The StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 came to a thrilling conclusion on December 14, 2025, in front of a roaring crowd at the MVM Dome in Budapest, Hungary. As the second Major Championship of the year and the crowning event to finish off the season, the atmosphere was palpable.

Let’s relive the best moments from StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, focusing on the journey of finalists FaZe Clan and Team Vitality.

FaZe’s Glorious StarLadder Budapest Major Group Stage Run

At the start of the Major, CS2 betting odds of 15.00 (+1400) implied only a 6.67% chance that FaZe Clan would make it to the Grand Final—and only a 3.85% chance of them lifting the trophy.

Despite the odds stacked heavily against them, legendary Danish in-game leader (IGL) Finn “karrigan” Andersen set the tone from Stage 1. FaZe opened strong with a win over Lynn Vision Gaming before suffering defeats to NRG and NIP.

With a score of 1–2 and the looming threat of elimination, FaZe staged a dramatic comeback against RED Canids. After losing Mirage 13–7, they survived Nuke, defusing the bomb with only 0.4 seconds remaining at 12–11 to force overtime and secure a 19–17 victory.

Riding that momentum, FaZe completed the reverse sweep with a commanding 13–5 victory on Inferno. After a tight 2–1 win over Fluxo in the 2–2 bracket, FaZe managed to claw their way to Stage 2, finishing Stage 1 in the 5th–8th place range.

FaZe Shocks In StarLadder Budapest Major Stage 2

Following a nail-biting Stage 1, FaZe Clan powered up in Stage 2, shocking fans as they went 3–0 to secure a spot in Stage 3.

Karrigan’s men first beat Passion UA with a 13–10 score on Dust2, then repeated the result against Turkish powerhouse Aurora Gaming, securing another 13–10 win on the same map.

In the 2–0 bracket, FaZe faced NIP for a best-of-three slugfest. To beat NIP 2–0, both maps were pushed to overtime, with FaZe coming out on top 16–12 first on Inferno, and then on Nuke. 

FaZe Survives StarLadder Budapest Major Stage 3

As we predicted, FaZe Clan used the momentum from Stage 2 to make it to the StarLadder Budapest Major’s Playoffs.

In the Stage 3 opener, FaZe welcomed Team Vitality to Budapest with a stunning 13–7 win on Nuke. However, Team Spirit demolished them on Dust2 with a 13–5 score, not long before The MongolZ hit them with another devastating 13–7 loss on Mirage.

In the 1–2 bracket, FaZe put up a dominant 2–0 performance (13–6 on Dust2, 13–5 on Inferno) against French side 3DMAX to stay alive. Against Passion UA in the last match of Stage 3, it was FaZe who came out on top with a narrow 2–0 victory (13–11 on Overpass, 13–11 on Mirage) to lock in a spot in the Playoffs.

Vitality Bounce Back In StarLadder Budapest Major Stage 3

After a surprise loss against FaZe Clan in the opening game, Dan “apEX” Madesclaire’s men recovered with vigor, smashing 3DMAX with a confident 13–4 victory on Nuke. In the 1–1 bracket, Team Vitality demolished underdogs B8 with a 13–2 scoreline on Inferno. 

Team Vitality faced NAVI in the 2–1 bracket. On Nuke, Team Vitality narrowly beat NAVI 13–11. On Train, they finished off proceedings with the same final score to claim a spot in the Playoffs.

Vitality Goes Flawless In StarLadder Budapest Major Playoffs

With a laser-sharp focus on becoming back-to-back CS2 Major Championship winners, Team Vitality didn’t pull any punches in the Playoffs.

In the Quarterfinals, they destroyed The MongolZ, winning 13–5 on Mirage and 13–4 on Dust2 to send the Asia region’s final hope packing with little resistance.

Team Spirit, with an invigorated Danil “donk” Kryshkovets, was a much more formidable challenge in the Semifinals. On the first map, Mirage, Vitality won the final six rounds in a row to force overtime, and secured a dramatic win at the end of double overtime with a score of 19–17.

The win on Mirage broke their opponent’s spirit, as they secured a decisive 13–8 victory on Dust2. With the clean sweep, Team Vitality moved on to the Grand Final.

FaZe Digs Deep To Make StarLadder Budapest Major Grand Final

On the other side of the bracket, FaZe Clan exceeded all fan expectations. In the Quarterfinals against MOUZ, the squad put up a solid fight on Nuke, winning 13–11 and narrowly avoiding overtime. 

FaZe kept the ball rolling, destroying MOUZ on Inferno with a 13–2 scoreline to secure a top-four finish.

