Group stage underway at PGL Bucharest

Field Level Media|published: Sun 6th April, 23:47 2025

A backlit keyboard is part of the gear online video game streamer Jordan Woodruff uses in his Gilbert home. Jordan Woodruff

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