PGL Belgrade moved to Bucharest studios due to ‘unforeseen circumstances’

Jonno Nicholson
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PGL to host CS2 events in Buenos Aires, Belgrade and Barcelona in 2025 and 2026
PGL to host CS2 events in Buenos Aires, Belgrade and Barcelona in 2025 and 2026

Tournament organiser PGL has announced that its Counter-Strike 2 event, set to take place in Belgrade, Serbia, will now be held in its Bucharest studios.

PGL revealed that ‘unforeseen logistical circumstances’ were the reasons behind the decision to move the event into its in-house studios.

The announcement comes five months ahead of the event, which is still taking place from October 25th to November 2nd, 2025.

A total of 16 teams determined by the global Valve Regional Standings (VRS) will now descend on Bucharest, Romania, and compete for a share of the $1.25m (~£921,556) prize pool.

The change of venue marks the second time the organiser will hold an event in the Romanian capital. In April, PGL Bucharest took place in its studios, with Team Falcons emerging victorious

“Due to unforeseen logistical challenges, the upcoming PGL Belgrade 2025 event will now take place at the PGL Studios in Bucharest, Romania,” read a statement from PGL.

“We remain incredibly excited about the PGL format and are committed to delivering an unforgettable experience for players and fans alike. While we won’t be in Serbia this time, we look forward to returning in the near future.”

The decision to move PGL Belgrade to Bucharest isn’t the first time the tournament organiser has encountered issues when planning upcoming events. In February, its Counter-Strike event set to take place in Kraków, Poland in 2027 was cancelled by the venue hours after its initial announcement.

Subsequently, it became clear that fellow tournament organiser ESL FACEIT Group had secured the venue for its Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) event, which has moved from Katowice.

Following adjustments to Valve’s tournament rulebook, tournament organisers must announce upcoming events two years in advance with the aim of ensuring stability within Counter-Strike’s esports calendar. Despite this, BLAST and PGL are still planning to host conflicting events in January 2027.

Jonno Nicholson

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Jonno is a writer for Esports Insider and has been part of the team since 2019. Over the past ten years, he's written for several outlets including Gfinity, GGRecon, and Radio Times. As an avid sim racer, he aims to provide insight on one of the fastest growing sectors in esports.
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