Team Liquid and GamerLegion among PGL Masters Bucharest 2025 Playoff teams

Team Liquid and GamerLegion are among eight teams that have secured qualification for the PGL Masters Bucharest 2025 playoffs.

The final phase of the Tier 1 Counter-Strike 2 event will see teams competing for a share of a $625,000 (~£474,250) prize pool and Valve Regional Standings (VRS) points.

PGL Masters Bucharest 2025 is the final CS2 event hosted by the tournament organiser this year and is one of the last Tier 1 tournaments before attention turns to the StarLadder Budapest Major in November.

After navigating a Group Stage that contained several high-profile names, the remaining teams have a chance to achieve championship glory with a strong Playoff performance. Here’s a look at all the teams competing:

After scoring a surprise top-four finish at the BLAST.tv Austin Major, PaiN Gaming has struggled to maintain its form, resulting in a sharp decline in the VRS.

Despite this, the team managed to earn a Playoff place at the earliest opportunity, scoring a 3-0 record with victories over Gentle Mates, GamerLegion, and B8.

A deep run in Bucharest has the potential to lay the foundations for an upward turn of form, which could see PaiN Gaming end 2025 on a high.

HEROIC was one of several European teams that narrowly missed out on a place at the Major, but it is determined to build momentum for the 2026 season.

A fourth-place finish at the CS Asia Championships 2025 marked a return to form following a top-16 placement at FISSURE Playground 2 and a top-22 finish at ESL Pro League Season 22.

The Norwegian organisation is the only Playoff team that secured qualification without conceding a map, defeating Ninjas in Pyjamas, BetBoom, and Aurora Gaming with 2-0 scorelines.

HEROIC takes on GamerLegion in its quarter-final match in a contest that could go either way if both teams are playing to their full potential.

Having shown glimpses of potential at Pro Leauge, B8 have looked like one of the stronger teams competing in Bucharest.

2-0 sweeps against Astralis and 3DMAX were followed by defeat to PaiN Gaming, but the Ukrainian side managed to bounce back with a 2-1 win over Legacy to secure its place in the Playoffs and a quarter-final match against Aurora Gaming.

Since securing a place at the Major, Team Liquid has started rediscovering some of the form that saw the organisation compete at the pinnacle of Counter-Strike esports.

The return of Jonathan ‘ELiGE’ Jablonowski has made an impact, leading the team to third place at the CS Asia Championship following a disappointing run of results that led to the departure of Russel ‘Twistzz‘ Van Dulken.

Wins over Legacy, BetBoom, and FlyQuest were enough for Team Liquid to secure its place in the Playoffs. With several tough opponents still in contention, it will be interesting to see whether the team is capable of making a deep run.

Portuguese team SAW has continued to show signs of building a strong tournament run following its top-four finish at FISSURE Playground 1 earlier in the year.

Although the team began its Group Stage campaign with a defeat to 3DMAX, it rebounded in convincing fashion with wins over Ninjas in Pyjamas, GamerLegion, and an out-of-sorts Aurora Gaming.

SAW’s opening Playoff match against Team Liquid is likely to be a tricky contest, but the team has the capabilities of springing a surprise.

The CS Asia Championship 2025 winner has cemented its place at the top of South American Counter-Strike with frequent appearances at Tier 1 events.

However, Legacy needed all five rounds of the Group Stage to earn its place in the Playoffs, successfully defeating Gentle Mates, Astralis, and FlyQuest.

PGL Masters Bucharest 2025 is the first event since the team won its first-ever trophy. If it can replicate the form from the CS Asia Championship, Legacy could be in with a shout of adding a second trophy to its cabinet.

For GamerLegion, Bucharest is another opportunity to find some kind of form after a string of disappointing results.

The German esports organisation heads into the Playoffs following consecutive top-16 finishes at ESL Pro League Season 22 and the CS Asia Championships 2025.

During its victories against Fnatic, FlyQuest, and Gentle Mates, GamerLegion looked to have turned a corner with some solid defensive strategy already making an impact.

As the team’s last tournament before the Major, GamerLegion faces off against HEROIC for a place in the semi-finals.

The eighth and final team to qualify for the Playoffs is Aurora Gaming. As one of the highest-ranked teams remaining, the Turkish side aims to add its first trophy of the year to its cabinet.

Early wins over Fnatic and Team Liquid built some momentum, but consecutive losses to HEROIC and SAW forced a deciding match against an Astralis team competing with a stand-in.

Özgür ‘woxic‘ Eker led the charge for Aurora Gaming, scoring an unlikely 1v3 clutch on Mirage to turn the tide of the match in his team’s favour to secure a 2-1 victory and another Playoff appearance.

Aurora Gaming look far from its best, meaning its quarter-final match against B8 may not be a straightforward contest.