PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025 Playoffs Bracket, Schedule, CS2 Picks

The final eight teams are set to clash in Northwest Romania as PGL Cluj-Napoca comes to a head in the Playoffs this weekend. While CS2 has had teams that are mainstays in big tournament finals, Cluj-Napoca has treated us to some surprises so far. 

PrizePicks is the easiest way to win real money with you CS2 knowledge during PGL Cluj-Napoca. Pick more or less on player stat projections — from headshots to kills to first bloods — and get paid if your picks are correct.

Below, we’ll take a look at 2025 PGL Cluj-Napoca schedule, bracket, teams, and CS2 DFS players to watch throughout the Playoffs this weekend.

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How does the PGL Cluj-Napoca Bracket Work?

The PGL Cluj-Napoca bracket features eight teams, in a seemingly standard single elimination bracket. 

However, there is a small twist for the teams that get knocked out in the semi-finals. The two losers of the semis will play in a best-of-three for third place. Similar to some CS2 tournaments we’ve seen, the Grand Final is a best-of-five — first to win three maps wins.

The playoffs will start on Friday, Feb. 21 at 3 a.m. ET, with each match slated for 3 hours after one another. This gives the last game of the day an approximate start time of 12 p.m. ET on Friday. 

The semi-final matches will get underway Saturday Feb. 22 at 10 a.m. ET, and a tentative 1 p.m. ET start for the second match. Finally, the aforementioned third place decider will take place Sunday, Feb. 23, at 8 a.m. ET, with the Grand Final best-of-five starting at 11 a.m. ET.

2025 PGL Cluj-Napoca Bracket

Below is the 2025 PGL Cluj-Napoca playoff bracket, spanning from Friday to Sunday, and ultimately decided by a best-of-five series in the Grand Final. The bracket below is via Liquipedia.

PGL Cluj-Napoca Playoffs Teams

The four highest rated teams (Valve + HLTV ratings averaged) invited to PGL Cluj-Napoca made it to the playoffs. After the top four — Eternal Fire, FaZe, The MongolZ, and MOUZ — the remaining four may come as a surprise to those who have kept up with CS2. 

Team Falcons, ranking #14 on HLTV and #8 on VRS found their footing with their new look roster bolstered by all star NiKo, and went 3-1 to make it into the playoffs. 

paiN, which sits at #15 on HLTV and #16 on VRS, also went 3-1 to make it into the playoffs after an inconsistent start to their 2025 campaign, with notable newcomer dav1deuS joining the team.

Astralis, which sits at #11 on HLTV and #15 on VRS, went 3-2, and their fans are desperately needing something to cheer for. In between tournament days, the team failed to qualify for IEM Dallas. 

The biggest surprise of the tournament and of the calendar year is SAW battling their way into the playoffs bracket from an 0-2 start. SAW entered the tournament ranked #24 on HLTV and #40 on VRS. More surprisingly — this is the last we will see of this team composition. 

Both roman and Shr were already announced to be benched following the conclusion of this tournament. All indications made it seem that SAW would roll over, especially after the 0-2 start, but perhaps a total lack of pressure gave us the best version of SAW we've seen in a very long time. 

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2025 PGL Cluj-Napoca Playoffs: Power Rankings & Top Players

Below, find the eight teams in the 2025 PGL Cluj-Napoca Playoffs in our CS2 power rankings, as well as each team’s top player to watch throughout the Playoffs on PrizePicks.

On PrizePicks, you can win real money by picking more or less on CS2 player stat projections — like kills or headshots. If you pick correctly, you’ll get paid out once the games are over.

#1 FaZe

Eternal Fire knocked FaZe out of IEM Katowice 2025, and it’s fitting that they will get their revenge no less than two weeks later. As a new addition to the team EliGE gets more comfortable in his role, FaZe is not a team you ever want to see on your side of the bracket. 

EliGE

EliGE has put up the third best rating of all players during PGL Cluj-Napoca. Now, on his new team, he could truly be unleashed against a weaker SAW team that FaZe should comfortably beat. 