NAVI, who took out favorites FURIA in the Quarterfinals, were standing in the way of FaZe and a Grand Final appearance. On the first map, Ancient, NAVI didn’t give FaZe any room to maneuver, winning 13–5.

On the brink of elimination once more, FaZe found a narrow 13–11 win on Nuke to tie up the series 1–1. The decider, Inferno, went FaZe’s way, as they managed to score a solid 13–8 win to send NAVI packing with a 2–1 reverse sweep.

Vitality Smash FaZe Clan In StarLadder Budapest Major Grand Final

In the first best-of-five Major Championship Grand Final, eyes were on the two legendary IGLs. With Dan “apEX” Madesclaire in one corner and Finn “karrigan” Andersen in the other, the stage was set ablaze at the MVM Dome.

Despite Team Vitality being the clear favorite, it was FaZe Clan who got off to a strong start on the T side of Nuke (8–4), and finished off the map 13–6 after a solid defense on the CT side. Nuke was FaZe’s strongest map of the event, allowing them an early 1–0 lead in the Grand Final.

On Team Vitality’s map pick of Dust2, William “mezii” Merriman and Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut led the charge to a crushing 13–3 victory to tie the series 1–1. Inferno was FaZe’s second pick, but it was Team Vitality on the CT side to claim the first half 8–4. In the second half, the squads traded blows, resulting in a 13–9 win for Team Vitality.

With a 2–1 lead, on their map pick of Overpass, Team Vitality went nuclear. In the first half of play on the T side, they scored 11 consecutive rounds for an insurmountable 11–0 lead. It was smiles all around as FaZe seemed to have accepted their fate, even celebrating when they got on the board despite an 11–1 deficit. 

While FaZe did pick up the pistol round on the T side, Team Vitality quickly secured the following two for a 13–2 win, closing out the Grand Final with a historic 3–1 victory.

Which Team Won StarLadder Budapest Major 2025?

Team Vitality was one of the favorites and the defending champions, having previously won BLAST.tv Austin Major trophy. We had the squad in the top three of our StarLadder Budapest Major power rankings — and it’s safe to say that they didn’t disappoint.

Starting in Stage 3 as one of the top teams on the Valve Regional Standings (VRS), Team Vitality bounced back in style after suffering a loss at the hands of FaZe Clan. Smashing 3DMAX, B8, and NAVI, Team Vitality made it to the Playoffs with a 3–1 record.

In the Playoffs, Team Vitality made quick work of The MongolZ with a clean 2–0, and managed to eliminate Team Spirit with a solid 2–0. The squad went down 0–1 in the Grand Final before coming back to win three in a row, securing a 3–1 victory and lifting the coveted StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 trophy.

🏆 RAISE IT HIGH @TeamVitalityCS! YOU'VE EARNED IT! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/uEqeznUo7U

— StarLadder CS2 (@StarLadder_CS) December 14, 2025

With the win, Team Vitality becomes one of only three teams to ever win back-to-back Major Championships, and apEX becomes the only player to win two Majors in CS:GO, and two Majors in CS2.

Team Vitality roster:

• Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut
• Shahar “flameZ” Shushan
• William “mezii” Merriman
• Robin “ropz” Kool
• Dan “apEX” Madesclaire (IGL)
• Rémy “XTQZZZ” Quoniam (Coach)

For the MVP award, it was a close call between the Estonian rifler ropz and French AWPer ZywOo, aka The Chosen One. However, it was ZywOo who narrowly edged out a win with a 1.38 rating across 13 maps played, thanks to a higher kills per round win stat.

The man.
The myth.
The legend.@zywoo. pic.twitter.com/sUpEr3fZb7

— StarLadder CS2 (@StarLadder_CS) December 14, 2025

StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 Final Standings

Here are the final standings and prize pool distribution for the tournament:

FAQs

When Was StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 Held?

The StarLadder Budapest Major took place from November 24 to December 14, 2025, across four stages of competition.

Who Won StarLadder Budapest Major 2025?

Team Vitality won the StarLadder Budapest Major, beating FaZe Clan with a 3–1 score in the Grand Final.

What Was The Biggest Upset Of the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025?

FaZe Clan clawing their way from Stage 1 to the Grand Final of the StarLadder Budapest Major is the most considerable upset. The squad had only a 6.67% chance of making it to the Grand Final, according to bookmaker odds.

Which Player Stood Out The Most At StarLadder Budapest Major 2025?

French AWPer, Mathieu “⁠ZywOo⁠” Herbaut, stood out the most at StarLadder Budapest Major 2025.

What Was The StarLadder Budapest Major Prize Pool?

The StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 featured a Valve-sponsored $1,250,000 prize pool.