On February 14, the PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025 Counter-Strike tournament kicks off in Romania, marking PGL’s first non-Major CS:GO event in quite some time. Sixteen of the top teams from around the world will battle it out for a prize pool of $1,250,000. Among the contenders are big names like FaZe Clan, Team Falcons, and MOUZ, along with rising stars The MongolZ and Eternal Fire, who’ve been in fantastic form since the start of the year. A standout is the Imperial Female roster, the only all-female team in the tournament.
PGL
Until now, PGL has mostly focused on hosting the biggest Counter-Strike Major tournaments, which are considered the most prestigious events in the game’s esports history. They were behind some of the most iconic Majors, like PGL Major Stockholm 2021, PGL Major Antwerp 2022, and PGL Major Copenhagen 2024. However, in 2025, PGL has decided to branch out and launch its own series of non-Major CS:GO events, already announcing 11 tournaments across Eastern Europe and other regions through 2026. This expansion was made possible by the new professional scene ecosystem implemented by Valve, which has provided tournament organizers with more opportunities to host high-level competitions.
The decision to host more non-Major events seems to be a strategic one, as early 2025 Counter-Strike tournaments have seen exceptional viewership numbers. For example, BLAST Premier Bounty Season 1 2025 became the most-watched event in BLAST Premier history. While IEM Katowice 2025 broke records as the most popular non-Major tournament, surpassing all previous CS:GO events held in Poland in terms of viewers. This suggests that PGL is confident Counter-Strike will remain at the top of the esports scene for years to come.
The PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025 tournament will be streamed in multiple languages and available on several platforms, including Twitch, YouTube, Kick, and Facebook. The event will run from February 14-23, with a group stage followed by a single-elimination playoff bracket. A new addition to the format is a third-place match before the Grand Final, which is a first for PGL tournaments.
