Today, we’re talking about PGL Masters Bucharest 2025 – a big LAN tournament that will take place in Romania from October 24 to November 1. Sixteen teams will battle for a massive $1,250,000 prize pool.

But what really makes this event stand out isn’t just the money – it’s the chaos and unpredictability it promises. Unlike most top events, this one won’t feature every Tier-1 giant. Instead, it’s filled with strong Tier-2 and rising teams hungry to prove themselves. That mix often leads to upsets, close matches, and surprising storylines.

Format

Group Stage:

• 16 teams
• Swiss System Format
• All matches are Best of 3
• Top 8 teams advance to playoffs

Playoffs:

• Single-elimination bracket
• All matches (except Grand Final) – Best of 3
• Grand Final – Best of 5

Small Delay, Big Difference

At first, the tournament dates overlapped slightly with IEM Chengdu 2025. Because of that, PGL decided to move the final by one day. This small change allowed more teams to attend both events.

As a result, several known teams – Astralis, HEROIC, and 3DMAX – accepted invites to play in both tournaments. Of course, these aren’t the biggest names in CS2 right now, but their presence still adds value. Other notable participants include Aurora and GamerLegion, which helps give the event more prestige.

Still, it’s fair to say that PGL Masters Bucharest 2025 is mostly a Tier-2 tournament. The top teams are skipping it, but that makes it even more important for others – it’s a rare chance for smaller teams to earn big points, improve their rankings, and possibly get invited to future top events.

Team to Watch: Liquid

The first team we need to talk about is Team Liquid. They recently made roster changes, and since Jonathan "EliGE" Jablonowski rejoined, their results have improved. They finished third at the Birch Cup 2025 and CS Asia Championships. That gives them hope – and makes them one of the dark horses of this event.

Liquid is still not fully stable, but they’ve shown progress. With one more week of practice before Bucharest, their level should rise even higher. They’re definitely a team that could surprise everyone.

NIP: A Critical Moment

Next, we have Ninjas in Pyjamas. This tournament is extremely important for them – not just for results, but for their future invites. They don’t have many tournaments left this year – only PGL Masters Bucharest and StarLadder Budapest. Their ranking is slowly dropping, and they need a strong performance to stay competitive.

However, there’s a problem. Their in-game leader Marco "Snappi" Pfeiffer will miss the tournament because of the birth of his child. He’ll be replaced by Tim "susp" Ångström, but it’s still unclear who will act as captain – maybe Rasmus "sjuush" Beck, maybe the whole team will share responsibilities. That means NIP’s chances are uncertain. This is a must-play event for them, but it will be tough to perform well with a stand-in.

Fnatic: Time to Break Through

Another team to highlight is Fnatic. For them, Bucharest could be the tournament where things finally click. They already showed good form at the CS Asia Championships, reaching the playoffs and defeating solid teams like paiN and TYLOO. They eventually lost to HEROIC and 3DMAX, but overall, the performance was promising.

The roster change – Mykyta "jackasmo" Skyba replacing Cai "CYPHER" Watson — seems to be working well. This new Fnatic lineup looks solid and balanced. They have a great AWPer, Dmytro "jambo" Semera, and a strong rifler, Benjamin "blameF" Bremer. The mix of experienced players and young talent makes them dangerous. For Fnatic, this is the last event before the Major. Reaching the semifinals here would show they’re ready and improving fast.

Aurora: The Favorites

We also can’t forget Aurora. They are the highest-ranked at this tournament. For them, not reaching the final would be a failure, and the goal is simple – win it all.

Their recent form has been mixed. They had some solid runs – like 5-8th place at BLAST Bounty Fall and second place at the Esports World Cup – but nothing spectacular lately.

This makes Bucharest a key event for them to prove they’re still one of the best Tier-1 contenders. Aurora needs this trophy to regain confidence and momentum before the next big events.

The Rest of the Field

Most of the other teams are on a similar level. There isn’t a big gap between them. Anyone can win against anyone here. That’s why this tournament could bring many surprises. It may not be the biggest event of the year, but it’s one of the most unpredictable. And that’s what makes it fun to watch.

PGL Masters Bucharest 2025 doesn’t have all the superstar teams. But it has something better — strong Tier-2 rosters and close matchups. Every game could go either way. For some teams, this is a chance to recover and prove themselves.  For others, it’s an opportunity to show they can compete with the best.