PGL Astana 2026: Prize Pool, Tournament Format, and Participants

PGL Astana 2026 is an S-Tier CS2 tournament organized by PGL in Astana.

The tournament takes place from May 9 to May 17, 2026, in Astana. The group stage (May 9–13, Swiss format) is played without a live audience, while the playoffs (May 15–17) are held at Barys Arena in front of a crowd.

A total of 16 teams are participating. The lineup was determined through VRS invitations and regional qualifiers. Team Vitality and Natus Vincere are absent due to a scheduling conflict with another tournament.

Format:

• Group Stage — Swiss system (5 rounds), all matches are Bo3. Eight out of sixteen teams advance to the playoffs.
• Playoffs — single-elimination bracket. Quarterfinals and semifinals are Bo3, the third-place match is Bo3, and the grand final is Bo5.

The total prize pool is $1,600,000, split equally between player share ($800,000) and club share ($800,000). It is one of the largest prize pools in Counter-Strike history.

Where to watch:

• Official Ukrainian broadcast — on Maincast channels.
• Official English broadcast — on PGL channels.