PGL Astana 2026 – The Competitors
This year’s PGL Astana has seen a bump in prize money and will see 16 of the world’s best CS2 teams battle it out for a share of the $1.6m pot.
A scheduling conflict with IEM Atlanta has prevented some top teams from participating, but visa issues for Atlanta and the increased prize pot mean there are still some serious names in the pot.
Team Spirit, last year’s winner, is competing alongside Furia, Aurora, Falcons, Parivision, and The MongolZ from the top 10.
Furia
- Ranking: 3
Furia is the highest-ranked team entering the competition, but they aren’t particularly well-fancied. They endured losses against FaZe and GamerLegion at BLAST Rivals, as well as Falcons and Vitality at IEM Rio. But the addition of molody and YEKINDAR has brought greater consistency, while KSCERATO is considered a bright spark.
Aurora
- Ranking: 4
Aurora is the bridesmaid of the CS2 tournament world, consistently reaching the playoffs but rarely winning any of the major tournaments. The Serbian team also finished 3rd last year, and they will need to kick on if they want to win this year’s event.
Falcons
- Ranking: 5
Falcons had a reasonably successful 2025, winning PGL Bucharest and reaching the IEM Melbourne final. To consolidate those positions, the Saudi Arabian team has undergone numerous roster changes. The team has been gelling, and 2026 has seen a few second and third-placed finishes, including at ESL Pro League and BLAST Bounty Winter, but it looks like they need more time to really consolidate.
Spirit
- Ranking: 6
Spirit is widely considered Vitallity’s main CS2 contenders, thanks in no small part to donk’s excellent performances. Despite an early exit from the ESL Pro League in March, they reached the latter stages in Budapest and Rio. On both those occasions, Spirit lost to Vitality, and with the French team opting to compete at IEM Atlanta, it leaves the door open for last year’s winners to retain the title.
Parivision
- Ranking: 7
Parivision has enjoyed a remarkable rise in the past few months. Jame’s leadership has been helped by new talent, zweih, and has not only seen the Serbian team rise in the rankings, peaking at number 4, but has helped them win CCT Season 2 and BLAST Bounty Winter. Parivision’s roster is capable of running Spirit to the wire.
The MongolZ
- Ranking: 8
Last year’s Esports World Cup winners, The MongolZ, are infrequent competitors on the global stage, thanks to the arduous journeys required to compete in most events. Kazakhstan is a comparatively short hop, so the young team has the potential to perform at its peak. They can beat any team on their day.
MOUZ
- Ranking: 11
MOUZ is a team in transition, having undergone numerous recent roster changes. They have handed the In-Game Leader position to xertioN and loaned in jL from NAVI. They also promoted youngster xelex from the academy. The drastic changes could yield results, although they are likely to require more time to bed in.
G2
- Ranking: 12
G2 had a decent 2025, picking up a win at BLAST Open Fall and finishing 2nd at PGL Bucharest. In Krakow, the German team triumphed over FUT and, crucially, The MongolZ, in reaching the playoff stages. Their eventual 5th-6th place finish means substantial improvements would be needed to go far in Astana.
9z
- Ranking: 18
9z powered through the South America Closed Qualifier to secure their position in the main event. The Brazilian team is on the cusp of reaching tier-1 status, and Astana will be a good measurement of how they fare against global opposition after a string of domestic title wins earlier in the year. They could go far in the competition but are something of an unknown quantity.
Monte
- Ranking: 19
Monte typically performs well in qualifiers and against lower-tier competition, but they struggle against top-tier opposition. They did beat NAVI in January, but in a competition featuring 6 of the top 10 teams, they are likely to struggle.
HEROIC
- Ranking: 24
HEROIC is another team in transition and has struggled to close out matches in recent tournaments. They can cause upsets, thanks to unconventional play methods, but this rarely translates into deep tournament progression.
Gentle Mates
- Ranking: 36
Gentle Mates is a mid-tier team, doing well in lesser competitions but generally struggling against the bigger teams. They have peaked in the top 20 rankings, but have slipped down a little this year. Although unlikely to win, a strong showing would help the promising team grow a little more.
magic
- Ranking: 46
Magic qualified for Astana by winning the European Closed Qualifier. They have had a difficult couple of months before Astana. Progression deep into the playoffs would represent magic’s best tournament performance, but it seems unlikely.
Fisher College
- Ranking: 47
Fisher College came through the North America Closed Qualifier, becoming the first-ever collegiate team to progress to a tier-one tournament. Although they have dominated the collegiate scene, Fisher College have a long way to go to compete on the main circuit, although this qualification will provide some essential experience.
K27
- Ranking: 56
K27 compete in a lot of events, but the majority have been tier-2 and local events, including online competitions. The Russian team replaced FUT, when they opted to participate in IEM Atlanta, and are likely to make up the numbers, rather than pose any serious threat.
The Huns
- Ranking: 111
The Huns qualified for Astana via the Asia Closed Qualifier and have shown decent form in regional competitions. But, they need a kind run to progress to the later stages as they have struggled against top competitors.
