifier per sub region
  • Double elimination, best of three
  • One team from each sub region advances to the Asia Final

The Asia Final features three teams:

  • Number two vs number three in a best of three
  • Winner faces the number one seed in a best of five
  • One team qualifies for the main event

Tournament Format at Bucharest

Once underway, the main event will feature:

  • A Swiss system group stage, best of three
  • A single elimination playoff bracket, best of three
  • A best of five Grand Final

The format mirrors other recent PGL events and aligns closely with the structure used at major international CS tournaments.

Integrity Rules and Competitive Compliance

PGL has also outlined strict integrity requirements for all participants.

Teams and players must confirm they have no conflicts of interest, including shared ownership, management, loans, or licensing agreements with other competing teams. Any business entanglements involving tournament staff must be disclosed to Valve and publicly announced, with Valve retaining the right to demand changes or terminate agreements.

Disqualifications may be issued for:

  • Use of cheats, hacks, or third party software
  • Match fixing or attempted manipulation
  • Failure to submit a valid roster of at least five players, one coach, and one substitute
  • Valve bans impacting roster eligibility
  • Visa related withdrawals after accepting a direct invite

If visa issues prevent participation, the invite will be passed to the next eligible team in the VRS rankings.

A Familiar Stage for PGL

Bucharest is no stranger to hosting elite Counter-Strike events. The city previously hosted PGL Masters Bucharest 2024, where Aurora Gaming claimed the title. The return reinforces Romania’s growing role in the global CS2 circuit.

This move is also part of wider calendar adjustments made by PGL to avoid clashes with other major tournaments across 2026.

PGL’s Busy CS2 Year Ahead

Beyond its October event, PGL has a packed schedule lined up for 2026. The organiser is set to host three Tier 1 CS2 events between February and May, before closing the year with a Counter-Strike 2 Major in Singapore.

PGL has also partnered with Secretlab for the 2026 season, with the gaming furniture brand providing stage and practice setups across all PGL Counter-Strike and Dota 2 events.

With dates confirmed, invites clarified, and qualifiers locked in, PGL Masters Bucharest 2026 is shaping up to be one of the most important CS2 tournaments of the year.