PGL Astana teams, format, schedule, prizes, talent, fantasy

7-5-2025 12:30

Spirit fly to Kazakhstan as heavy favorites for the $400,000 first-place prize.

Teams

PGL Astana is set to begin on Saturday, May 10, with a host of challengers looking to deny clear favorites Spirit the trophy.

That bunch includes the likes of Natus Vincere, Aurora, and The MongolZ, who are looking to make the most of a tournament with three of the top-four absent.

We will see debuts for Olek "⁠hades⁠" Miskiewicz in G2, Rasmus "⁠HooXi⁠" Nielsen in Astralis, and Danil "⁠molodoy⁠" Golubenko and Mareks "⁠YEKINDAR⁠" Gaļinskis in FURIA.

Ninjas in Pyjamas also make their international LAN debut with their new roster.

M80, ODDIK round out PGL Astana 2025 team list

Schedule and format

The tournament's format will be the same as PGL Cluj-Napoca and Bucharest, starting in an all-BO3 Swiss group stage using Major-style Bucholz seeding and 1vs9 initial matchups.

But unlike Bucharest, there will be a live audience in the 11,578-capacity Barys Arena for playoffs.

The eight advancing teams will all start their playoff run in the quarter-finals, with the two finalists set to meet in a best-of-five trophy clash after a third-place decider opens up proceedings on Championship Sunday.

The local timezone is four hours ahead of GMT, and matches will begin at 07:00 in days with three or four matches before more reasonable 12:00 and 16:00 kick-offs for the semis onwards.

Date	Matches
PGL Astana 2025
10/05/2025	Aurora 07:00 BIG	Match
10/05/2025	Astralis 07:00 ODDIK	Match
10/05/2025	G2 09:45 MIBR	Match
10/05/2025	The MongolZ 10:20 FURIA	Match
10/05/2025	Virtus.pro 12:50 Ninjas in Pyjamas	Match
10/05/2025	Natus Vincere 13:10 M80	Match
10/05/2025	Spirit 15:00 GamerLegion	Match
10/05/2025	paiN 16:15 HOTU	Match

Prizes

PGL's traditional top-heavy prize pool is in effect, with $1.25m on offer for the teams attending. 50% of the prize pool will go directly to organizations.

1. $400,000
2. $187,500
3. $150,000
4. $87,500
5-8. $62,500
9-11. $31,250
12-14. $18,750
15-16. $12,500

Talent

Richard "⁠Richard Lewis⁠" Lewis returns as host alongside Sam "⁠Tech Girl⁠" Wright with four top-tier commentary duos including the new Anders "⁠Anders⁠" Blume-Daniel "⁠ddk⁠" Kapadia pairing.

ddk partners with Anders at PGL Astana

Hosts

James "⁠BanKs⁠" Banks (Stage)
Richard "⁠Richard Lewis⁠" Lewis (Desk)
Sam "⁠Tech Girl⁠" Wright (Desk)

Analysts

Dustin "⁠dusT⁠" Mouret
Alex "⁠Mauisnake⁠" Ellenberg
Sudhen "⁠Bleh⁠" Wahengbam
Janko "⁠YNk⁠" Paunović

Casters

Harry "⁠JustHarry⁠" Russell
Hugo "⁠Hugo⁠" Byron
Alex "⁠Machine⁠" Richardson
Chad "⁠SPUNJ⁠" Burchill
Adam "⁠Dinko⁠" Hawthorne
Jason "⁠moses⁠" O'Toole
Anders "⁠Anders⁠" Blume
Daniel "⁠ddk⁠" Kapadia

Fantasy

Fantasy is open for groups now, and $240,000 Danil "⁠donk⁠" Kryshkovets is the most-picked player.

The game is set to award the following skin prizes:

Driver Gloves | Racing Green (Field-Tested)
AWP | Hyper Beast (Field-Tested)
M4A1-S | Hyper Beast (Field-Tested)

congrats G2

2025-05-07 12:31

6 replies

For bombing out in 16th place maybe

2025-05-07 12:33

2 replies

You wish, hades masterclass incoming 1.79 rating across the tournament

2025-05-07 14:24

1 reply

.79*

2025-05-07 17:11

I dont have high hopes anymore but hopefully aurora fans will enjoy the astana group stage

2025-05-07 12:35

The most sane & not delusional turk ^^^ frfr

2025-05-07 16:25

bruh...

