The starting tournament phase treats us to a lot of Counter-Strike matches! The main intrigue here is the potential of some top teams to break their disastrous shakiness: NAVI and The MongolZ, first of all.
This year, PGL tournaments have a much better schedule — to not interfere with other big Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) esports series. The result of such an approach is notable on the very first event of 2026, PGL Cluj-Napoca: most top teams are here.
To kick off the competition, the 16 participants have quite stacked five Swiss Stage days at PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026. All rounds are best-of-three.
We sure have a few clear favorites. Still, the underdog power can be real in this early stage!
How to watch the CS2 PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026 Swiss Stage: Stream
Schedule
The Swiss Stage at PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026 continues from Feb. 14 to Feb. 18. Each tournament day is dedicated to one Swiss round. Advancement and elimination matches start on Feb. 16.
Estimated start | 9 a.m. CET / 3 a.m. ET, Feb 14 NAVI 2:0 Astralis 13:10 on Nuke 13:6 on Mirage Aurora 1:2 FUT 6:13 on Mirage 16:13 on Anubis Overpass | 12 p.m. CET / 6 a.m. ET, Feb 14 MOUZ 2:1 PARAVISION 7:13 on Dust II 13:7 on Inferno 13:3 on Overpass FaZe 2:0 HEROIC 13:5 on Overpass 13:9 on Ancient | 3 p.m. CET / 9 a.m. ET, Feb 14 Vitality 1:0 G2 13:11 on Mirage Inferno Anubis Falcons 1:0 3DMAX 13:7 on Nuke Dust II Ancient | 6 p.m. CET / 12 p.m. ET, Feb 14 FURIA vs B8 The MongolZ vs paiN |
Swiss Stage results at PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026
Only eight CS2 teams can make it to the Playoffs at PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026. Throughout the Swiss Stage rounds, the participants should accumulate three wins. Getting three losses means elimination.
The detailed results of Swiss Stage matches at PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026 are shown in this section.
Round 1
NAVI 2:0 Astralis 13:10 on Nuke 13:6 on Mirage Aurora 1:2 FUT 6:13 on Mirage 16:13 on Anubis Overpass | MOUZ 2:1 PARAVISION 7:13 on Dust II 13:7 on Inferno 13:3 on Overpass FaZe 2:0 HEROIC 13:5 on Overpass 13:9 on Ancient | Vitality vs G2 Falcons vs 3DMAX | FURIA vs B8 The MongolZ vs paiN |
Round 2
1:0 matches | 0:1 matches |
|---|---|
| TBD vs TBD | TBD vs TBD |
| TBD vs TBD | TBD vs TBD |
| TBD vs TBD | TBD vs TBD |
| TBD vs TBD | TBD vs TBD |
PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026, Swiss Stage Round 3
2:0 matches | 1:1 matches | 0:2 matches |
|---|---|---|
| TBD vs TBD | TBD vs TBD | TBD vs TBD |
| TBD vs TBD | TBD vs TBD | TBD vs TBD |
| TBD vs TBD | ||
| TBD vs TBD |
Round 4
2:1 matches | 1:2 matches |
|---|---|
| TBD vs TBD | TBD vs TBD |
| TBD vs TBD | TBD vs TBD |
| TBD vs TBD | TBD vs TBD |
Round 5
2:2 matches |
|---|
| TBD vs TBD |
| TBD vs TBD |
| TBD vs TBD |
Recovery or dominance?
The first two events of 2026 confirmed the power balance on the top CS2 esports scene. Some teams clearly declared their dominance, so making it to the top 8 is the least we expect from them. Other rosters should break the curse of losing during the early stages and recover to their proper tournament placements.
The favorites to warm up before the finals
- Team Vitality won IEM Kraków 2026, and the community expects even more victories from them ahead of the Cologne Major.
- FURIA had strong runs at the two previous events, but they couldn’t lift a trophy. Can the team return to the tournament-winning tradition from the second half of 2025? This team is among the favorites on the best esports betting sites.
- MOUZ had excellent matches, like the quarterfinal versus G2 Esports in Krakow. But then, they fell apart closer to the grand final. MOUZ won PGL Cluj-Napoca in 2025, but the overall level of participants was lower back then.
- Falcons keep struggling at various tournaments. Even when they reach playoffs and grand finals, they cannot win events.
Recover proper strength
- NAVI disappointed their fans at BLAST Bounty Winter 2026 and then at IEM Krakow. The team could not even qualify for the Playoffs. For Natus Vincere, the PGL Cluj-Napoca Swiss Stage is a nice chance to come back to the top level of CS2 esports.
- The MongolZ intensified their result drop from the second half of 2025. Roster shifts do not work out for the team, but the synergy can reveal itself at Cluj-Napoca.
Underdogs to watch out for
- PARAVISION already surprised the CS2 community with their amazing win at Bounty 2026 Season 1. They couldn’t reach the Playoffs in Kraków, and PGL Cluj-Napoca is a chance for another breakthrough.
- B8 had a pretty good tournament at the Budapest Major. They need to restore this form in 2026.
- Astralis had big roster changes ahead of this season. It’s time for them to pay off.
All qualified teams are seeded into the quarterfinal brackets. The PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026 Playoffs start on Feb. 20. The grand final is on Feb. 22.
