“Valve, change Major grand finals!” — Mauisnake calls for BO5 after two dramatic reverse-sweep finals
“Valve, change Major grand finals!” — Mauisnake calls for BO5 after two dramatic reverse-sweep finals
On October 20, 2025, caster Alex “Mauisnake” Ellenberg urged Valve to switch Counter-Strike Major grand finals from best-of-three to best-of-five. Posting on X, he wrote that “2 Bo5 series in a single day… demonstrate a Bo3 doesn’t always reach the same result,” tagging @valvesoftware and @CounterStrike and calling for Major finals to be BO5.
His plea came after a high-drama Sunday (October 19) in which both marquee CS2 events ended with reverse sweeps in BO5 grand finals:
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FURIA 3–2 NAVI at the Thunderpick World Championship 2025 after trailing 0–2.
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Legacy 3–2 3DMAX to win the CS Asia Championships 2025, recovering from 1–2 down.
Related news & quotes
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KSCERATO’s first MVP: HLTV named Kaike “KSCERATO” Cerato the MVP of Thunderpick World Championship 2025 after FURIA’s comeback over NAVI, marking the rifler’s first MVP medal.
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Legacy’s MVP speaks: Legacy’s Lucas “latto” Latto (CAC 2025 MVP) praised his team’s resilience through deficits all event long: “I know I am going forward in the steps of my career,” he said after the win.
Why the format debate is flaring again
Major grand finals in Counter-Strike have traditionally been BO3, but CS2’s shift to MR12 rounds shortened map times and re-energized calls for BO5 title matches. A 2024 analysis argued that with shorter maps, BO5 Majors would better crown the strongest team without making finals excessively long.
Interesting wrinkle: Mauisnake’s evolving view
Earlier this year, in February 2025, Mauisnake posted the opposite view — “No point in Major Final Bo5, Valve was right.” Sunday’s twin reverse-sweeps appear to have changed his mind.
The day that sparked it
Thunderpick World Championship 2025 (Oct 19): FURIA rallied from 0–2 to beat NAVI 3–2; the result also fueled buzz around FURIA as legitimate Budapest Major contenders.
CS Asia Championships 2025 (Oct 19): Legacy outlasted 3DMAX in a 3–2 marathon to lift the org’s first international LAN trophy.
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