Vitality Dominate 3DMAX on Nuke to Stay Alive at StarLadder Budapest Major 2025

Vitality Dominate 3DMAX on Nuke to Stay Alive at StarLadder Budapest Major 2025

Team Vitality crushed 3DMAX 13–4 on Nuke in Stage 3 of the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, bringing their record to 1–1 and staying in contention for the playoffs. The French-European superteam rebounded after a surprising 13–7 loss to FaZe in their opening Stage 3 match.

Vitality vs 3DMAX — Match Summary

Vitality delivered a flawless, structured performance:

• ropz led the scoreboard with 18–10.

• flameZ followed closely at 17–10.

• ZywOo, mezii, and apEX all contributed steady impact.

For 3DMAX, only bodyy and Graviti found consistent success, but the underdogs struggled to break Vitality’s CT setups or convert gun rounds.

Why This Win Matters

Vitality entered the Major as a top contender after a dominant 2025 season—including multiple titles, a long stay at #1 in the HLTV rankings, and ZywOo’s PC Esports Player of the Year award. However, recent inconsistency placed extra pressure on their Stage 3 run.

The strong win over 3DMAX restores confidence in Vitality’s Nuke play and shows the roster’s depth—an important sign after their stumble versus FaZe.

What Players Have Said Recently

Although no post-match comments have been released yet, recent interviews highlight the team’s mindset:

• mezii on individual responsibility:
  “It’s important we look at our own game — apEX can’t do everything for us.”

• ZywOo on his role:
  “I don’t feel like a superstar… I’m just me.”

• apEX on chasing an era:
  “I don’t know how close we are to an era.”

These quotes underscore Vitality’s focus on teamwork over star-heavy play.

3DMAX’s Major Journey

3DMAX reached Stage 3 after a gritty 3–2 run and entered Budapest ranked in the world’s top 15. Their tight match against paiN earlier in the day showed potential, but meeting Vitality on Nuke proved too steep a challenge.

Tournament Context

The StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 features 32 teams, a $1.25M prize pool, and the first best-of-five Major grand final in CS history. Stage 3 has already delivered major storylines, including Spirit’s dominance, FaZe’s resurgence, and early upsets across the board.

What’s Next for Vitality

With the win, Vitality progress into the 1–1 bracket, where their next match will determine whether they fight for a playoff spot or risk early elimination. After a year of trophies and pressure, every map now counts in their chase for another CS2 Major title.