PGL Masters Bucharest 2025 full lineup revealed

Kieran Lynch, Senior Editor

Last Updated: 29/09/2025

The full list of teams competing at PGL Bucharest 2025 has been revealed with teams set to compete for a $1.25 million (£929,000) prize pool.

Notably, several top teams have decided to decline an invite, with just two of the Valve Regional Standings (VRS) top 10 opting to take part.

This is likely due to the short gap between the PGL Masters Bucharest and IEM Chengdu 2025.

Originally, the Bucharest event was set to finish one day before IEM Chengdu got underway. The PGL event decided to reschedule, creating a two-day gap between the Bucharest-held tournament and IEM Chengdu.

However, only four teams have accepted invites to take part in both tournaments.

Team list for PGL Bucharest

Astralis and Aurora Gaming are the only two of the top-10 in the VRS who have decided to take part at the PGL Masters Bucharest 2025.

Among those not taking part are Team Vitality, Team Spirit, G2 Esports and Team Falcons.

Astralis, HEROIC, 3DMAX, and PaiN Gaming are the only teams set to compete in both the PGL Masters and IEM Chengdu.

• 3DMAX
• Astralis
• Aurora Gaming
• B8 Esports
• BetBoom
• FlyQuest
• Fnatic
• GamerLegion
• Gentle Mates
• HEROIC
• Legacy
• MIBR
• NIP CS
• paiN Gaming
• SAW
• Team Liquid

EliGE gets chance to impress at PGL Bucharest after transfer

Team Liquid go into PGL Bucharest on the back of a massive player transfer which saw Jonathan ‘EliGE’ Jablonowski return home.

EliGE spent eight years with Team Liquid from 2015 to 2023, before spending the last two years playing for Complexity Gaming and FaZE Clan.

Team Liquid provided EliGE with the most successful period of his career, however the esports organisation had not been the same since his 2023 departure.

The team has struggled to reach Tier One success and suffered a shocking defeat to an Academy Team during the 2025 RES Showdown 2: BLAST Premier Rising event.

Team Liquid previously re-signed Russel ‘Twistzz’ Van Dulken, who has now returned to FaZE Clan as part of the deal which sees EliGE join Team Liquid.

Twistzz’s return to FaZe Clan led to the shock benching of Havard ‘rain’ Nygaard after nearly a decade on their Counter-Strike 2 roster.

PGL Masters Bucharest 2025 format and dates

PGL Masters Bucharest will get underway on Sunday, October 26th.

The 16 teams will compete in a Swiss Stage format, with the top-eight advancing through to the Knockout Stage.

A best-of-three single-elimination bracket will feature until the Grand Final, where a best-of-five will determine the eventual champion. The event will also feature a third-place decider match.

The final will take place on Saturday, November 1st – one day before it was originally due to take place.

Kieran Lynch, Senior Editor

Kieran Lynch is an esports journalist who writes about several games including EA Sports FC 25, Call of Duty, Rainbox Six Siege, and more. He previously worked as a sports journalist for MailOnline.

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