G2, Liquid, FURIA among PGL Bucharest invites

3-3-2025 12:13

Several big names return to a PGL event after skipping Cluj-Napoca.

G2 make the trip to Romania

PGL have revealed the 12 direct invites for Bucharest 2025, set to be held from April 5-13. The tournament will feature a $1,250,000 prize pool, which will now be split 50-50 between the players and the organizations after a recent change.

PGL announce new prize pool split for Bucharest 2025

Among the invites are G2, Liquid, and FURIA, who previously skipped PGL Cluj-Napoca due to not getting any revenue share.

After PGL's change in prize money allocation, the three organizations have now returned to an event held by the Romanian tournament organizer.

Strike #2: The big orgs won the battle of attrition, but the war is far from over

Meanwhile, Eternal Fire are set to continue their incredibly busy schedule by attending the event, as will Cluj-Napoca finalists Falcons.

The invite list means that Spirit, Vitality, Natus Vincere, and PGL Cluj-Napoca winners MOUZ have declined direct invitations based on the February 3 ranking, which was used as the cutoff for the tournament invites.

The current PGL Bucharest team list is as follows, with four more teams set to qualify from the regional qualifiers:

Europe Closed Qualifier

MESA Asian Masters '25

faze 13-16th

2025-03-03 12:14

1 reply

2025-03-03 16:16

ez4g0atesy 2.12 mvp inc

2025-03-03 12:15

Amen

2025-03-03 12:54

ESL cabal still strong

2 replies

is that why navi dont play?

2025-03-03 12:16

TL:DR - Yes.

2025-03-03 16:20

The fact that even the winners of previous PGL decline the invite is not a good look the host...

25 replies

tired of romania

2025-03-03 12:17

This has nothing to do with PGL and actually a lot of people are praising PGL currently for being a good TO

2025-03-03 12:18

13 replies

That's irrelevant to my point. They very well may be the best TO in the world but the fact that top 3 teams and winner of your previous event decline an invite looks very bad.

2025-03-03 12:33

11 replies

That's not PGL's fault if some other TOs are doing backroom deals with teams and shadowbanning PGL.

2025-03-03 12:58

7 replies

Sure it's not their fault. Where have I said it was?

2025-03-03 13:15

6 replies

Well if you argue it's a "bad look", typically that's something that the party with the "bad look" could change, but they can't. It's not a bad look for PGL if certain orgs agree to not play PGL events if the reasons they don't play PGL events are out of their control. It's more unfortunate and even unfair.

2025-03-03 16:18

5 replies

"if the reasons they don't play PGL events are out of their control" How are those reasons out of PGL control exactly?

2025-03-03 17:05

4 replies

If certain teams make a behind the scenes agreement to not play PGL events and/or not skip ESL events, therefore making it hard to attend PGL events without over-crowding your schedule. If those are the reasons that the top 3 teams are not attending PGL events, then those elements are out of the control of PGL. They cannot stop these under the table deals without either having proof or offering deals of their own.

2025-03-03 17:16

3 replies

Do you think that Vitality, Spirit and Navi would skip PGL if the prize pool was 3M? No, they wouldn't. This is a bussiness, so every TO it's responsible to make their tournaments attractive enough to have the best orgs attending and not look at them as skips. That's why PGL has redone their prize system, because they're aware is not out of their control to make those teams attend in the future. Some of you have put in your mind that there's a weird conspiracy against PGL when it's just money talks. If they pay what the big orgs want, they'll play their events. If Esl and Blast make more sense in terms of money, they'll give priority to these events. Nothing else, nothing more. Same reason Spirit decided to play Betboom over some ESL events last year. Or the same reason Navi and Vitality skipped Chengdu after the major. If the money make sense, they'll play. If anything those teams are acting this way because VRS allows them to choose the envents they desire to play.

