StarLadder Budapest Major 2025: Format, Schedule, and Teams of the CS2 Tournament in Hungary

Is the year coming to an end? Yes, but that doesn’t mean the competitive eSports scene will be without Counter-Strike 2 tournaments before the new year. And in grand style: the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 will bring together 32 teams from the three main regions — and, as a Tier-S tournament, it will host the best organizations based on the VRS (Valve Regional Standings).

Starting at the MTK Sportpark and moving to the MVM Dome for the Playoffs, the competition will be held from November 24 to December 14. Regional leaders such as FURIA, The MongolZ, and Team Vitality come in as favorites, though nothing is guaranteed in a tournament of such high level.

And if you already follow our blog, you know we take eSports seriously. That’s why we’ve prepared this guide explaining the format of the CS2 Major in Hungary, the participating teams, and even what you should consider before placing your bets. So press Start and keep reading!

StarLadder Budapest Major 2025’s Format

Featuring two weeks of intense Counter-Strike 2 action, the StarLadder Budapest Major will have four distinct stages. The tournament will use the traditional competitive Map Pool with seven maps: Ancient, Dust II, Inferno, Mirage, Nuke, Overpass, and Train — with the Pick & Ban system used by teams to select and veto the maps for each matchup.

See below the full schedule and rules for each stage:

Stage 1 (November 24 - 27)

Opening the tournament, Stage 1 of the StarLadder Budapest Major puts 16 teams in contention for eight spots in the next phase. The top eight organizations will advance, while the remaining half will be eliminated.

Each matchup is played in a single map, except for elimination and qualification matches — which are decided in BO3 (Best of Three), using up to three games to determine a winner. Opponents are determined through the Swiss System, pairing teams with similar records to increase competitiveness and excitement.

Stage 2 (November 29 – December 2)

Eight teams will begin the tournament directly in the second phase and will face the Stage 1 qualifiers. This stage follows the same rules as the previous one and runs from November 29 to December 2.

Stage 3 (December 4 – 7)

After two days of rest and preparation, the Stage 2 qualifiers will face the eight organizations that begin in Stage 3 — and theoretically enter as favorites. Taking place from December 4 to 7, the rules remain unchanged, and this stage will determine the eight teams advancing to the Playoffs.

Playoffs (December 11 – 14)

Now it’s time for the knockout stage, which features a different format and will be played from December 11 to 14. The eight teams advancing from Stage 3 will face each other in a Single-Elimination bracket — meaning one loss and you’re out.

Another change is in match format: all Playoff matches are BO3, except for the Grand Final of the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, which will be decided in BO5 (Best of Five) — with up to five maps to crown the champion!

StarLadder Budapest Major 2025’s Prize Pool

As one of the most prestigious CS2 tournaments of the year, the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 offers a prize pool worthy of its scale. The US$1.25 million prize pool will be distributed among teams based on their final placement:

• 1st Place: US$500,000
• 2nd Place: US$170,000
• 3rd – 4th Place: US$80,000
• 5th – 8th Place: US$45,000
• 9th – 16th Place: US$20,000
• 17th – 24th Place: US$10,000
• 25th – 32nd Place: No prize money

StarLadder Budapest Major 2025’s Participating Teams

The selection of teams and their starting stages is based on each region’s VRS (Valve Regional Rankings), which is updated as the competitive season progresses. For the tournament in Hungary, the standings from October 10 will be used for the Americas, Ásia and Europe.

Thus, the StarLadder Budapest Major will feature ten teams from the Americas, six from Asia, and fourteen from Europe. Below, you’ll find out which teams will start in each phase:

Stage 1 Teams

• VRS Americas: Legacy (5th place with 1394 points), Imperial Esports (6th place with 1360 points), M80 (7th place with 1264 points), NRGNotes (8th place with 1263 points), Fluxo (9th place with 1222 points), and RED Canids (10th place with 1198 points);
• VRS Asia: Lynn Vision Gaming (3rd place with 1405 points), FlyQuest (5th place with 1231 points), The Huns Esports (6th place with 1260 points), and Rare Atom (6th place with 1134 points);
• VRS Europe: FaZe Clan (11th place with 1626 points), GamerLegion (12th place with 1570 points), Ninjas in Pyjamas (13th place with 1474 points), B8 (14th place with 1466 points), PARIVISION (15th place with 1455 points), and Fnatic (16th place with 1451 points).

Stage 2 Teams

• VRS Americas: MIBR (3rd place with 1495 points) and Passion UA (4th place with 1438 points);
• VRS Asia: TYLOO (2nd place with 1601 points);
• VRS Europe: Aurora Gaming (6th place with 1801 points), Natus Vincere (7th place with 1752 points), Astralis (8th place with 1664 points), 3DMAX (9th place with 1639 points), Team Liquid (10th place with 1637 points).

