HLTV Reveals StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 All-Star Team: donk and karrigan Lead the Lineup

HLTV has officially announced its All-Star team for the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, with Danil “donk” Kryshkovets and Finn “karrigan” Andersen earning standout spots alongside three representatives from Team Vitality, the tournament champions.

The symbolic lineup reflects both individual dominance and leadership impact, highlighting the most influential players of the CS2 Major held in Budapest.

StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 – HLTV All-Star Team

According to HLTV’s traditional role-based system and event performance metrics, the All-Star roster looks as follows:

HLTV All-Star Lineup (by in-game role)

1. Opener: Danil “donk” Kryshkovets (Team Spirit)

2. IGL: Finn “karrigan” Andersen (FaZe Clan)

3. AWPer: Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut (Team Vitality)

4. Closer: Robin “ropz” Kool (Team Vitality)

5. Anchor: William “mezii” Merriman (Team Vitality)

HLTV emphasized that the maximum of three players per team rule directly affected the final selection. As a result, Vitality captain apEX, despite strong individual and tactical impact, was excluded due to roster limits rather than performance.

Tournament Recap: StarLadder Budapest Major 2025

Location: Budapest, Hungary

Dates: November 24 – December 14, 2025

Prize Pool: $1,250,000

Grand Final: Team Vitality 3–1 FaZe Clan

Vitality secured their second consecutive Major title, defeating FaZe in a best-of-five final and closing the CS2 season as the undisputed top team.

donk: Best Major Performance of His Career

For donk, the Budapest Major became a defining moment.
The Team Spirit prodigy finished the tournament with a 1.57 HLTV rating over nine maps, marking his statistically strongest Major appearance to date.

During the event, donk commented on the atmosphere during the early stages, noting that the group matches felt unusually calm compared to traditional arena games. After one of Spirit’s dominant wins, he confidently stated in a broadcast interview:

“It’s always nice to smash a team like that.”

His explosive rifling and fearless opening duels earned him widespread praise and a deserved All-Star selection.

karrigan’s Leadership Still Elite at the Highest Level

Despite falling short in the final, karrigan’s inclusion reflects his continued relevance as one of Counter-Strike’s greatest in-game leaders.

After the loss to Vitality, the FaZe captain addressed ongoing retirement discussions, making it clear he has no intention of stepping away:

“I’ll keep going until I’m benched. I never give up.”

His leadership throughout FaZe’s playoff run was a major reason HLTV selected him as the tournament’s top IGL.

Mutual Respect Between Legends: apEX and karrigan

Following the Major final, apEX publicly praised karrigan, calling him:

“A legend and the strongest IGL I’ve ever played against.”

karrigan responded by highlighting Vitality’s season and described apEX’s year as “a dream for every captain,” underlining the respect shared between two of CS’s most decorated leaders.

ZywOo on Vitality’s Historic Run

After lifting the trophy, ZywOo summed up the moment with a short but emotional message:

“Back-to-back Major champions. An incredible year for us. Thank you to everyone who supported us.”

With three Vitality players in the HLTV All-Star team, the French-European roster’s dominance at the Budapest Major was undeniable.

Why the HLTV All-Star Team Matters

• Confirms Vitality’s strategic and individual superiority at the Major

• Highlights donk’s rise as a generational CS2 star

• Reinforces karrigan’s longevity and leadership value

• Reflects HLTV’s strict role-based and team-limit selection system

The StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 All-Star lineup captures the defining storylines of the tournament — raw firepower, elite leadership, and championship consistency.