The group stage of the PGL Astana 2025 kicked off in Kazakhstan 's capital, and from day one, it was clear—there would be no easy matches here. Some favorites faced unexpected resistance, while certain teams surprised with mature and aggressive play.

pain 2:0 HOTU
Maps: Mirage (13:8), Nuke (13:4)

The Brazilians from pain left no chance for the Kazakh team HOTU , confidently defeating them on two maps. biguzera delivered an incredible performance with 37 kills. Despite the home advantage, HOTU looked tense, with only kade0 trying to put up a fight, achieving 25 frags.

MVP: biguzera – 37/20
EVP: kade0 – 25/31

Natus Vincere 2:0 M80
Maps: Dust II (13:4), Mirage (13:7)

NAVI showcased their power, leaving no chance for M80 . The team confidently won both picks, with b1t and Aleksib demonstrating excellent coordination and map control. w0nderful particularly stood out, consistently delivering frags with the AWP.

MVP: b1t – 28/22, 90 ADR, 7.0 rating
EVP: Swisher – 27/28, 82 ADR, 6.3 rating

Ninjas in Pyjamas 2:1 Virtus.pro
Maps: Train (13:6), Dust II (11:13), Ancient (13:9)

This was one of the most intense series of the day. NiP started with dominance on Train, but VP responded with a fierce comeback on Dust II. On the deciding map, the Swedes managed to edge out their opponent thanks to a fantastic performance by sjuush , who finished the match with 57 kills and a 7.3 rating.

MVP: sjuush – 57/35, 89 ADR, 7.3 rating
EVP: ICY – 48/34, 72 ADR, 6.3 rating

Team Spirit 2:0 GamerLegion
Maps: Mirage (13:11), Nile (13:11)

Spirit played an evenly matched game against GamerLegion , with Donk once again being the star. His 42 frags and nearly 100 ADR speak for themselves. pr also earned praise for his consistency, despite the overall defeat of his team.

MVP: Donk – 42/30, 94 ADR, 7.3 rating
EVP: pr – 36/37, 6.1 rating

PGL Astana 2025 takes place from May 10 to 18. The entire tournament is held in Astana, Kazakhstan , at Barys Arena. Participants compete for a prize pool of $625,000.