Stage 3 Teams

• VRS Americas: FURIA (1st place with 1891 points) and paiN (2nd place with 1891 points);
• VRS Asia: The MongolZ (1st place with 1957 points);
• VRS Europe: Team Vitality (1st place with 1869 points), Team Spirit (2nd place with 1848 points), Team Falcons (3rd place with 1811 points), MOUZ (4th place with 1810 points), and G2 Esports (5th place with 1803 points).

StarLadder Budapest Major 2025’s Title Favorites

It’s not enough to just list the participants, right? With so many teams to analyze, we reviewed the entire season and selected a few standouts that could compete for the title.

Remember that we’re not promising or guaranteeing any results — sports are unpredictable (whether traditional or esports). Agreed? Teams arriving in strong form for the Budapest CS2 Major include:

• FURIA: Currently the team to beat in the Americas, the Brazilians come energized by titles at BLAST Rivals Fall, Intel Extreme Masters Chengdu, Thunderpick World Championship 2025, and FISSURE Playground #2.
• Team Vitality: At the top of the European VRS, the French squad arrives confident after winning the BLAST.tv Austin Major and leads the region with the most representatives at the tournament.
• The MongolZ: Champions of the Esports World Cup, the Asian roster bounced back from turbulent months with a second-place finish at FISSURE Playground #2.
• Team Falcons: After finishing second at BLAST Rivals Fall and ESL Pro League Season 22, the third-ranked team in Europe aims to fight at the top in Budapest.
• paiN Gaming: Second place in the Americas due to tiebreakers, the Brazilians are competitive and aim to avoid another semifinal exit like in BLAST Rivals Fall and the BLAST.tv Austin Major.
• Natus Vincere: You could argue that winning the StarLadder StarSeries Fall in September boosts their confidence — sure. But that was their only title of the season, and they’ll need to step up against stronger opponents.
• MOUZ: Despite still chasing their first Major title, the European squad reached the semifinals in three Majors — including the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025. They won PGL Cluj-Napoca, a Tier-S event, and enter with high expectations.

If you want to know some underdogs who might surprise, here are a few candidates:

• Ninjas in Pyjamas: Major champions in 2014 and four-time runners-up, the team hasn’t had strong recent results. Despite starting in Stage 1, they finished second at the StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2025 and could upset expectations.
• Rare Atom: Less accustomed to Tier-S tournaments, the Chinese squad has shown strength with titles and solid runs in events like ESL Challenger League Season 50 — earning two titles and one runner-up finish. Their goal is to establish themselves among CS2’s elite (at least as underdogs).
• MIBR: Some argue the Brazilians have two Major semifinal appearances — though 2018 and 2019 feel distant now. Starting in Stage 2, the team has been inconsistent in Tier-S events, with their best recent result being 5th at PGL Astana.
• Fnatic: A traditional esports organization, the Europeans seek to revive past glory in Counter-Strike. It has been ten years since the last of their three Major titles, and their recent victories have mostly been Tier-B — such as Frag Blocktober and DraculaN #1 this year.

Where to Watch the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025

You don’t need to travel to Budapest to watch the best CS2 teams battle for the title. Just tune in to StarLadder’s channels on Twitch, YouTube or Kick(or follow your favorite esports influencer).

Additionally, you can watch the matches directly on Blaze, where the player is available on each match page — perfect for planning live bets if you prefer!

How to Bet on the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025

You can already visit the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 page at Blaze to begin planning your predictions — but why do that without reading some important betting tips first?

There are not yet open betting markets for predicting the tournament champion — these will only be available in the later stages. But there are still plenty of markets available for confirmed matches, including:

• Match Winner: Which team will win regardless of the score;
• Map 1x2: Similar to the previous option, but includes the possibility of a draw;
• Total Map Rounds: Choose the number of rounds for the map using Over/Under or Handicap;
• Correct Map Score: Predict the exact final score of a map, similar to traditional sports betting;
• Total Maps: Bet on whether there will be an even or odd number of maps, or choose an exact number;
• Kills with Specific Weapons: Bet on whether a player will be killed (or not) with weapons such as Zeus x27, Knife, Molotov, or HE Grenade.

Bet on Counter-Strike 2 at Blaze!

Few games capture the excitement of esports quite like Counter-Strike 2. With matches full of action, strategy, and competition, Valve’s classic delivers intense games that are perfect for betting — and MESP Ordinance No. 125 authorizes betting on CS2.

As excited as you may be for every second of the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, always bet responsibly. Understand all the risks involved and never use money you cannot afford to lose, as betting can lead to financial harm and affect your mental health.

Study rules, statistics, and data before betting — this helps you make more conscious and realistic predictions. If you want more guidance, check out our eSports betting guide to learn how to explore different markets.

Ready to enjoy two weeks of CS2 in Hungary? Then place your bets on the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 at Blaze and good luck!