PGL Astana 2026: Dates, Location, Prize Pool & Tournament Details

PGL Astana 2026 is a major international Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) tournament organized by PGL. According to the official announcement, the championship will take place from May 7 to May 18, 2026, in the city of Astana (Kazakhstan). The final stage (playoffs) will again be held at the Barys Arena (capacity – up to 12,000 spectators), the same venue used for PGL Astana 2025. The total prize pool of the tournament will be $1,600,000, which is $350,000 more than last year. This is the second-largest prize pool in CS2 history, following the Major in Stockholm ($2 million).

PGL Astana 2026 will gather 16 teams. Direct invitations will be sent to the top 12 teams based on the global Valve Regional Standings (VRS) as of the specified dates. The remaining 4 spots will be determined through regional open and closed qualifiers: qualifiers for Europe, America, Asia, and other regions will be held, and additional participants will be decided based on the results. Invitations for the tournament are scheduled to be sent on March 2, 2026, based on the current VRS rankings of teams.

This format is the same as PGL Astana 2025: 12 teams via VRS and 4 through qualifiers. The tournament will follow the standard format: a group stage (either Swiss or groups format) and playoffs with a single-elimination bracket. The playoffs will take place at the live Barys Arena in front of a full crowd.

The organizers have announced a total prize pool of $1,600,000. It will be roughly divided equally between players and clubs (as with most major PGL tournaments). The prize pool has increased by $350,000 compared to last year's Astana: in 2025, the total prize pool was $1,250,000 ($625,000 for players and clubs each). The current prize distribution is approximately as follows (estimated): the winner will receive $256,000 (players) + $256,000 (club), with 3rd and 4th place winners receiving $96,000 + $96,000 and $56,000 + $56,000 respectively, continuing to decrease as per the standings. This makes PGL Astana 2026 one of the richest tournaments of the CS2 season.

CS2 Developers Rarely Play Their Own Game

For contrast: PGL Astana 2025 was held in Astana from May 10 to May 18, 2025. A total of 16 teams participated, with the "players' pool" prize being equivalent to $625,000 (i.e., $1,250,000 with clubs included). In the final, Team Spirit and Astralis met, and Spirit won 3-1. This tournament also saw a full house at Barys Arena and extensive media coverage. The success of the first Astana tournament paved the way for the second edition in 2026.