Molodoy and FalleN Top Fantasy Selections for CS2 Budapest Major Playoffs

molodoy & FalleN lead Fantasy picks ahead of Major playoffs

According to the latest Fantasy statistics for the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 playoffs, molodoy and FalleN have emerged as the most-selected duo by far among participants of the official Fantasy game. 

• The Fantasy format for the playoffs features an eight-team single-elimination bracket: quarter-finals and semi-finals are best-of-3 (BO3), while the grand final will be best-of-5 (BO5). 

• To reflect the high stakes, this final Season Fantasy game — like Stage 3 — offers boosted season points: all point tiers award approximately 50% more points than usual. 

  • Example: Top 1% finishers will receive 38 points, Top 5% — 27 points, Top 10% — 23, and so on. 

• In addition to long-term Fantasy leaderboard standings, there are also skin prizes on the line. For this final game, the top ten performers will receive an “M4A4 | Tooth Fairy (Factory New)” skin, while the top three winners get upgraded knife or special skin rewards as defined by the event listing.

Given these incentives — both season points and in-game skins — many Fantasy managers evidently consider molodoy and FalleN safe and high-upside picks, which likely explains their dominant pick rate.

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Why molodoy and FalleN stand out

To understand why this duo is so popular, it's helpful to look at their background, recent form, and what they bring to their team.

molodoy: A 20-year-old rising star from Kazakhstan — real name Danil Golubenko — currently playing for FURIA. 

• molodoy has quickly made a name for himself. Just months ago he earned his first big-event title and MVP award at the tournament FISSURE Playground 2 — clear evidence of his rapid development and impact potential. 

• His recent overall rating (across many matches) shows a solid performance level: he’s averaging 1.20 rating over 307 maps in the ongoing season.

FalleN: A veteran IGL (in-game leader) and star on FURIA. As a seasoned leader and high-ceiling fragger in clutch moments, his presence brings strategic stability and experience. 

• Recently, in a 13–2 victory over Natus Vincere at this Major, FalleN emphasized the importance of maintaining composure — underlining a disciplined and tactical mindset rather than overconfidence.

Combined, the duo offers a blend of youthful aggression and veteran leadership — a mix that many Fantasy players seem to value highly.

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Broader tournament context: Why the Fantasy hype makes sense

The significance of the Fantasy picks is magnified by the structure and stakes of the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025:

• This is the first Major where the grand final will be played as a BO5 — adding weight to each map and increasing the variance for MVP-style performances or standout games.

• Because of the boosted point multipliers, a correct prediction (or “hit”) on a duo like molodoy + FalleN could swing a Fantasy manager’s season — making risky but high-reward picks especially tempting. 

• Also, with no third-place decider in this Major, correct identification of finalists becomes even more important: players and duos expected to reach the grand final gain even more value.

It's also worth noting that other popular picks for this Fantasy game include the duo Danil "donk" Kryshkovets and Leonid "chopper" Vishnyakov — a pairing built around donk’s explosive rating and chopper’s recent solid performance, illustrating how many participants are banking on upside rather than safe veterans. 

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Recent surrounding developments at the Major

• One of the last playoff spots was secured by Falcons, who pulled off a dramatic reverse-sweep victory over G2 Esports. This underdog run was powered by an outstanding performance from Ilya "m0NESY" Osipov, who has been one of the breakout stars of the event so far. 

• On the other hand, FURIA — with molodoy and FalleN — recently delivered a dominant 13–2 win over Natus Vincere to advance into the upper bracket. Despite the strong result, FalleN urged caution and mental stability, underlining there are many strong opponents ahead.

• Meanwhile, the broader importance of this Major is underscored by recent competitive implications: due to six European teams reaching playoffs in Budapest, the region has earned an additional spot for the upcoming IEM Cologne Major 2026 — a signal of Europe’s continuing dominance and depth in CS2.

All this paints a picture of a Major full of high stakes — for teams, players, and Fantasy participants alike.

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What this means for Fantasy players and spectators

• For Fantasy players: Picking the right duo matters now more than ever. The combination of boosted point multipliers, skin prizes, and the high variance of a BO5 grand final means bold choices — like molodoy + FalleN — have high potential upside.

• For fans and spectators: Watching FURIA with molodoy and FalleN will be especially interesting. molodoy represents the new generation — hungry and rapidly rising — while FalleN brings leadership and legacy. Their synergy could be a decisive factor in FURIA’s Major run.

• For the Major overall: The fact that such duos are dominating Fantasy picks underscores how expectations (both from fans and Fantasy managers) are tilting toward teams combining youth and experience. It reflects a broader evolution of the scene where emerging talents are increasingly sharing the spotlight with veterans.