Astana to host major CS2 esports tournaments in 2025 and 2026
Astana is set to become a new key destination in the global Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) esports circuit, with PGL announcing that the city will host major events in both 2025 and 2026. The Romanian tournament organizer revealed its plans to hold a number of events worldwide over the next two years, including annual tournaments at Astana’s Barys Arena, Kazinform correspondent reports.
According to the press release, the 2025 PGL Astana event will take place from May 8-18, followed by the 2026 edition from May 7-17. Each event will feature a group stage and single-elimination playoffs, with the grand final being a best-of-five match. The Barys Arena, with a seating capacity of over 11,500, will serve as the venue in Astana.
With a prize pool of $1.25 million per event, the competition promises to attract top teams from the global rankings, providing thrilling matches for local and international fans.
PGL has revealed a total of 11 tier-one CS2 events over the next two years, spanning several countries. In addition to Astana, tournaments will be held in major cities like Buenos Aires, Argentina; Bucharest, Romania; Belgrade, Serbia; São Paulo, Brazil; and Barcelona, Spain.
PGL also noted that more surprises are in store for the 2025-2026 calendar in addition to these events, which will be disclosed later.