M80 Demolish NRG 2-0 to Secure Spot in Stage 2 of the StarLadder Budapest Major

M80 Demolish NRG 2-0 to Secure Spot in Stage 2 of the StarLadder Budapest Major

The North American squad M80 made a resounding statement at the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, becoming the second team to advance from Stage 1 by thoroughly defeating NRG 2-0 in their pool match. The victory came courtesy of convincing wins on Dust2 and Mirage, and signals an emphatic redemption for M80 after their recent Grand Final loss to NRG. 

A matchup steeped in recent history

Just fifteen days earlier, NRG had edged M80 3-2 to capture the Fragadelphia Ultra Mega Jersey 2025 championship. In that confrontation, NRG managed a reverse-sweep to deny M80 the title. 
Coming into this Major clash, M80 acknowledged that extra motivation. M80’s Michael “Michael ‘Swisher’ Schmid” Schmid said in a post-match interview: “We played the same two maps as the last time we played them, and it kinda went the same fashion … we came to this match with extra energy, extra motivation to really show that we’re the better team here. Obviously they don’t have their full lineup, but we still had a pretty good performance from us today.” 

Dominant map-by-map performance

Map 1: Dust2 (NRG pick)
M80 forced NRG into their own pick and ripped it apart. On the Counter-Terrorist side, M80 led 10-2 before closing out the first map with authority. Notably, Swisher delivered a double Deagle entry and Fritz “ Fritz ‘slaxz‑’ Dietrich” Dietrich converted a clutch 1-v-2 on an eco round to crush any hope of a NRG comeback. 

Map 2: Mirage
The momentum didn’t let up. M80 cleared Mirage just as convincingly, extending their map-winning streak on the map to 13 in a row. US-based Mason “ Mason ‘Lake’ Sanderson” Sanderson stood out, finishing with a 2.10 rating and going 7-2 in opening duels. 

What this means for M80 & NRG

For M80, the win underlines their status as a serious contender at this Major after bouncing back from the recent Fragadelphia final loss. Their confidence has clearly grown, and their execution under pressure is improving. They now join the other qualifiers for Stage 2, shifting focus to the next phase of the competition.

For NRG, the sub-optimal lineup—with the stand-in Damian ‘daps’ Steele stepping in—may have hampered their performance. Despite NRG’s recent success, this defeat raises questions about their consistency on the big stage and ability to respond when challenged. 

Looking ahead

With Stage 2 of the StarLadder Budapest Major looming, M80 will aim to carry this momentum into tougher match-ups as the field narrows and competition ramps up. Meanwhile, NRG will need to regroup and address both roster stability and tactical refinement if they hope to avoid early elimination and re-establish their Major ambitions.