The Turkish roster had bitter losses at the tournament, but in the end, Aurora managed to recover and smash their final opponents.
The competitive schedule of Counter-Strike 2 is so intense that most people can focus only on the biggest events. Still, the esports scene is not limited to Vitality, MOUZ, and their rivalry. The top dogs have amazingly strong mid-tier teams breathing down their necks.
At PGL Masters Bucharest 2025, these potential top-tournament favorites had a chance to compete within their circle. The total prize pool of $1,250,000 was still good enough for any of the highest tier.
Rollercoaster of Aurora
The initial premise of PGL Masters Bucharest 2025 had Aurora as the most-likely winner of this tournament. The team has been playing at many events and achieved some notable success.
- Aurora reached the grand final at the CS2 Esports World Cup but got destroyed by The MongolZ.
- They were in the top 4 at the Thunderpick World Championship 2025. Still, there were only four teams of a high level at that event.
Tournament run at Bucharest
PGL Masters Bucharest 2025 is the first relatively big tournament win for Aurora. To earn this achievement, the team went through quite a rollercoaster of results and emotions.
Aurora defeated Fnatic and Team Liquid in Rounds 1 and 2. Fnatic took Game 1 to overtime. Liquid won their Game 1 overtime.
Then, Aurora entered the shaky phase with the losses to HEROIC and SAW. This down period includes a 4:13 on Mirage against HEROIC, which is not reassuring for the players and the fans.
Astralis, with their coach replacing Nicolai "dev1ce" Reedtz, put Aurora in an uncomfortable 0:1 situation in the advancement match. Aurora managed to recover and hit the Playoffs at PGL Masters Bucharest 2025.
In the quarterfinal, Aurora barely escaped an upset from B8. The semifinal was a showcase of Aurora’s power: they defeated GamerLegion with two 13:1s.
Legacy were also among the top teams at PGL Masters Bucharest 2025. They achieved their first big tournament win just a couple of weeks ago: at CS Asia Championships 2025.
As the grand final opponents, Legacy gave Aurora quite a fight. They recovered from a 0:2 score, won a 19:17 overtime on Train, and made the score even. Still the reverse sweep did not happen, as Aurora Gaming claimed victory on a close decisive map.
More power in the CS2 mid tier!
The mid-tier power is certainly not limited to Aurora and Legacy. It’s absolutely great fot CS2 esports! We have intense competition that pushes even the best team to new heights.
- paiN Gaming proved their great potential, despite not playing too often at tournaments.
- B8 reached the top 8, which feels pretty great for these young players. They are among the Budapest Major participants, so let’s keep an eye on this team.
- SAW were one of the biggest discoveries at PGL Masters Bucharest 2025. Not many people expected to see this team in the top 3.
The mid-tier gang has a go at almost every big Counter-Strike 2 esports tournament, even if not all teams from PGL Masters Bucharest 2025 are among the participants.
Some upset opportunities are possible at IEM Chengdu 2025: specifically in the Group Stage, from Nov. 3 to Nov. 5.
