PGL Astana 2026: Teams, Schedule, Prize Pool and Overview

PGL Astana 2026 begins this week with 16 teams heading to Kazakhstan for one of the biggest Counter-Strike 2 tournaments of the month. While Team Vitality will skip the event due to its IEM Atlanta 2026 schedule, Astana still features several top-tier rosters competing for the tournament’s $1.6 million prize pool.

Despite the overlap with IEM Atlanta, PGL Astana 2026 still features several top-tier organizations competing in Kazakhstan this week. The tournament runs from May 9 to May 17 at Barys Arena in Astana.

PGL Astana 2026 Tournament Details

Teams Attending PGL Astana 2026

The event still features a strong lineup despite several organizations choosing to attend IEM Atlanta instead.

Full Team List

• Team Spirit
• Team Falcons
• G2 Esports
• MOUZ
• FURIA
• HEROIC
• The MongolZ
• Aurora
• PARIVISION
• Monte
• Gentle Mates
• K27
• The Huns
• Magic Esports
• 9z
• Fisher College

Vitality Skips Another Event

There has been no team close to Team Vitality this year, and BLAST Premier Fort Worth 2026 only reinforced that fact. Even after falling behind 11-0 against Natus Vincere in the grand final, Vitality still managed to complete the comeback and close out another championship run, continuing one of the most dominant stretches seen in recent Counter-Strike.

However, Vitality will not attend PGL Astana 2026 due to its participation in IEM Atlanta 2026, with the two events taking place almost at the same time.

That absence opens the door for the rest of the field. Teams like Team Spirit, MOUZ, Falcons, G2 Esports, HEROIC, and FURIA now head into Astana with a realistic chance of securing one of the biggest CS2 titles of the month without having to go through the current number one team in the world.

Falcons Debut New Era With karrigan

One of the biggest stories heading into Astana is the updated Team Falcons roster led by legendary in-game leader Finn “karrigan” Andersen.

The veteran captain officially joins Falcons after another major roster rebuild from the organization. Known for leading championship teams across different eras of Counter-Strike, karrigan brings experience and structure to a roster that has struggled to fully deliver despite signing several star players over the past year.

PGL Astana will be one of the first major international tournaments for the new Falcons lineup.

May Continues To Be Packed for CS2

PGL Astana is only one of several major esports events taking place this month.

Counter-Strike teams are currently balancing overlapping tournaments, international travel, qualifier schedules, and preparation for upcoming events later in the year. Discussions around the crowded calendar have also become common within the community as organizations continue choosing between competing Tier 1 tournaments.

Even with the scheduling conflicts, Astana remains one of the largest CS2 tournaments of May thanks to its prize pool, international lineup, and the number of top organizations attending.