Passion UA captain Johnny “JT” Theodosiou acknowledges T-side troubles at the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025: “We’ve played really strong teams so far, and it’s difficult to keep renewing”

Passion UA captain Johnny “JT” Theodosiou acknowledges T-side troubles at the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025: “We’ve played really strong teams so far, and it’s difficult to keep renewing”

After a pivotal win over Team Liquid in Stage 3 of the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, Ukrainian-American organisation Passion UA captain Johnny “JT” Theodosiou spoke candidly about his team’s ongoing difficulties on the Terrorist side. “We’ve played a lot of matches recently… I don’t think we’re bad at T-side. I just think we’ve struggled in the last few matches. And if we fix the mistakes and look at what went wrong, I think the next game can be completely different,” he told HLTV. 

The context of the win

Passion UA’s victory over Team Liquid (2-0) came in the elimination bracket of Stage 3 at the major, meaning both teams entered the match with a 0–2 record. Liquid were eliminated from the tournament following the defeat. 

The matches were:

• Map 1: Train — Passion UA came back from a 3-9 deficit to win 13-11. 

• Map 2: Mirage — A dominant half from Passion UA (10–2) sealed the 2-0 series.

Despite the success, JT emphasised that the team’s Terrorist side remains inconsistent. According to the article, after three maps in Stage 3, Passion UA had one of the lowest T-round win percentages — they posted only one Terrorist round against G2 Esports and two against Falcons. 

What JT said

In his post-match comments, JT stressed the external factors at play:

“We’ve played really strong teams so far on Stage 3, and I think it’s just difficult to keep renewing the T side.” 
“We’ve played a lot of matches recently… I don’t think we’re bad at T side. I just think we’ve struggled in the last few matches. And if we fix the mistakes and look at what went wrong, I think the next game can be completely different.” 

He acknowledged that being in the 1-2 bracket places additional pressure on his team:

“There are a lot more stronger teams right now, of course, but I think every game is different. We’re just going to keep focused, see who we play next and prepare as we usually do.” 

Why this matters

The remarks by JT reveal a deeper issue for Passion UA: despite showing flashes of strong performance — particularly on their CT side — the consistency on the Terrorist side is proving a barrier to advancing further in the Major.

For context: progressing through Stage 3 of the Major demands not just one or two good halves, but a full match showing tactical flexibility, map-control and side-switch resilience. The Terrorist side typically requires an aggressive, coordinated approach, and frequent fatigue or a lack of fresh ideas can undermine that.

Given that Passion UA already advanced through Stage 2 by defeating M80 in a tight 2-1 series, JT’s emphasis on renewal suggests a desire to evolve their game rather than rest on past success. 

The major and Stage 3 environment

The StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 is the fourth CS2 Major and features a $1.17 million prize pool and a 32-team field. Stage 3, where Passion UA now are, is a 16-team Swiss round with elimination risk for 0–2 teams. 

Passion UA’s road so far:

• Made it out of Stage 2 by defeating M80 2-1.

• Entered Stage 3 and secured a 2–0 win vs Liquid, keeping their tournament alive.

• However, the broader statistical performance of their T side indicates a vulnerability.

What’s next for Passion UA

With the win over Liquid, Passion UA remain alive in the Major—but the path ahead is tougher than ever. Teams slipping into a 1–2 record face elimination threats in subsequent matches, meaning every game becomes a must-win.

JT’s strategy going forward seems to hinge on introspection and tactical tweaks: analysing rounds where the T side failed, refreshing their playbook, and relying on the CT side as their foundation. If they can stabilise their Terrorist side output, the team might sustain its underdog run deeper into the event.

The takeaway

In summary: JT’s candid commentary reflects the dual reality of the tournament: Passion UA are capable of high-level CS2 and have shown it, yet structural issues on key parts of their game (specifically, Terrorist side consistency) must be addressed for them to break through. Their win over Liquid is encouraging, but the journey is far from over — and as JT voiced, “tomorrow we can have a great T side,” which means the next step for this squad is evolution, not just survival.