Meet the Budapest Major Rookies: 19 First-Time Players Set for Their CS2 Major Debut

Meet the Major Rookies at the StarLadder Budapest Major
As the CS2 Major heads to Hungary, the spotlight turns to the fresh faces making their debut: 19 players will step on a Valve-backed Major stage for the first time, ten of whom also appear in HLTV’s prospect ranking. 

A return to more typical rookie numbers

Having seen an unusually high influx of newcomers at the previous Major in Austin (42 first-timers), the Budapest event marks a return to more modest figures — 19 rookies instead. 
Importantly, no team in Budapest is comprised entirely of Major novices. The closest is PARIVISION, led by veteran in-game leader Jame, surrounded by first-time Major participants. 

Stage 3 – The highest entry level

The most prominent rookie of the lot is 17-year-old kyousuke (Maxim Lukin), the top prospect in HLTV’s ranking. He will start his Major journey at Stage 3 with Falcons — a rare feat for a rookie. 
Since joining Falcons, he has posted a remarkable 1.16 rating, helping his team to multiple strong finishes. 

Stage 2 – Mid-tier rookies

Three newcomers will begin their Major run at Stage 2:

• makazze (Drin Shaqiri) of Natus Vincere, ranked #4 among prospects, has averaged a 1.08 rating after his promotion from NAVI Junior.

• kl1m (Klimentii Krivosheev) of MIBR, who boasts a 1.29 rating in three title runs in South-American competitions, though struggled a 0.81 in the Asia Championships.

• Kvem (Vladyslav Korol) of Passion UA, the sole Ukrainian-listed rookie in the international squad. He has been praised by coach Grim and holds a 1.10 rating in recent maps.

Stage 1 – The largest group of first-timers

Most of the rookie entrants will start at Stage 1, including:

• jcobbb (Jakub Pietruszewski) of FaZe Clan, who struggled with a 0.94 rating since his transfer from Betclic but will get his first Major appearance here.

• Polish talent hypex (Milan Polowiec), formerly of Betclic and now with GamerLegion, and fellow teammate PR (Oldřich Nový) – #3 prospect in the world – both making their Major debut.

• Also featured are r1nkle and xKacpersky (Kacper Gabara) of Ninjas in Pyjamas, both from strong online and VRS-based qualification journeys.

• The Mongolia-based team The Huns field two rookies, xerolte and cobrazera, who hold respectable ratings (~1.12 and ~1.15) in regional tournaments.

• From the Americas: XotiC of NRG (USA) and venomzera of RED Canids (Brazil) will both make their Major debuts — venomzera especially notable as one of many Brazilian rookies.

• Finally, 32-year-old veteran-turned-player Marek (Tzu-Chi Huang) of Rare Atom will debut at the Major despite a long history in the scene and holds a 0.92 rating going in.

Why this matters

• Having 19 rookies means there is a substantial injection of fresh talent, but still in line with earlier Major norms — distinguishing Budapest from the unprecedented 42-rookie event in Austin.

• It underscores the value of the prospect rankings: nearly half of the rookies (10) are seen as major upcoming talents in the CS2 scene.

• The presence of top prospects like kyousuke, makazze and PR means that the Major is not just a debut, but potentially a breakout for future top-tier names.

• The distribution across Stages 1-3 reflects both where teams placed and how rookies have progressed: starting in Stage 3 is rare for a first-time player, making kyousuke’s entry notable.

• Diverse representation: rookies come from across regions, including Ukraine (Kvem), Mongolia (The Huns), Brazil (venomzera), Russia, Poland, Kosovo, etc — showing the global growth of CS2 competition at the highest level.

Looking ahead

With the Major scheduled from December 4 to December 14, 2025 in Budapest, Hungary.  These rookies will have their shot at showcasing their talent on the big stage. Some will likely fade under pressure, others might rise and become new stars. Keep an eye especially on the top-ranked prospects.