Five Things We Learned From PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025

With most of the top CS2 teams choosing to sit out PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025, it felt like an opportunity to learn a thing or two about some of the scene’s underdogs. Each team had their own narratives throughout the event, which continued to develop as they thrived or floundered. So, when all is said and done, what did we actually learn from PGL Cluj-Napoca? Read on to find out.

MOUZ aren’t always stage chokers

Most of Counter-Strike’s greatest champions started out as stage chokers, and had to battle through nerves to eventually start to close out matches under the bright lights. This period always fades in the memory once the wins start flooding in.

MOUZ had very much developed a reputation as big stage chokers. Seemingly eternal Group Stage merchants, the team’s only trophies in recent memory came in front of a studio audience in the form of ESL Pro League S18 and S19. Now, in their first CS2 tournament with Spinx in place of siuhy, they’ve already managed to bury that ghost by winning PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025.

The addition of world-class lurker Spinx surely made all the difference with the stage nerves. A Major and IEM Cologne winner, he has already passed the finish line in bigger matches than this. Even still, it’s a credit to xertioN in particular, who has been MOUZ’s biggest offender when it comes to struggling in front of a crowd. Here, he was electric, an excellent sign for MOUZ going forward.

Falcons’ first trophy is probably on the way

Falcons may have wasted a good chance to get on the board at PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025, but they looked very good throughout this event. NiKo’s disappearing act on the last two maps of the Final was the difference, but he won’t do that every time they come close to glory.

We’re not exactly on the verge of a Falcons era, but a big trophy win feels inevitable for this roster. Consistency will be key, and with so many events in the 2025 calendar, Falcons will definitely fancy themselves as challengers going forward, especially when the top teams are carefully picking and choosing their tournament appearances. PGL Cluj-Napoca proved to be too early for the team, but I’m calling it here – Falcons will win a Tier 1 trophy in 2025.

Astralis are good… maybe?

I stand by what I said after claiming that I have no idea how good Astralis actually are. Sometimes great, sometimes disastrous, but overall, I reckon Astralis will be pretty pleased with their 3rd-place finish at PGL Cluj-Napoca. Looking at the teams at the event, it’s a very good placing, and they offered some positive signs that things will get much better under cadiaN’s leadership.

Astralis’ biggest tests will still lie ahead of them, but they were one Inferno round away from a Grand Final appearance at PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025. Dare I say it, they were pretty good, and I’m looking forward to seeing if this is a one-off or a real upward trend for Astralis. Now, if only they can get stavn to show up in matches that matter…

FaZe Clan have some way to go yet

Sometimes, you make big predictions and end up with egg on your face, so to speak. I was absolutely adamant that FaZe Clan were nailed-on winners of PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025 – I just didn’t see any teams around them that had the quality to take them down here. Obviously, I was very wrong, with FaZe Clan losing to both Falcons in the Semi-Final and Astralis in the third-place decider match.

The truth is that FaZe Clan are much further away from the finished product than I anticipated. EliGE has had a mixed start to life on his new lineup, and the teammates around him seem to be struggling with position changes to facilitate his arrival. PGL Cluj-Napoca has shone a light on just how much work FaZe Clan have to do before they’re competitive at the top again. Skipping ESL Pro League S21 allows FaZe Clan some time back at the drawing board, but I fear it’s more reps on the server this team needs – not more theory-crafting.

Showmatches are dead – long live third-place decider matches

If you’re telling me you’d prefer to watch ex-pros attempt to relive their glory years in a milquetoast showmatch rather than see Astralis and FaZe Clan go life and death in a thrilling 52-round marathon map one to help decide the third-place placing, you’re wrong, I’m afraid.

It has been a long time since we saw a third-place decider match in Counter-Strike, but based on the evidence of Astralis vs. FaZe Clan, it has to be a necessity going forward. The match was the difference between a $87,500 and a $150,000 cash prize (huge in the VRS rankings), which meant the stakes never felt diminished.

At the end of it all, you could really see what it meant for Astralis to win this one. Even after the emotion of crashing out of tournament contention, the third-place decider match gave Astralis something to be invested in again. For me, this killed any argument that showmatches should remain a part of the scene. Long live the third-place decider!