MOUZ claimed victory at PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025, securing $400,000 in a tournament that saw some of CS2’s biggest names opt out. While MOUZ celebrated their triumph, the biggest talking point remains the fallout from the absence of elite teams like Vitality, NAVI, Spirit, G2, and Liquid—a decision that could have major consequences for the upcoming BLAST.tv Austin Major.

NAVI and Liquid in freefall After skipping Cluj-Napoca

The post-Cluj-Napoca Valve Regional Standings (VRS) show significant drops for NAVI and Team Liquid, two of the highest-profile teams that chose to skip the tournament.

• NAVI plummeted from #4 to #9, a worrying drop that now places them in a precarious position ahead of the BLAST.tv Austin Major invitations on April 7th.
• Liquid fell even harder, dropping out of the top 10 from #10 to #15, making their road to Major qualification even tougher.

With these setbacks, both NAVI and Liquid are now under immense pressure to perform at the upcoming ESL Pro League Season 21 and BLAST Open Lisboa—two crucial events that could determine whether they can climb back into a safe position in the rankings.

Here are the top 20 ranking changes before and after PGL Cluj-Napoca:

1. Spirit remained at #1 (no change)
2. Vitality remained at #2 (no change)
3. The MongolZ remained at #3 (no change)
4. MOUZ moved up from #9 to #4 (+5)
5. FaZe moved up from #6 to #5 (+1)
6. Falcons moved up from #8 to #6 (+2)
7. G2 dropped from #5 to #7 (-2)
8. Eternal Fire dropped from #7 to #8 (-1)
9. Natus Vincere dropped from #4 to #9 (-5)
10. Astralis moved up from #15 to #10 (+5)
11. paiN jumped from #16 to #11 (+5)
12. Virtus.pro dropped from #11 to #12 (-1)
13. 3DMAX moved up from #14 to #13 (+1)
14. GamerLegion dropped from #12 to #14 (-2)
15. Liquid dropped from #10 to #15 (-5)
16. FURIA dropped from #13 to #16 (-3)
17. BIG moved from #19 to #17 (+2)
18. MIBR dropped from #17 to #18 (-1)
19. SAW moved up from #42 to #19 (+23)
20. Wildcard dropped from #18 to #20 (-2)

Did top teams make a costly mistake?

Skipping Cluj-Napoca was a bold and controversial decision, especially considering that the event boasted one of the largest prize pools in the CS2 circuit. While player fatigue and long-term planning were factors in these teams’ absences, missing out on both prize money and crucial VRS points could have long-term consequences.

For teams like Vitality and Spirit, their ranking cushions ensure they are still comfortably positioned for a direct Major invite. However, for NAVI, Liquid, and even G2, their absence from Cluj-Napoca means they are now at risk of a more difficult qualification path.

MOUZ and Astralis among the biggest winners

The biggest beneficiaries of the Cluj-Napoca shake-up were MOUZ and Astralis, both of whom capitalized on the weakened field:

• MOUZ surged from #9 to #4, cementing their place among the elite and putting themselves in an excellent position for Major qualification.
• Astralis climbed from #15 to #10, continuing their slow but steady resurgence.
• SAW moved 23 places and catapulted itself into the top 20 of the VRS with three wins at the tournament.

With the Valve Regional Standings dictating invites to the BLAST.tv Austin Major, teams that gambled on skipping Cluj-Napoca must now prove their worth in the upcoming ESL and BLAST events. If they fail, the decision to sit out one of the biggest prize pools of the season might haunt them when the Major invitations are finalized.

The road to BLAST.tv Austin Major is heating up. Stay updated with the latest CS2 rankings at HLTV.

Invitations for the Major

This is how the teams will be invited for the Major. The Austin Major will be the first in history to host 32 teams when the Major is played out in June. The 32 teams are split into three stages.

Stage 1:

16 qualifiers (6 EU, 3 NA, 3 SA, 1 Chinese, 1 MN & West Asian, 1 Oceanic & SEA, 1 Asia-Pacific)

Stage 2:

16 teams – 8 qualifiers from Stage 1 + 8 teams from the VRS (4 EU and 4 Americas)

Currently: Eternal Fire, NAVI, Astralis, Virtus.pro, Liquid, FURIA, MIBR, and Wildcard.

Stage 3:

16 teams – 8 qualifiers from Stage 2 + 8 teams from the VRS (6 EU and 1 Americas and 1 Asia)

Currently: Spirit, Vitality, MOUZ, FaZe, Falcons, G2, paiN and The MongolZ.