PGL Astana 2025 — the main event in the world of esports: what you need to know

From May 10 to 18, the PGL Astana 2025 CS2 tournament will take place in Astana with a record prize pool of $1,250,000.

16 elite teams will face off on stage, including Team Spirit, The MongolZ, Aurora, G2 Esports, Natus Vincere, Astralis, paiN Gaming, Virtus.pro, GamerLegion, FURIA, BIG, MIBR, Ninjas in Pyjamas, M80, Oddik, and HOTU. Spectators can expect tactical battles, masterful clutch situations, and unexpected twists that will make this tournament one of the most spectacular in the world of CS2.

The PGL Astana 2025 tournament will be held using the Swiss system with best-of-two match formats. Each team will play up to three wins or three losses—the eight best teams that achieve three wins will advance to the playoffs, while the rest will be eliminated. In the playoffs, teams will face off in intense single-elimination matches where every round will be decisive in the fight for the championship title and a share of the record prize pool.

Kazakhstani players will also participate in this tournament, ready to showcase their skills on the main stage. Let's look at which athletes will represent the country and what their chances of success are.

Kaisar Fayznurov, ICY
Known as ICY, he represents Virtus.pro as a sniper and is considered the youngest talent from Kazakhstan at 19 years old. He began his career in 2020 and honed his skills with teams AVANGAR, AMKAL ESPORTS, and Cloud9 before signing a contract with Virtus.pro until 2028 in December 2024. He has already participated in key majors such as Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 and PGL CS2 Major Copenhagen 2024, and his best achievement so far is reaching the top five at PGL Bucharest 2025.

Daniil Golubenko, molodoy
The 20-year-old talent from Kazakhstan with the nickname molodoy became a new player for FURIA Esports in CS2 in April 2025. Previously, playing for Amkal Esports, molodoy demonstrated a high level of performance with 16 wins out of 21 matches. His total prize money amounts to $2,114.

Aidos Khairzhan, kade0
Known by the nickname kade0, he plays as a captain and rifler for HOTU Esports. At 25 years old, he has already established himself as an experienced leader, starting his professional career in 2017. He has played for teams such as Se7en eSports, Syman Gaming, K23, AVANGAR, and Forward Gaming.

Suleiman Orazaly, dukefissura
The 28-year-old rifler from HOTU Esports, known as dukefissura, began his professional career in 2019, playing for teams 100PG, Unique, Rune Eaters, xGOD, and MYSKILL. In April 2025, he was promoted to the main roster of HOTU.

Rustem Telepov, mou
Known as mou, the 33-year-old professional player started his career in CS 1.6 and gained fame in CS:GO. He initially played for Exgaming, then moved to HellRaisers in March 2015, and in October of the same year, along with AdreN and others, formed the team HS.GG, which officially joined Gambit Gaming in January 2016. His total prize money is $287,854. Today, mou works as a coach for HOTU Esports and actively participates in CS2 competitions.

Tickets for the PGL Astana 2025 tournament are already available on the Ticketon website. Separate prices are set for each day of the event: from 18,000 tenge on May 16, from 23,000 tenge on May 17, and from 28,000 tenge on May 18.

When: May 16–18
Where: Astana, "Barys Arena"