PGL Masters Bucharest 2026: teams, format and prize money
Sixteen CS2 teams are in Bucharest for the 24 to 31 October LAN. Here is how the Swiss stage leads into the playoffs, and how PGL divides the $1.25 million total.
Bucharest reaches the end of its scheduled Swiss stage
PGL Masters Bucharest 2026 runs from 24 to 31 October at PGL Studio Bucharest, with the organiser’s published schedule putting 28 October on the final day of the group stage before playoffs scheduled for 29 to 31 October.
All sixteen teams play the main event on LAN in the studio. This October Masters event has its own page and schedule, separate from PGL’s earlier Bucharest tournament in April. You’ll want the October Masters page when looking up a broadcast or a result. Searching only for “PGL Bucharest 2026” can bring back both events.
Who is in the field
PGL’s published list includes 9z Globant, Aurora Gaming, BetBoom Team, DENDELE, FURIA, FUT Esports, G2 Esports and Legacy. Team Liquid, MOUZ, Natus Vincere, Nemiga, Team Spirit, The MongolZ, TYLOO and Team Vitality complete the sixteen.
The 19 October roster announcement names ZywOo, ropz and apEX in Vitality’s lineup, donk and sh1ro for Spirit, and FalleN alongside KSCERATO and yuurih for FURIA. Those published lineups are a useful starting point for following the tournament. Any later substitution belongs with the organiser’s updated match information.
The format changes after the top-eight cut
The group stage uses a Swiss format, with every series played as a best of three. Eight teams advance to a single-elimination playoff bracket. The Grand Final is a best of five.
Teams face several opponents in Swiss, while a playoff series loss ends their tournament. The finalists then need three map wins to take the title, compared with two in a group-stage series.
The $1.25 million total has two equal halves
PGL lists $1,250,000 in total winnings, divided into $625,000 in prize money and $625,000 in club rewards, with the winner allocated $225,000 from each half for a combined $450,000 and the runner-up receiving $100,000 from each.
PGL publishes separate prize-money and club-reward columns for every placement. The $1.25 million headline combines both columns. It should not be confused with the winner’s $450,000 combined allocation.
Where to follow the remaining matches
PGL links its official YouTube and Twitch channels from the event site. Use the Masters Bucharest page to check the match schedule and find the current broadcast.
The published schedule has the eight-team playoffs running from 29 to 31 October, after the Swiss stage ends on 28 October. A series loss in that bracket ends the team’s run.
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