StarLadder Announces Invites for StarSeries Budapest 2025 Europe Closed Qualifier

StarLadder Announces Invites for StarSeries Budapest 2025 Europe Closed Qualifier

StarLadder has unveiled the 16 teams invited to compete in the Europe Closed Qualifier for the upcoming StarSeries Budapest 2025, set to run from August 13 to 17, featuring a final eight‑team LAN event from September 18–21.

Among the invitees, Ninjas in Pyjamas stand out as the only squad ranked in the top 20 of the VRS and will be aiming to secure one of the four coveted qualification spots. The team hopes to bounce back after their early exit at BLAST Bounty Season 2, where they lost to paiN.

Another team to watch is ECSTATIC, fresh off their win at RES Showdown 2: BLAST Premier Rising Event, which earned them a place at BLAST Open London 2025.

StarLadder’s format for the qualifier features a GSL-style BO3 group stage with four groups of four teams. The top two teams from each group advance to a single-elimination play-in stage to fight for the four spots at the main event.

This change reflects StarLadder's broader strategy to streamline operations and minimize scheduling conflicts — transitioning from previously planned LAN group stages to an online qualifier. The aim is to ensure efficient progression to playoffs while maintaining competitive integrity.

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Additional Context & Insights

Format Consistency: The qualifier uses a hybrid format — initial online group stage followed by single-elim play-ins — before the LAN main event with an eight-team double-elimination bracket.

VRS-Based Invitations: The invited teams were selected via their standings in the Europe VRS, aligning with the trend of using performance-based regional rankings to determine qualifiers in the CS2 ecosystem.

Major Qualification Structure: For the upcoming Budapest Major, Stage 1 invites were confirmed as: Europe 6, Americas 6, Asia 4. Later stages allocate spots as Europe 5, Americas 2, Asia 1 each

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Noteworthy Quotes

Unfortunately, the original article did not include direct player or coach quotes. I scoured available related news but could not find verified statements from any of the participating teams regarding the qualifier. If any comments are released—e.g., players reacting to their invite or expressing their ambitions—I can integrate those into an updated version.

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Summary

• Event: Europe Closed Qualifier for StarSeries Budapest 2025.

• Dates: August 13–17 (online qualifier); September 18–21 (main event LAN).

• Teams Invited: 16, including NiP and ECSTATIC.

• Format: GSL-style BO3 groups → single-elimination play-ins → main event.

• Purpose: Determine four slots for the eight-team LAN.

• Rationale: Improve scheduling alignment, streamline formats.