After an insanely stacked Cluj-Napoca, PGL returns in Bucharest, featuring a team lineup that’s just a slight downgrade. Barely noticeable.

With IEM Rio kicking off only two days after Bucharest wraps up, many top teams opted for the South American trip instead. Still, it’s not going to be totally sleep-inducing, because any event with FaZe Clan usually guarantees some excit… oh.

After a disastrous DracuLAN S6, FaZe - despite being scheduled for Bucharest - have opted to attend HLC Belgrade PRO 2026 instead, treating it as their Hail Mary for the Major. Great film, by the way.

Looking at the teams that are showing up, PARIVISION, The MongolZ, FUT, and Astralis immediately stand out as the main contenders. These are the only squads inside HLTV’s top-13 to accept the invite, so it would be a genuine surprise to see the trophy go elsewhere. For the first three in particular, this should be relatively smooth sailing.

Behind them come the challengers: Legacy, B8, NRG, EYEBALLERS, BC.Game, and 3DMAX - all fighting for the remaining four Playoffs spots. We’re especially curious to see how BC.Game look after their break, and whether 3DMAX can mentally recover after missing the Major. For both, this event could either confirm the slump or mark the start of a turnaround.

Finally, the don’t-bother-unpacking-your-bags group. MIBR, FOKUS, Voca, Inner Circle, and Wildcard will be looking to steal a map or two and ruin someone else’s run - but realistically, their chances of making it out are slim.

Seriously, what the f-ck is a Voca?