The last Tier 1 event before the Major invite cutoff is underway, but qualification isn’t much of a worry for most of the field at the stacked PGL Masters Bucharest 2026.

Even without new-dad apEX, Vitality still look like one of the favourites to go all the way. They’ve carried their EPL S24 momentum straight into the 2-0 pool, beating 9z and The MongolZ on the back of the usual ZywOo 1.50-rating shenanigans.

And if for some reason you were still skeptical about Newton’s third law, meet the opposite reaction. r1nkle has been absolutely dreadful, leaving G2 on the brink of elimination after losses to NAVI and Aurora. The guy has been putting up numbers that would embarrass any FACEIT level seven who plays two matches a day after eight hours of hard labour, let alone a supposed Tier 1 AWPer.

Meanwhile, guess who’s been tearing it up as one of the best players of the tournament so far? That’s right, SunPapi has been rubbing salt in G2’s self-inflicted wounds, powering FUT to a perfect start in his debut with the team. But don’t worry, G2 fans, your coach might have just had his epiphany.

As if watching r1nkle’s gameplay wasn’t horrifying enough to get us ready for Halloween, Liquid also gave us quite a fright by beating MOUZ in the opening round. For a second there, we genuinely thought they might be back. False alarm, though, as FUT wiped the floor with them right after. No need to panic guys, they’re still sh-t.

Spirit also gave their fans a scare in the opening round, falling to a BetBoom side that’s been looking incredibly sharp. After a comfortable win over Nemiga in the 1-0 match, they could very well upset NAVI - if we can even call it an upset - and reach the Playoffs without dropping a series.

Speaking of NAVI, it seems the crisis has been averted, with wins over G2 and FURIA locking in their Major spot. Nothing like a good old tax fraud trial to really get you going, ain’t that right Aleksi? Might be worth to look into iM’s returns as well…

Anyway, with Bucharest in full swing, the Major race is anything but settled. Keep reading for our update on it, where we dig through the latest probabilities and scenarios so those of you with actual jobs don’t have to.

shoko