2025-03-03 18:47

They all 3 also skipped Cluj and it was 1.25mil. And what ESL event is 3mil? Just curious. And if VRS counts at every event, I would skip the least amount of events possible. Not sure where you got confused, but somehow both your arguments have holes in them instantly. Let’s recap -Cluj the same prize pool as Kato -All Blast events are smaller individually than Cluj and Bucharest -The more time that goes by without these teams accepting an invite from PGL, the more suspicious it gets -Teams skipping VRS events that they should have no issues fitting into their schedule makes no sense -PGL employee came out publicly to talk about challenges as a TO, specifically about knowledge of an agreement between “certain teams and other TOs” if I remember correctly.

2025-03-03 21:18

Some of you can't comprehend what people tell you, or choose to act dumb lmao. Where did I say ESL had a 3M event? I asked you if you believed teams would skip a PGL event with a non-declinable prize pool out of your assumption that "They have deals with ESL/Blast to not play PGL". And I'll answer again, no they wouldn't. At Cluj, they skipped a 400K 1s place prize pool during a business argument with PGL about prize pool distribution and incentives. They've put pressure on PGL and it seems to have worked since PGL already backtracked on their words. "but somehow both your arguments have holes in them instantly" They "have holes" if you choose to make it just a Prize Pool matter and ignore the fact that clubs are getting incentives to participate in ESL and Blast, meaning they have guaranteed money earned on top of prize pools. Why would Navi and Vitality not focus on ESL events when they have a chance to win the Intel Grand Slam btw? And some things like Kato/Cologne aren't about the prize pool. There are about the prestige. Plus I'm certain sponsors that pay the clubs will rather have them play Kato than Cluj for obvious reasons (And pay accordingly). About this specific point: "Teams skipping VRS events that they should have no issues fitting into their schedule makes no sense" You're not the one competing and traveling. Reality is different. The priority is the Major and not arriving there burned out. Why would Navi, Spirit and Vitality skip Bucharest? Because atm they have 0 need to travel there, then to Melbourne with a 3 day margin between events, and then to Monterrey to participate in Blast Rivals with another 2-3 days of margin between events. Their choice just like G2 chose to skip Melbourne and attend Bucharest. And because not all is about "playing tournaments". You need to review things, solve problems, and come up with new tactics. That's not happen if you're playing tournaments and the break days are for traveling around the world. "PGL employee came out publicly to talk about challenges as a TO, specifically about knowledge of an agreement between “certain teams and other TOs” if I remember correctly." I hope it's not that Richard Lewis bullshit. If so, already been disproved by PGL jumping on board the Blast and ESL distribution. They wouldn't do that if they felt it couldn't attract the biggest orgs... It'll say it again. "Some of you have put in your mind that there's a weird conspiracy against PGL when it's just money talks."

2025-03-04 00:54

This article literally linked a source for the reason why teams are skipping PGL + Blast and ESL have managed to "franchise" by giving bonuses to teams that dont skip events. Again teams skipping has nothing to do with PGL being bad

2025-03-03 13:10

Where have I said PGL is bad?

they way u phrased it, but my bad if you didn't mean it any negative way

2025-03-03 14:52

true! as to me PGL is #2 after BLAST.

2025-03-18 17:11

Idk it seems logical if you look at the schedule. Every third event of the season is a PGL event, and some teams seem to be liking to skip one after playing a pair of events.

2025-03-03 12:44

Yeah if multiple top teams keep skipping PGL events there must be some logic to it.

2025-03-03 12:57

idk whether you’re implying it’s PGL’s fault or not, but PGL is trying their best by improving hospitality, production, prize pool, and more. I mean, they even changed the prize pool split so that teams like Vitality, Spirit, and NAVI wouldn’t decline an invite due to virtually zero club incentive. And, yes, Spirit and NAVI glazers still yap about a tight schedule, meaning declining a PGL invite isn’t necessarily about the club incentive structure. But from an outside perspective, it really does look like these orgs are just being greedy, and maybe even putting more pressure on PGL to increase the club cut from the prize pool (e.g., 40% to players, 60% to orgs instead of 50/50).