2025-05-07 12:39

Heccu over Banks any day

2025-05-07 12:32

who?

2025-05-07 14:49

Aurora pls play good in playoffs I beg This is our only chance for a good and enjoyable final and not a Vitality slam dunk Pls aurora I beg men

2025-05-07 12:38

11 replies

Considering that arena will be full and cheer for Navi, VP and Spirit.. that will be quite difficult. Probably even Furia, anyone but the turks

2025-05-07 12:51

10 replies

50% of the crowd is kazakh for sure, so we can cheer for a fellow turkic team. Its "home event" as much as possible for EF

2025-05-07 13:16

9 replies

Bro, c'mon, what are the chances locals will be cheering for Turks instead of cis? Lmao

2025-05-07 13:17

8 replies

like fucking 99.99%? Why the fuck would we cheer for people that yap about annexing us every other day on media television? If I see EF vs VP I know who im cheering for

2025-05-07 13:18

7 replies

Based

2025-05-07 13:27

really? kazak hate russian and/or cis ppl?

2025-05-07 13:49

rusophobia is pretty strong in kazakstan nowadays

2025-05-07 15:03

Wtf

2025-05-08 06:55

For icy

2025-05-07 14:46

yeah sorry he chose to play with ruskis himself, evelone is UA but he really isnt type of deal

2025-05-07 16:01

Molodoy?

2025-05-07 16:33

Please someone other than Banks...

4 replies

banks clears everyone

2025-05-07 12:48

3 replies

He gives of this weird James Cordon energy

Even though he’s a bruv you should never disrespect banks to that level man

In the horrible dressing competition for sure

2025-05-07 13:38

GamerLegion will beat Spirit twice

Yes. 1 pistol and 1 gun round

2025-05-07 14:23

you forgot 1 round when Spirit has eco

2025-05-07 18:36

Force buy

2025-05-07 19:34

I will be there for semifinals, any locals have any advice/recommendations? Very appreciated, thank you

2025-05-07 12:43

what specifically you interested in? Cuisine, sightseeing or? Hit DM anytime

he was lookin for hooker spots :D

2025-05-07 14:52

Hey! You can message me on instagram if you want any recommendations: abosyaxo Also if you don't have a company i'm going solo to the finals 18th of May.

2025-05-08 16:04

this is the gamerlegion breakthrough, no falcons or vitality or mouz = free path to victory

2025-05-07 12:49

so ez for Richard "Richard Lewis" Lewis

2025-05-07 12:52

2025-05-07 13:09

"The local timezone is four hours ahead of GMT, and matches will begin at 15:00 in days with three or four matches before more reasonable 20:00 and 00:00 kick-offs for the semis onwards." Before less reasonable*

2025-05-07 12:53

Astana local time zone is GMT+5, not +4

2025-05-07 14:45

Free for nip

2025-05-07 12:54

Spirit should win this tourney

2025-05-07 12:57

So much br in kz Molodoy impact

2025-05-07 13:00

literally free win for NIP

Hrhr, that was good.

2025-05-07 16:30

Finally Banks

2025-05-07 13:04

#63

2025-05-07 23:29

#46

2025-05-07 23:41

Let's go nip

2025-05-07 13:06

we eatin good with this tournament format, PGL cooked as usual

Eternal Frauds out in group stages mark my words

2025-05-07 13:14

I feel like BIG get every morning game possible

2025-05-07 13:25

Ez for HOTTU and ODIK - first time hearing those teams, gl boys

2025-05-07 13:30

yikes, mauisnake again. Dude must be cheap as f.

2025-05-07 13:33

LET'S GO NIP!

2025-05-07 13:46

NiP back on LAN before GTA6 💀

2025-05-07 14:30

Astana local time is GMT+5, not +4

2025-05-07 14:40

asstralis going 0:3?

2025-05-07 14:48

fine

2025-05-07 14:55

Who the fk hires maui?

2025-05-07 15:59

Please stop hiring dusT, he is so annoying

2025-05-07 17:02

🤓 👆🏼 this article makes no mention of the one and only best talent, pro player, goat coach, highest-cultural-impact-individual Mr. Mark “ @ohnepixel “ Zimmerman, whom will be gracing us with his presence. Pls fix

2025-05-07 17:36