PGL has announced the invited teams for the Astana 2026 Closed Qualifiers, with open qualifiers kicking off March 22 and the closed stage beginning March 31. Four spots at the upcoming Major are on the line across four regional qualifiers.
European Qualifier (1 spot)
Four invited teams will be joined by four open qualifier survivors:
- 100 Thieves
- HOTU
- K27 — coming off a CCT Europe S18 victory
- illwill
North American Qualifier (1 spot)
- LAG
- Zomblers
- FarmVille
- Outfit 49
South American Qualifier (1 spot)
- 9z — the region's strongest contender
- ODDIK
- LP
- Fake do Biru
Asian Qualifier (1 spot)
The Asian qualifier features a unique three-region format with six invited teams:
- Oceania: SemperFi, Mindfreak
- West Asia: DEPO, Legion
- East Asia: The Huns, Chinggis Warriors
Each sub-region runs its own bracket (2 invited + 2 from open qualifiers), with the three regional winners facing off for a single Major spot.
Format
In Europe and the Americas, each region features 8 teams (4 invited + 4 from open qualifiers) competing for one spot. The Asian qualifier consolidates three sub-regions into one final spot through a cascading bracket system.
Road to Major
These qualifiers represent the last chance for teams outside the direct invite system to earn their spot at the Major. With K27's recent CCT Europe victory and 9z's strong BLAST Open Rotterdam showing, the competition promises to be fierce across all regions.