#2 Eternal Fire

Eternal Fire looks like the most likely to give FaZe a run for their money in this tournament, and they could meet in the semi-finals. Eternal Fire has already beat FaZe this year, along with Vitality and G2. They are a legitimate threat and it’s unfortunate they drew the same side of the bracket as FaZe.

woxic

Eternal Fire is a team where one player can have a bad game and the team doesn’t suffer. They are very balanced, but when they lose, the common denominator is woxic — their AWPer — having a poor showing. In his last time out against the Falcons, he outdueled opposing AWPer degster, going 27-21 to degster’s 19-30, and will look to have a repeat of that outing. 

#3 The MongolZ

The MongolZ are one of the few teams that didn’t change a single piece, with Senzu being the newest member having joined the roster a year and five months ago. They only dropped one map en route to a 3-0 in Cluj-Napoca, and already beat Eternal Fire 2-0 earlier in the month. With the teams I have power ranked #1, #2, and #4 on the opposite side of the bracket, The MongolZ have what looks to be a clean path to the finals

bLitz

It’s not often you find an IGL, that can frag hard, but bLitz is just that. He currently has the sixth best player ranking in Cluj-Napoca, a feat that is impressive even if he wasn’t simultaneously calling for his team. In his last five maps played, he’s posted an average of 19.2 kills per map. 

#4 Falcons

The Falcons still have their growing pains to figure out with such a new roster. However, with the solid previously Heroic core and NiKo fragging like nothing has changed on his new team, Falcons could be hitting their stride at the right time. 

NiKo

NiKo has the fourth best rating in Cluj-Napoca so far, and his team's success runs through him. If the Falcons want to make some noise in the playoff, it will certainly have to be off the back of veteran all-star rifler on the new look Falcons in NiKo. 

In five of the last six wins for the Falcons, Niko had the most kills on the team. 

#5 MOUZ

MOUZ benching their all star IGL is one of the most curious decisions of the decade, but adding Spinx isn’t a downgrade in fire power. They have all the fragging abilities they could ask for, it’s just a matter of if the team wide strat calling can be good enough to win games. 

torzsi

To find the last time torzsi posted a negative rating, you have to go all the way back to their November 1 loss to Vitality. With his team playing in their first event without an in game leader, the role player that can cover the most world of hurt is likely the AWPer. If torzsi can lock down entire sections of the map and keep paiN at range, the lack of IGLing won’t be as noticeable for his squad.

#6 paiN

Having already beat two teams in the playoffs in Falcons and Astralis, paiN can dance with anyone. If AWPer nqz stays hot, this tournament could gain them a lot of respect going forward. 

nqz

Just as torzsi can neutralize his team’s lack of IGLing with efficient AWPing, paiN’s rising star AWPer can flip the game on its head with his AWPing. Nqz has top fragged for his team in all three of paiN's last matches, including top fragging the entire lobby in two of them. If 68-18-49 against The MongolZ in a loss was any indication of what he can do, torzsi has his work cut out for him. Nqz is playing his best Counterstrike ever in PGL Cluj-Napoca. 

#7 Astralis

As mentioned previously, Astralis not qualifying for IEM Dallas in a complete self destruction could be because they care more about winning here. It won’t be easy however, as they draw The MongolZ first, but at least making it to the top eight exceeded expectations for the org. 

device

device, a decorated veteran to the game and a 2x Major MVP, has shown flashes of old this tournament. Device against MIBR earlier in the tournament dropped 46 kills in a single map on a 1.51 rating. On a team that seems like a lost cause, orgs with a need are adding the 12th-year AWPer to their wishlist

#8 SAW

SAW’s cinderella run in this tournament has been a joy to watch, I just can’t see it going any further. They are the only team in the playoffs that cumulatively lost more rounds than they won at PGL Cluj-Napoca, and it would be a surprise to all to see them besting any of the remaining field. 

story

As one of the players that knows he still has a roster spot after this competition, story has been the reason SAW has pulled off this cinderella run. Despite the team having more total rounds lost than won through the event, story has posted a 1.17 rating, good for 7th best across the field. If SAW wants to have any chance vs Faze, the AWP in storys hand could be the best chance at an equalizer. 

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Win Money on PGL Cluj-Napoca Playoffs on PrizePicks

Whether you think FaZe gets it done or SAW continues their shocking upsets, you can win real money money on the PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025 Playoffs on PrizePicks with your CS2 knowledge.

From AWP Kills to Headshots, there’s plenty of player stat projections on the PrizePicks CS2 board for PGL Cluj-Napoca. Just pick More or Less on two or more projections and lock in your Lineup to win cash on CS2.