Why all of you responding to me try to simplify my post to 'PGL good' or 'PGL bad'? WTF is this? All I said it's not good look for them, prestige etc. and all of the sudden everyone is defending PGL as if I attacked them. Justify that NaVi, Vitality and Spirit skipping all PGL events is somehow good for them and we can have a difference of opinion but otherwise you are all speaking points irrelevant to mine...

2025-03-03 13:21

mate, you’re not making any actual point. Like, how is "Yeah, if multiple top teams keep skipping PGL events, there must be some logic to it" an argument or opinion? You don’t even care to elaborate. Even a two-year-old could say, "well, if they skipped this event, there must be some reason." Of course, there’s some logic and reason behind it, but instead of adding anything relevant, you’re just provoking replies. I, for example, actually expressed my point about Vitality, NAVI, and Spirit possibly being greedy and unsatisfied with the incentive structure. It might be a populist point, but it's still relevant.

2025-03-03 13:29

That was a reply where I just agreed with someone else's point and you're surprised it has no different point on it's own. Does everything must be a confrontation for you?

2025-03-03 13:40

You're in 2025, where people engage in weird beefs for corporations they aren't part of. Lmao. There's a narrative now for some people where PGL good / blast and esl bad because weird reasons (hate to the teams skiping or hate to esl because "saudi money", etc). Not because the work put in terms of events of productions in the last years. You shouldn't be surprised people like that will take your objective and factual statement as a personal attack. Especially Mouz declining to attend PGL looks "bad" even if PGL isn't at fault. But the sentiment given is "this is not essential". Having said that, I think with Vitality, Spirt and Navi it had more to do with already locking their schedule prior PGL rework of prize pools. I think next season they'll play in more PGL events.

2025-03-03 16:56

Just because everyone else seems to think you are somehow attacking PGL I just came to say; you are right. Edit: adding that I hope it does not affect their ongoing commitment to the scene. After their failed major, they seem to have picked up and deliver good quality events.

2025-03-03 14:00

no, it make the orgs look bad, it clear they have a "partner" deal with ESL and will not play a PGL event

2025-03-03 17:24

MOUZ are scared of playing with polish igl on the same lobby.

2025-03-03 17:31

Navi dodging deluxe

8 replies

they cant play because navi junior is in the closed qualis

2025-03-03 12:26

pretty sure it's the other way around, navi junior only got invited because navi declined the invite

2025-03-03 16:12

if navi junior win qualis (they won't) they just forfeit their invite and 2nd best teams gets invited. I understand they are participating to get some practice in against some better teams that are also in qualis

2025-03-03 18:30

what are you talking about? why would they forfeit? navi declined the invite, there's no reason for navi jr to forfeit

2025-03-03 18:33

i mean if navi wouldve accepted the invite

2025-03-03 18:34

if they did, navi jr wouldn't be invited

2025-03-03 18:36

i think i heard on one of the podcast, maybe talking counter, that academy teams can still play in qualis even when main teams are in main event, but whatever

2025-03-03 18:38

maybe open qualifiers, it'd make more sense, but closed ones are just like a kato play in and invite based

2025-03-03 19:40

NaVi skips this as well and people wonder why they are #9 in the VRS

10 replies

This event is after the cut off point for the major so it doesnt really matter, i guess they gamble a lot on the major itself tho which my bite them in the asa

2025-03-03 12:41

There's not much to gamble on. Regardless of where they are placed they will easily reach the third stage (the one before the playoffs)

2025-03-03 12:45

Im talking for next season, the fact they skip another pgl event will probably hurt them for next season, but a good result at the major will probably compensate for it so they do gamble on a good result at the major to get invited to tournaments in the next one Additionally i think they arent even that worried about rank because: 1. Most tournsments invite more than 8 teams anyway, 16/24 2. They are eligible for wildcard invites

2025-03-03 12:48

Navi and spirit cant compete in this event because their academy teams played in qualifiers

2025-03-03 13:27

Played as in they played and qualified or they have already been eliminated?

