If you glanced at the results of PGL Bucharest 2025 day one, you’d think you had entered some kind of topsy-turvy universe. It was upsets galore, with nearly every match providing a big upset that you simply couldn’t have predicted. My PGL Bucharest 2025 day one predictions look a bit silly in hindsight, but very few would have had Legacy 2:0ing Team Liquid as one example.
Let’s go match by match and talk about all the matches that kicked off PGL Bucharest 2025.
The MongolZ rusty in 3DMAX loss
Credit: PGL
There’s not much to say about The MongolZ vs. 3DMAX, just that it was not good Counter-Strike. The MongolZ looked rusty and uninspiring, with the French team showing why they’re continuing to knock on the door of Tier 1. Although the Mongolian outfit managed to win the first map, they were powerless as 3DMAX completed the reverse sweep in this series. That’s upset number one – start keeping count.
Virtus.pro dismantled by Rare Atom
Credit: PGL
Well, The MongolZ might have failed, but at least one Asian team got a win on day one of PGL Bucharest 2025. Rare Atom, gigantic underdogs in this one, utterly dismantled Virtus.pro, who only mustered 10 rounds across the entire series. ICY was the one shining light for VP, but beyond that, there’s nothing to shout home about here. Upset number two of the day came in this swift 2:0 series.
G2 match expectations vs. GamerLegion
Credit: PGL
At last, a game that went just as most would have predicted! G2 have been in some poor form coming into PGL Bucharest 2025, but the name value alone meant most would still have them as their winners of this tie against GamerLegion. And win they did, getting the job done in just two maps. Clearly, G2 haven’t been rocked by the recent m0NESY to Falcons rumors, but I don’t expect them to remain consistent throughout this CS2 tournament.
Complexity run riot over Falcons
Credit: PGL
If G2 weren’t affected by the aforementioned m0NESY rumors, then Falcons certainly were. They were utterly demolished by Complexity 2:0, with no single Falcons player able to keep their head in the game throughout the series. It’s another miserable low for Falcons as they fall into the 0:1 bracket at PGL Bucharest 2025, losing to a Complexity team that has tons of problems of their own. Another tough day at the office, and yet another upset.
Legacy spoil siuhy’s Liquid debut
Credit: Stephanie Lindgren | BLAST
Vibes were high for Liquid coming into this one, with the hope that siuhy can sort out their myriad of problems. Brazilian underdogs Legacy had other ideas, ravaging them in a 2:0 series with map scorelines that look much closer than they actually were. It’s a spoilt debut for siuhy, effectively killing any hope that they would get a honeymoon period by bringing in a new in-game leader. For me, NAF’s form is becoming an increasing problem, with the North American legend only managing a total of 12 kills across two maps here.
Aurora continue Eternal Fire legacy with paiN Gaming win
Credit: PGL
Just about everyone was shocked when it was confirmed that the Eternal Fire roster would be transferred to Aurora yesterday, effective immediately. They wasted no time getting back to winning ways under their new banner, battling out a tough 2:1 series against a paiN Gaming team that, honestly, looked better than they have in a long time. In a day of one-sided series, I was just glad to have a competitive CS2 match to watch. I’m excited to see how both of these teams progress throughout PGL Bucharest 2025.
Astralis put FaZe in the dumpster
Credit: PGL
Can it really get any worse for FaZe Clan? Apparently so. They’ve kicked off their PGL Bucharest run with a loss to Astralis, a team with plenty of well-documented problems of their own. The fact that this 2:1 series even went three maps in the first place flattered FaZe – it took a big collapse from Astralis on the second map to get there. The positive for FaZe is that broky played well for the first time in what feels like an age, but there’s equal disappointment that they still lost despite this. I’m counting this as upset number five for the day.
FURIA avoid underdog curse against Apogee
Credit: PGL
The final game of PGL Bucharest 2025 day one was FURIA vs. Apogee. You’d be forgiven for not knowing too much about the Polish Apogee roster, given this is their Tier 1 debut having fought through the open qualifiers. They failed to make a splash here, coming a distant second-best against FURIA in a quick 2:0 match. Yeah, we all saw this coming. Still, I’m excited to see if Apogee can show some good signs in future matches.