StarLadder Budapest Major: Teams, Format, Schedule, Prize Pool, Talent, and Fantasy

20.11.2025 - 07:10

StarLadder Budapest Major: Teams, Format, Schedule, Prize Pool, Talent, and Fantasy

The StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 is set to bring Counter-Strike 2 into the global spotlight once again. From November 24 to December 14, thirty-two of the world’s top CS2 teams will clash in Hungary for a $1,250,000 prize pool and the final Major trophy of the 2025 season.

This will be the second CS2 Major of the year and StarLadder’s second Major overall, following the widely praised Berlin 2019 event.

Format: Three Swiss Stages into a Single-Elimination Playoff

Budapest maintains the 32-team structure introduced earlier in CS2’s Major cycle while adding a new qualification system and a historic grand final.

Tournament Structure

Teams: 32

Stages 1–3:

Three separate 16-team Swiss stages

Each stage promotes 8 teams

Best-of-one opening matches

Best-of-three elimination and progression matches

Playoffs

8-team single-elimination bracket

All playoff matches are best-of-three

The Grand Final is best-of-five, marking the first Bo5 title match in Major history

Qualification: Valve Regional Standings Replace RMRs and MRQs

The Budapest Major is the first in Counter-Strike history where all 32 spots are determined solely by Valve Regional Standings (VRS).

Valve removed both the Regional Major Rankings (RMR) and the planned Major Regional Qualifiers (MRQ), folding their slots into the ranking-based invite system.

Key Points

Every Major slot is assigned through VRS updates across the season

No MRQs — the Budapest set of qualifiers was canceled

Regional distribution:

Europe: 16 slots

Americas + Asia-Pacific: 16 slots total, allocated proportionally via VRS

This system rewards consistency across the entire year rather than short bursts of form in qualifiers.

Venues: From MTK Sportpark to the MVM Dome

Budapest hosts every stage with a live audience, scaling from a compact arena to one of Europe’s biggest indoor venues.

Stages 1–3

Venue: MTK Sportpark (approx. 2,000 seats)

Dates:

Stage 1: Nov 24–27

Stage 2: Nov 29–Dec 2

Stage 3: Dec 4–7

Playoffs

Venue: MVM Dome (around 20,000 capacity)

Dates: Dec 11–14

StarLadder promises “stadium-scale” production, with large LED structures, arena-wide lighting effects, and elevated show elements for the final weekend.

Teams: The Early Picture Based on Valve Regional Standings

The 32-team lineup is determined entirely by VRS. While the final list depends on the last standings update before the event, the most likely and highest-ranked teams include:

Europe

Team Vitality

Team Spirit

Team Falcons

MOUZ

G2 Esports

Natus Vincere

Astralis

FaZe Clan

GamerLegion

Ninjas in Pyjamas

fnatic

Aurora

3DMAX

PARIVISION

Team Liquid (competing under an EU slot)

Americas (examples)

FURIA

Imperial

Legacy

FlyQuest

Asia-Pacific (examples)

Rare Atom

The MongolZ

Other regional contenders based on current standings

StarLadder also released the official roster registrations for all 32 teams, including substitutes and sixth-player listings. One notable detail is kRaSnaL listed as the sixth man for Team Falcons.

Prize Pool and Distribution

The $1,250,000 prize pool follows the standard CS2 Major structure:

1st: $500,000

2nd: $170,000

3rd–4th: $80,000 each

5th–8th: $45,000 each

9th–11th: $20,000 each

12th–14th: $20,000 each (final Swiss position dependent)

Teams also gain or lose VRS points, impacting future Major invitations — including the 2026 IEM Cologne Major.

Map Pool

The Budapest Major uses the current seven-map CS2 competitive pool:

Ancient

Dust II

Inferno

Mirage

Nuke

Train

Overpass

Talent Lineup

StarLadder unveiled the full broadcast talent list in late October, featuring a combination of established voices and rising personalities.

The lineup includes:

Casters / play-by-play commentators with experience from previous Majors, ESL, and BLAST events

Analysts and desk hosts, including former pro players

Stage host and interviewers familiar from events such as Cologne and past Majors

StarLadder emphasized a “storytelling-focused” broadcast, highlighting narratives around teams’ VRS journeys throughout 2025.

What Players and Talent Are Saying

Roman Romantsov, CEO of StarLadder

“Hosting another Major is an incredible honor, and we’re determined to make it unforgettable. Budapest gives us the perfect stage to push the boundaries of what a live CS2 event can look and feel like. From day one to the Grand Finals, we’re building something that fans — both in the arena and watching around the world — will remember.”

Players on the VRS Format

In pre-Major interviews, multiple players noted how demanding the VRS system has become. Without qualifiers to fall back on, teams must deliver consistently:

“There’s no hiding anymore — every big LAN result across the year affects your Major chances.”

Coaches on the Bo5 Grand Final

Coaching staff across several organizations pointed out that the Bo5 final changes the competitive landscape:

“A best-of-five requires deeper preparation, stronger map-pool coverage, and better stamina management for the title match.”

Schedule Overview

Stage 1: Nov 24–27

Stage 2: Nov 29–Dec 2

Stage 3: Dec 4–7

Break & media days: Dec 8–10

Playoffs: Dec 11–14

Swiss stages typically feature multiple overlapping matches, with early-day and mid-day start times. Full match schedules will be updated daily throughout the event.