Cluj-Napoca solidifies esports legacy with new PGL partnership through 2029

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Cluj-Napoca is set to remain a fixture on the Counter-Strike circuit. The Romanian city has officially extended its partnership with tournament organizer PGL, signing a new cooperation agreement that runs through 2029. Mayor Emil Boc broke the news of this major industry deal via his Instagram, solidifying the city’s role as a long-term hub for elite esports.

The partnership was announced shortly after PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026 concluded. The tournament wrapped up on February 22, with Team Vitality lifting the championship trophy. The event proved to be a major success, peaking at more than 882,000 concurrent viewers and comfortably outperforming last year’s edition.

Most popular esports tournaments in Cluj-Napoca

Romania’s esports footprint is clearly growing, with Cluj-Napoca quickly closing the gap with Bucharest, the country's long-standing hub for Dota 2. High-stakes gaming is nothing new for the local crowd. Back in 2015, the city hosted the DreamHack Open Cluj-Napoca — a prestigious Counter-Strike Major where the legendary French roster of Team Envy (then EnVyUs) ultimately claimed the title.

Most popular esports tournaments by PGL

PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026 has officially become the second most-popular esports event ever held in Romania. It trails only The International 10, which drew a massive peak of over 2.7 million concurrent viewers. To this day, that figure remains the all-time high-water mark for Dota 2 viewership worldwide. 

PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026 ranked as the sixth most popular event ever organized by PGL. Excluding Major tournaments, it stands as the company’s second most popular event, trailing only PGL Astana 2025. You can find more details and full viewership statistics for other tournaments in the dedicated section on Esports Charts.