PGL Masters Bucharest quarter-finals: Vitality meet NAVI again as Nemiga take on FUT

The playoff bracket at PGL Masters Bucharest is set, and the Counter-Strike 2 quarter-finals are being played today, Thursday 29 October. Nemiga, FURIA and Natus Vincere took the last three places on Wednesday after winning their 2-2 decider matches. They join FUT Esports, BetBoom Team, Team Vitality, MOUZ and Aurora in a single-elimination knockout that ends with a best-of-five grand final on Saturday.

How the last three spots were decided

Nemiga, ranked 21st in the world by HLTV before the event, beat The MongolZ 2-0. They won Cache 13-5 and then edged a tight Dust2 19-15 in overtime. FURIA beat Team Liquid 2-0, taking a close Nuke 13-11 before winning Inferno 13-5.

NAVI had the bumpiest route. After starting 2-0 with wins over G2 and FURIA, they lost to BetBoom and Vitality. They recovered to beat Team Spirit 2-1 in the final decider, winning Cache 13-2, dropping Dust2 10-13 and then taking Anubis 13-3. The result knocked out Spirit, who came into the event as HLTV's world number one.

The quarter-final line-up

All four quarter-finals are best-of-three. Using the schedule published by HLTV and other outlets, the Malaysian start times are:

• 4pm: FUT Esports vs Nemiga
• 7pm: Team Vitality vs Natus Vincere
• 10pm: Aurora vs MOUZ
• 1am (Friday): BetBoom Team vs FURIA

Vitality and NAVI meet for the second time this week. Vitality won their Swiss-stage series 2-0, taking Inferno 13-2 and Dust2 13-9. BetBoom and FURIA also have recent history, having met in a five-map grand final at the Thunderpick World Championship. Aurora against MOUZ is a first meeting between the two current line-ups.

In the semi-finals, the BetBoom-FURIA winner plays the Aurora-MOUZ winner, while the Vitality-NAVI winner faces the FUT-Nemiga winner.

FUT and BetBoom arrive unbeaten

FUT were the first team to qualify, going 3-0 with wins over TYLOO, Liquid and Vitality. Their 2-1 win over Vitality came on Mirage, Dust2 and Anubis, with Vitality using jL in place of apEX. BetBoom also went 3-0, beating Spirit and NAVI along the way. Vitality, MOUZ and Aurora qualified at 3-1, while Nemiga, FURIA and NAVI came through at 3-2.

Asian interest ended in the Swiss stage. The MongolZ were knocked out by Nemiga, and China's TYLOO finished 1-3.

What is at stake

The event carries a total pool of US$1.25 million, split evenly between prize money and club rewards. From the US$625,000 prize-money share, the champion takes US$225,000 and the runner-up US$100,000. Each quarter-final loser receives US$25,000 in prize money. The semi-finals are scheduled for Friday, with the grand final on Saturday 31 October.

Key takeaways

• Nemiga, FURIA and NAVI won their 2-2 deciders to complete the eight-team bracket.
• Team Spirit, The MongolZ and Team Liquid were knocked out on Wednesday.
• The quarter-finals run from 4pm to about 1am Malaysia time on Thursday night.
• The champion receives US$225,000, and the grand final is on 31 October.

FAQ

Q: What format are the PGL Masters Bucharest playoffs?

They are single elimination. The quarter-finals and semi-finals are best-of-three and the grand final is best-of-five.

Q: Why are Vitality and NAVI playing each other again?

The quarter-final pairings rematch two teams that met in the Swiss stage, where Vitality won 2-0. A playoff loss now means elimination.

Q: Did any Asian teams reach the playoffs?

No. The MongolZ lost their decider to Nemiga and TYLOO finished 1-3, so neither advanced.

Sources: HLTV, Hotspawn, ESTNN, RG.org, Skin.Club, PGL Esports, Natus Vincere