They both accepted invites to the closed qualifier which hasn't started yet: hltv.org/events/8362/pgl-bucharest-2025-.. It's important to note that their accepting an invite would have come after Navi and Spirit declined their invites.

2025-03-03 15:22

if what you say is true, it makes even less sense if the academy teams were present already it makes sense to have a conflict of interest, but if they accepted after NaVi declined, then it again screws them with the VRS points. For NaVi, their cash cow is the main roster. Spirit probably are not as badly affected because they keep transferring players from their academy teams to the main roster like mouz

2025-03-03 15:36

VRS invites start at the top of the ranking and work their way down, until every spot is filled. Their main teams would have received invites first and choose to decline them. That in turn would have opened up spots for the academy teams from a conflict of interest perspective.

2025-03-03 15:49

#52

2025-03-03 16:13

its the opposite man

2025-03-05 09:31

the only mvp monesy might be able to get this year

he probably won't, choko is still here

2025-03-03 16:58

if you keep up with your PR mission about monesy maybe they might gift him the MVP go monesy!!!!

2025-03-03 23:27

rent free

2025-03-03 23:34

no cap

2025-03-03 23:35

you're the cap

2025-03-03 23:36

rent free is the coolest phrase i have ever heard. because he is in my head, but doesnt pay me any rent omg how cool does that sound? where do i sign up to get some rent btw? times are tough

2025-03-03 23:54

why did MIBR send their Female team to the qualifiers, Wildcard also rejected invite based on this

Wildcard are in the NA CQ

2025-03-05 09:26

what female team?>

2025-03-05 09:33

at first it was MIBR Fe and now it's replaced by MIBR Academy, I guess it must be because they are in Stockholm for EPL that they can't have their main team play these qualifiers which is unlucky

2025-03-05 09:35

Another EF Tournament, these guys competing in every and any tournament

Ethernal dumbsterfire already burnout and they ain’t skipping this one, hope they will come last in major!

2025-03-03 12:23

I wonder if Furia will show up with insani in their line up

2025-03-03 12:42

Furia Insani? How do you know?

2025-03-03 13:08

April seems so far away...

VP >3

2025-03-03 12:52

1 spot for 32 teams on Europe CQ? 2 for americas and 1 for who?

2025-03-03 13:05

Asia

2025-03-03 13:07

Ye that wasnt my point

Only 1 spot for 32 EU CQ, L PGL 😓 EU > NA, SA

2025-03-03 13:09

There are 5 European teams that accepted the invites, that is enough I would say.

2025-03-03 13:48

Navi Vitality Spirit ? there ?

2025-03-03 13:43

Slaves of the ESL cronnies, not the players but the orgs, Navi i can understand cause they play for the intel grand slam 1 million

2025-03-03 14:35

Gonna he better crowd than IEM Rio

2025-03-03 14:32

Wheres TYLOO????

2025-03-03 14:42

The only tournament G2 may have a chance to make the playoffs lol

2025-03-03 14:50

LETS GOO

2025-03-03 15:00

Tier 3 tournament without the best team there ZzzzZzz

2025-03-03 17:08

So when are these qualifiers going to happen?

2025-03-03 20:01

Before the event.

2025-03-04 09:51

just let my boy iM go to Romania already

2025-03-04 02:17

I hope the karma will hit hard on this teams that skip PGL events for ESL

2025-03-04 13:06

yuumi

2025-03-04 17:58

PGL fixed asf by the romanian mafia, no wonder so many team dodge this. I can already see falcons going to finals again cuz saudi oilers be paying for the script. This time NiKo might lift the trophy since mouz is not attending

2025-03-28 06:21