PGL returns to Poland with March 2027 event in Lodz

PGL will stage an esports tournament March 18-28, 2027 at Lodz’s Atlas Arena, a 15,000-seat venue. The event marks PGL’s return to Poland since the PGL Major Krakow 2017 and is the third stop on PGL’s 2027 circuit.

PGL moved the event to Lodz after a booking for Krakow’s TAURON Arena was canceled because of a scheduling conflict. The organizer provided the additional information required by Valve’s Tournament Operating Guidelines, including participant selection, prize distribution and conduct rules.

Sixteen teams will take part. Fourteen teams will receive direct invites based on the Global VRS ranking on December 7. Two berths will be decided through a European qualifier that features an open stage from January 4-7 and a closed stage from January 9-12; the closed stage will include six additional invites from the European VRS. The qualifier format differs from this year’s format, which held qualifiers across multiple regions.

PGL set the event’s base prize pool at $1 million and published a full payout schedule. First place will receive $180,000 plus a $100,000 club share; second place will get $80,000 plus $75,000; third will receive $50,000 plus $65,000; and fourth will get $40,000 plus $50,000. Teams finishing fifth through eighth will receive $25,000 plus $39,000 each, ninth through eleventh will receive $10,000 plus $18,000 each, twelfth through fourteenth will receive $5,000 each, and fifteenth and sixteenth will each receive $2,500.

Separately, PGL will distribute an additional $300,000 to the top-five highest-ranked teams that accept an invitation, subject to eligibility for teams ranked inside the top 14 of the Global VRS at the time invites are issued.

The announcement also includes conduct and integrity provisions tied to tournament invitations. The rule reads: “Any Roster that withdraws from a PGL event, regardless of the timing of the withdrawal or the surrounding circumstances, is subject to a disqualification from receiving a Direct VRS Invite to the subsequent PGL event.”

The Lodz event is part of PGL’s wider 2027-2028 circuit. PGL pledged $22 million over two years for the circuit, and the Lodz tournament will count toward a $2.8 million annual viewership incentive that rewards teams for participation and the viewership they bring to events.

PGL included the Lodz tournament in its expanded circuit and supplied the financial and ranking details required by Valve for majors and similar events.