Preview: PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025

The PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025 is set to begin on February 14, featuring 16 teams competing for a $1,250,000 prize pool.

Despite the high stakes, several top teams, including Spirit, G2, NAVI, and Vitality, have opted to skip the event. Their absence reshapes the competition, with teams like FaZe, Eternal Fire, and The MongolZ now emerging as potential favourites.

Here’s a breakdown of the tournament format, attending teams, opening matchups, winner odds and more ahead of the event.

Tournament Format

PGL Cluj-Napoca will be played in two stages:

• Swiss Stage (February 14-18):
  • Five rounds of matches using the Swiss system.
  • All elimination and advancement matches are best-of-three.
  • Top eight teams advance to the playoffs.

• Playoffs (February 21-23):
  • Single-elimination bracket.
  • All matches are best-of-three, except for the Grand Final, which will be a best-of-five.
  • Hosted at BT Arena, Cluj-Napoca.

Attending teams

Opening Round Schedule

The first day of the tournament will feature the following matchups:

• 09:00 CET – MOUZ vs. BIG
• 09:00 CET – 3DMAX vs. Virtus.pro
• 12:00 CET – FaZe vs. SAW
• 12:00 CET – Falcons vs. FlyQuest
• 15:00 CET – The MongolZ vs. Complexity
• 15:00 CET – MIBR vs. Wildcard
• 18:00 CET – Eternal Fire vs. Imperial fe
• 18:00 CET – paiN Gaming vs. Astralis

Prize Distribution

The total $1,250,000 prize pool will be distributed as follows:

• 1st place: $500,000
• 2nd place: $250,000
• 3rd-4th place: $125,000 each
• 5th-8th place: $62,500 each
• 9th-11th place: $31,250 each
• 12th-14th place: $15,000 each
• 15th-16th place: $10,000 each

Bookmaker’s favourite to win PGL Cluj-Napoca

With the absence of several top teams, the list of title contenders looks different from recent S-tier tournaments. The current betting odds (from Bet365) reflect the shift:

1. FaZe – 3.25
2. Eternal Fire – 4.50
3. The MongolZ – 4.50
4. MOUZ – 6.00
5. Virtus.pro – 10.00
6. Falcons – 10.00
7. paiN Gaming – 13.00
8. Astralis – 16.00
9. MIBR – 26.00
10. 3DMAX – 26.00
11. Wildcard – 51.00
12. BIG – 67.00
13. Complexity – 101.00
14. FlyQuest – 101.00
15. SAW – 101.00
16. Imperial fe – 1001.00

(Odds taken from Bet365)

Broadcast lineup

How to watch

You can watch the Counter-Strike action from PGL Cluj-Napoca through the following streams:

PGL’s Youtube.

PGL’s Twitch.