PGL Wallachia Season 9 preview: teams, format and schedule

Nine days, 16 teams and one million dollars. More importantly, almost no one knows how the field really ranks yet.

PGL Wallachia Season 9 starts on September 19 at the PGL Studios in Bucharest. The tournament is the first major test for several rosters assembled after The International 2026 and will also be played immediately after the release of patch 7.41f.

PGL Wallachia Season 9 key details

• Dates: September 19 to 27
• Location: Bucharest, Romania
• Venue: PGL Studios
• Teams: 16
• Prize pool: $1,000,000
• Format: Swiss stage and double-elimination playoffs

The group stage will run from September 19 to 23. All 16 teams will compete in a modified Swiss system, with eight advancing to the playoffs.

Every series will be played as a BO3 until the grand final, which will use a BO5 format. The playoffs feature double elimination, giving teams a second chance through the lower bracket

PGL Wallachia Season 9 teams

The complete participant list includes:

1win
Aurora Gaming
Conventus Stellarum
GamerLegion
Hokori
LGD Gaming
MOUZ
Natus Vincere
Pibbles Corp
Pipsqueak+4
PlayTime
Team Cobra
Team Nemesis
Team Yandex
Xtreme Gaming
Yakult Brothers

The absence of Team Spirit, BetBoom Team, PARIVISION and Team Liquid leaves the tournament without a single overwhelming favorite. At the same time, the field contains several teams capable of winning the title.

Team Yandex lead an unpredictable field

Team Yandex enter the event as one of the main teams to watch. The organization won PGL Wallachia Season 7 earlier in 2026 and now arrives with a rebuilt roster featuring watson, Chira_Junior, ATF, Saksa and Malady. The combination of ATF’s aggressive offlane style and Saksa’s experience gives the team one of the highest potential ceilings in Bucharest.

Xtreme Gaming are another obvious contender. Their roster includes Ame, Xm, zeal, XinQ and BoBoKa, bringing together proven Chinese stars and one of the most experienced support duos at the event.

Aurora Gaming will debut a new carry after replacing Nightfall with two-time TI champion skiter. He joins Stojkov, Ws, Mira and kaori, making Aurora one of the most intriguing teams of the opening week.

NAVI, 1win and LGD Gaming form the next group of potential playoff contenders. However, roster changes and stand-ins make the usual pre-tournament hierarchy less reliable than normal.

Patch 7.41f adds another layer of uncertainty. Teams have had only a few days to adjust their drafts, item builds and hero priorities, so the opening rounds may reveal more about the new meta than recent results.

Opening matches on September 19

The first Swiss round features eight BO3 series:

07:00 UTC | 1win vs Team Nemesis
07:00 UTC | Xtreme Gaming vs Pibbles Corp
10:00 UTC | Conventus Stellarum vs PlayTime
10:00 UTC | Natus Vincere vs Hokori
13:00 UTC | Aurora Gaming vs Pipsqueak+4
13:00 UTC | GamerLegion vs Team Cobra
16:00 UTC | Team Yandex vs MOUZ
16:00 UTC | LGD Gaming vs Yakult Brothers

Team Yandex against MOUZ is the strongest headline match of the opening round, while Aurora’s first official series with skiter will provide an early look at one of the tournament’s most important roster changes.

PGL Wallachia Season 9 prize distribution

The champion will receive $300,000, while the runner-up earns $175,000. Third place is worth $120,000, and the fourth-placed team will collect $80,000.

Even teams eliminated during the Swiss stage will receive prize money, with payouts extending through all 16 positions.

PGL Wallachia Season 9 is not only a battle for the trophy. It is the first opportunity to see which post-TI projects are already working and which teams still need time.

Follow team probabilities and tournament predictions throughout PGL Wallachia Season 9 on Winio.