MIBR replaces paiN Gaming at PGL Bucharest 2026

Esports tournament organiser PGL has announced MIBR as the final team that will compete at PGL Bucharest 2026 after Brazilian side paiN Gaming withdrew from the tournament.

As a result of paiN Gaming’s withdrawal, MIBR inherits the team’s invite at the Tier 1 tournament taking place in the Romanian city.

Announced on March 2nd, following the conclusion of the regional closed qualifiers, MIBR has earned a second chance after narrowly missing out on qualification after its loss to Imperial Esports. Notably, paiN Gaming hasn’t disclosed details behind the decision to withdraw from the tournament.

Ranked 23rd in February’s Valve Regional Standings (VRS), MIBR heads into the tournament following a strong start to its 2026 season. Over the past two months, the team has won Circuit X Redemption Curitiba and FiReCONTER Season 1 LAN events in addition to securing victory in the first South American ESL Challenger League Season 51 cup of the year.

With MIBR’s inclusion in the main event, PGL Bucharest 2026 features a wealth of representation from across the Americas, with five of the 16 teams competing hailing from the region.

Since the arrival of Swedish in-game leader Linus ‘LNZ‘ Holtäng and Carlos ‘venomzera‘ Eduardo, MIBR has a chance to earn valuable VRS points and compete against some of Counter-Strike’s biggest names.

While only three of the top-ten teams have accepted an invitation to the event, there are still several notable rosters facing off for a chance to win the lion’s share of its $625,000 (~£466,814) prize pool from April 3rd to 11th.

The updated PGL Bucharest 2026 team list is as follows: