PGL unveils more details on their 2025-26 CS2 calendar

PGL has announced the invite dates, playoffs format, prize pool payment dates and locations for the events in their Counter-Strike 2 calendar for 2025 and 2026. PGL's first event in 2025 was supposed to take place in Argentina but has been moved to Cluj-Napoca.

PGL's CS2 events in 2025 will take us to Cluj-Napoca, Bucharest, Belgrade and one comparatively uncharted venue for Counter-Strike- the scenic city of Astana in Kazakhstan. Alongside their LANs, PGL will also act as the media partner outside for Perfect World outside China during the CS Asia Championships 2025.

The first part of 2026 nearly mirrors 2025's calendar in terms of PGL events but two new ones are added in August and October with their venues yet to be revealed. As of now PGL's 2026 closes with their LAN in Belgrade.

PGL have also mentioned a revamped playoffs structure that involved eight teams. This playoffs structure will be followed throughout PGL's events in 2025 and 2026. The structure also normalizes a dedicated third-place decider match. PGL also went on to claim that their prize pool payments would go out within a couple of weeks from the tournament's finish date, given that they receive all supporting documents in a timely manner.

PGL's events are set to carry prize pools of $1,250,000 USD each with the winner taking home $400,000 USD. Following their Cluj-Napoca event, PGL will host open qualifiers for all their other events. Asia gets four open qualifiers with the top four teams from each qualifier advancing to the closed qualifier.

Asian closed qualifiers will run in two phases where the first starts with 16 teams from the open qualifier and 16 teams invited based on the Valve Regional Standings. 32 Teams split across four groups will play double-elimination brackets with the winner of each bracket advancing to the next phase.

The next phase will host a single-elimination bracket with a bo5 grand-final and sends the winner straight to the main event. The main event accommodates one team each from South American, North American, European and Asian closed qualifiers alongside 12 other teams invited based on VRS.