Rare Atom Become First Team Eliminated at Budapest Major as GamerLegion Survive

Rare Atom Become First Team Eliminated at Budapest Major as GamerLegion Survive

The Chinese organisation Rare Atom will head home early from the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, becoming the first team eliminated from Stage 1 after falling 0-2 to European side GamerLegion in a Swiss-system elimination match. 

After a miserable opening day in Hungary, where GamerLegion dropped losses to both Fluxo and RED Canids — two teams widely expected to struggle — the Europeans found themselves sitting at 0-2 and staring elimination in the face. 

Rare Atom, meanwhile, had also entered this elimination match after defeats to two Brazilian teams (one of which was Legacy) and were now looking to avoid becoming the first team out of the Major. 

Map 1 (Inferno):
Rare Atom picked Inferno and began on the CT side, showing some early resistance with a 5-7 halftime score. However, once sides swapped and GamerLegion attacked, the Chinese squad managed only two rounds, as GamerLegion stormed to a 13-7 map win. 

Oldřich “PR” Nový and Erik “ztr” Gustafsson anchored the European attack on the T side, while Rare Atom’s only glimpses of hope came from Junhao “ChildKing” Peng and Junbing “Tiger” Zhen. But overall, Rare Atom’s rhythm never recovered. 

Map 2 (Overpass):
On their own pick of Overpass, GamerLegion carried momentum, establishing a dominant 9-3 lead in the first half. Rare Atom briefly clawed back into the rounds, but the away side’s defence collapsed in the second half, and GamerLegion closed the map 13-5 with decisive multi-kill rounds from stars like Milan “hypex” Polowiec and Sebastian “Tauson” Lindelöf. 

Swede Fredrik “REZ” Sterner turned in a standout performance with a +5.54 % swing, 1.47 rating and 88.9 ADR, playing a central role in keeping his team alive. 

Implications:

• Rare Atom exit the Major at the earliest possible juncture — finishing 0-3 in Stage 1 — marking a disappointing end to their campaign.

• GamerLegion breathe a sigh of relief: the victory moves them to the 1-2 bracket and preserves their chance to advance to Stage 2.

• Their turnaround highlights the volatility of Major Swiss formats — teams can recover from dire starts, while others can fold early despite potential.

Tournament Context:
The StarLadder Budapest Major features 32 teams across three Swiss stages, culminating in playoffs, all on the game Counter‑Strike 2. The tournament is held from 24 November to 14 December 2025, with Stage 1 played from 24–27 November. 

The elimination of Rare Atom, an Asian-region representative, adds to a concerning trend for Asian teams at the Major, many of whom are teetering on the brink or already gone. 

What’s next for GamerLegion?
GamerLegion now moves on to face the 1-2 bracket in Stage 1 and will need at least one more win to reach Stage 2 (or simply avoid further losses to survive). Their slim survival injects new momentum into their campaign — but the margin for error remains razor-thin.