Group stage underway at PGL Bucharest

Complexity, G2 Esports and FURIA were among six teams to record Round 1 sweeps Sunday as action began at the $625,000 PGL Bucharest 2025 event in Romania.

Sixteen teams are competing in the Counter-Strike 2 competition with the winner of next Sunday’s grand final set to take home $200,000.

The group stage is operating under the Swiss system format. The eight winning teams from Round 1 will move to Round 2 high matches, and the eight losing sides will compete in Round 2 low matches. Teams advance to the playoff stage once they win three matches.

All matches in the group stage are best-of-three, with eight teams advancing to the single-elimination playoffs. The grand final will be best-of-five.

Complexity Gaming defeated Team Falcons 2-0, winning 13-6 on Train and 13-5 on Dust II. G2 Esports swept GamerLegion with a 13-8 result on Mirage and a 16-12 overtime win on Inferno. FURIA, meanwhile, took down Apogee Esports 13-6 on Dust II and 13-7 on Mirage.

In the day’s other 2-0 sweeps, Asian qualifier Rare Atom surprised 12th-ranked Virtus.pro 2-0, prevailing 13-3 on Mirage and 13-7 on Ancient. And South American qualifier Legacy beat 10th-ranked Team Liquid 13-4 on Nuke and 13-10 on Anubis.

3DMAX took down The MongolZ, ranked third in the world, 2-1. After The MongolZ opened with a 13-11 win on Ancient, 3DMAX answered with 13-10 victories on Inferno and Anubis.

Aurora Gaming won 2-1 over paiN Gaming, and Astralis beat FaZe Clan by the same score.

The group stage continues Monday with eight matches:

Round 2 High Matches

–G2 Esports vs. Rare Atom

–Aurora Gaming vs. Legacy

–3DMAX vs. Astralis

–FURIA vs. Complexity

Round 2 Low Matches

–Team Falcons vs. GamerLegion

–Team Liquid vs. Virtus.pro

–The MongolZ vs. Apogee Esports

–FaZe Clan vs. paiN Gaming

PGL Bucharest 2025 prize pool:

1. $200,000

2. $93,750

3. $75,000

4. $43,750

5-8. $31,250

9-11. $15,625

12-14. $9,375

15-16. $6,250

–Field Level Media