PGL Masters Bucharest 2026 has its invited teams, and the world’s number one side are conspicuously absent – Falcons, currently top of the Valve Regional Standings, are the only top team to decline an invitation to the $1,250,000 studio event, which runs from October 24–31 in Bucharest, Romania.
Their absence opened the door for The MongolZ, sitting 13th in the VRS at the time invites were issued, to claim the final spot in what is otherwise a stacked field. Reigning champions Aurora will defend their title with a revamped international lineup, while Spirit, Vitality, Natus Vincere, FURIA, and G2 all accepted their invites. BetBoom and 9z earned their places off the back of quarter-final runs at the IEM Cologne Major, and last year’s runners-up Legacy return with Santino “try” Rigal stepping in for Guilherme “saadzin” Pacheco.
Full PGL Masters Bucharest 2026 Invited Team List
The 12 confirmed invited teams are Vitality, Spirit, FURIA, Natus Vincere, 9z, Aurora, G2, BetBoom, MOUZ, Legacy, FUT, and The MongolZ. The remaining four spots will go to regional qualifier winners – Europe, South America, North America, and Asia – with those qualifiers scheduled for the second week of September.
The event will run a Swiss group stage feeding into a single-elimination playoff bracket, culminating in a best-of-five grand final. Timing is critical: PGL Masters Bucharest concludes just before the November 2 VRS invite cut-off for the PGL Singapore Major, making every match carry genuine ranking weight for the teams on the bubble.
With Falcons absent and Aurora looking to go back-to-back with a rebuilt roster, the path to the grand final feels genuinely open – keep an eye on the regional qualifiers in September to see which four sides complete the bracket.