Since the release of CS2, PGL Astana Major 2026 will undoubtedly become a landmark event for the entire e-sports industry. On July 9, PGL officially announced that the total prize pool of the event will be increased from $1.25 million to $1.6 million. This move not only refreshed the highest prize money record in the history of CS2 Major, but also redefined the prize money standard for future high-end events.
Strategic signal behind the prize money increase
The prize money increase has the greatest direct impact on the prize money received by the champion team. According to PGL public information:
The champion team will receive $500,000 (originally $350,000)
The runner-up will receive $250,000
The 3rd-4th place will receive $80,000 each
The 5th-8th place will receive $40,000
The remaining prize money will be distributed according to points and performance
This structural optimization is clearly tilted towards teams with outstanding performance, motivating each team to go all out in the main event stage.
Compared with previous Majors
Major events Year of hosting Venue Total prize pool
| Major Event | Year | Location | Total Prize Pool |
| IEM Rio Major | 2022 | Brazil | $1,250,000 |
| BLAST Paris Major | 2023 | France | $1,250,000 |
| PGL Copenhagen Major | 2024 | Denmark | $1,250,000 |
| PGL Astana Major | 2026 | Kazakhstan | $1,600,000 |
This breakthrough not only represents PGL’s own ambition, but also heralds the entry of CS2 events into a new era of business and competition.
Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, has gradually increased its investment in sports and e-sports in recent years. In 2024 and 2025, PGL held RMR and regional large-scale events in Central Asia many times, accumulating a large number of local resources and audience base.
According to HLTV data, the peak audience of PGL RMR Kazakhstan Station in 2025 exceeded 350,000, becoming one of the most watched RMR events of the year. This laid a solid foundation for the selection of the main event of the Major.
In addition, the stable infrastructure, efficient visa policy and good international flight connectivity in Central Asia are also key factors in the selection of PGL locations.
What does it mean for teams and players?
Higher prize money is not only an honor, but also a direct economic incentive. According to Statista data, the average annual operating cost of CS2 professional teams in 2024 exceeded 800,000 US dollars, and high-level event prize money has become an important pillar for them to balance income and expenditure.
Take the championship prize of 500,000 US dollars as an example, which is almost enough to support the operation of a T1 team throughout the year, especially for independent teams in non-cooperative alliances. This money is of great significance.
In addition, higher prize money will attract more professional players to extend their careers and motivate secondary teams to invest more training resources to impact Major qualifications.
Impact on Valve and CS Ecosystem
Although PGL is the organizer of the event, Valve, as the developer of CS2, still dominates the setting direction of the Major system. Although the prize money increase was not directly announced by Valve, it was obviously approved and even supported by it. The industry generally interprets it as Valve’s strategic adjustment in the face of competitive pressure from “Valorant” and other FPS e-sports projects.
In contrast, the total prize money of “Valorant Champions 2023” is 2.5 million US dollars. PGL’s increase in the CS2 prize money to 1.6 million US dollars is a strong response to its market position.
Soon after PGL’s official announcement, many professional players and analysts expressed positive attitudes on social platforms:
s1mple: “This is the direction CS needs.”
karrigan: “Higher prize money = higher competitive level.”
The relevant topic on Reddit was on the CSGO version of the hot list within 24 hours, with more than 12,000 likes and more than a thousand comments.
The increase in prize money for PGL Astana Major 2026 is a sign that CS2 events are entering the platinum era. It not only gives teams more development capital, but also allows global fans to see that this 20-year-old e-sports project is still full of vitality. More importantly, such investment will continue to attract more sponsors, media and young audiences to enter the CS2 ecosystem in the next few years.
For the entire FPS e-sports industry, this is not only an upgrade of the game, but a reshaping of the landscape.
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