Tournament organizer PGL has officially announced its upcoming Counter-Strike 2 event — PGL Bucharest 2026. The tournament will take place from April 3 to 13, 2026, at the PGL Studio in Bucharest, Romania. A total of 16 teams will compete, with 12 teams receiving direct invites and 4 more earning their spots through Open and Closed Qualifiers. The tournament boasts a total prize pool of $1,250,000 and is set to be one of the most important events of the CS2 season.
Regional Qualifier Rules
Qualifiers will be held across three main regions: Europe, the Americas (NA/SA), and Asia.
Europe / NA / SA:
- 2 Open Qualifiers per region (February 14–17)
- Top 2 teams from each qualifier advance (4 teams total)
- 4 additional teams will receive invites based on regional VRS
- 8 teams will compete in each Closed Qualifier
- Format: Double Elimination, all matches BO3, Grand Final BO5
Asia is divided into three sub-regions – Oceania, West Asia, East Asia:
- 2 teams invited via Asian VRS + 2 from Open Qualifier
- Total of 4 teams per sub-region
- Format: Double Elimination, BO3
- The winner from each region qualifies for the Asia Final
Asia Final:
- 3 teams total
- Format: Round Robin, BO3
- Matches continue until a clear winner is determined (additional rounds possible in case of ties)
Participation Requirements, Invites, and Disciplinary Rules
- Invites for Closed Qualifiers will be based on each region’s VRS ranking (Europe, Americas, Asia).
- VRS publication date for invites: February 2, 2026, after which invitations will be sent based on ranking.
- VRS publication date for seeding: March 2, 2026
To accept a direct invite, at least three players must remain on the roster from the invite date. If a team fails to obtain necessary visas, their slot will be passed to the next eligible team in the ranking. Teams with Valve-banned players will automatically lose their invite.
All players, teams, organizers, and tournament staff must not have financial, managerial, or business ties with any other competing team. If such ties are discovered without prior approval from Valve, the tournament operator must resolve the conflict within two weeks, or Valve may terminate the agreement. All potential conflicts must be publicly disclosed and approved by Valve.
PGL reserves the right to disqualify any team or player in the following cases:
- Use of cheats or third-party software
- Match-fixing or manipulation of outcomes
- Failure to respond to the invitation in time
- Failure to submit a full lineup (minimum 5 players, 1 coach, 1 substitute) by the specified deadline
PGL Bucharest 2026: A Chance to Make History
PGL Bucharest 2026 promises to be one of the year’s biggest tournaments in the CS2 scene. A balanced qualification system, clear invitation rules, and a significant prize pool create the perfect environment for fair and competitive play.
For teams, it’s not only a chance to compete for $1.25 million, but also to make their mark on the international stage. And for fans — an unforgettable spectacle in the legendary PGL Studio at the heart of Europe.
Source: press.pglesports.com
