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

08.05.2026
Данііл Стельмаков

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.

Теми:
Subscribe to our Telegram and Twitter to keep up to date with the latest news from the world of gaming and eSports

Recent News

Comments

Comments are closed.

Players is a modern media about Ukrainian and global esports. About games, players, and for players.

Made in Kyiv with ❤️
News, columns and podcasts — news@players.com.ua
Advertising and partnerships — adv@players.com.ua

Serhiy Taran (Editor-in-Chief) — sergey@players.com.ua
Iryna Barysheva (Publisher) — iryna@players.com.ua
Anton Mazai (Publisher and CTO) — anton@players.com.ua
© 2021-2026 Players. When using materials from the site, a hyperlink to the original article's location page with the Players publication is required.