Vitality Make CS2 History: Beat FaZe 3-1 to Claim Back-to-Back StarLadder Budapest Major Titles

Team Vitality has cemented itself as one of the most dominant forces in Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) history, defeating FaZe Clan 3-1 in the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 Grand Final to become back-to-back Major champions — the first team to do so since Astralis in 2019. 

The victory caps off a historic 2025 season for Vitality, as they ended the year unbeaten at Majors and achieved their second Valve Major title of the calendar year. 

Epic Final: Vitality vs FaZe in Detail

The best-of-five Grand Final saw a dramatic momentum shift:

Map 1 – Nuke: FaZe took the opener convincingly (13–6), with ZywOo struggling and FaZe showcasing early aggression.

Map 2 – Dust2: Vitality responded emphatically, controlling T-side and winning 13–3 to level the series.

Map 3 – Inferno: Vitality continued their control with a 13–9 win, capitalizing on strong CT setups.

Map 4 – Overpass: Vitality dominated, winning 13–2, completing the series 3–1 and lifting the trophy. 

Historic Achievements & MVP Honors

ZywOo Makes History

Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut was awarded Major MVP, marking his third Major MVP of his career and reinforcing his status as one of CS2’s elite players. He also reached eight MVP medals in 2025 alone, an all-time single-year record. 

ZywOo’s performances, especially during playoffs, proved crucial to Vitality’s run — often swinging rounds and providing consistent high impact in key moments. 

Standout Performances Across the Roster

ropz: The Estonian rifler posted one of his best map ratings ever on Overpass, finishing with a 2.89 rating to help close out the Major. 

mezii & flameZ: Both players made impactful multi-kill contributions, especially on Dust2 and Inferno, supporting Vitality’s depth beyond star power.

apEX: Vitality’s in-game leader delivered tactical superiority across maps, helping turn momentum after the first map loss. 

Vitality also cruised through the earlier playoff rounds, including a clean 2-0 victory over The MongolZ in the quarterfinals with ZywOo posting dominant ratings. 

Viewership & Esports Impact

The Grand Final peaked at over 1.5 million viewers across live streaming platforms, ranking it among the most-watched CS2 esports events of 2025. 

This figure reflects not only the popularity of the Major format but also CS2’s continued mainstream esports growth — with more than nine Tier-S tournament titles for Vitality this season. 

Reactions from the Scene

While official quotes from post-match interviews have yet to be widely published, community and analyst sentiment has poured in:

“Vitality is one of the greatest teams of all time,” Vitality’s mezii said in post-final discussions, emphasizing the team’s chemistry and confidence through the event. 

Fans across forums praised Vitality’s all-around performance, with many calling the roster’s 2025 achievements “historic” and “well-deserved.” 

What This Means for CS2 History

• First team since Astralis (2019) to win back-to-back Major Championships.

• ZywOo becomes one of the few players with three Major MVPs — and the only one to achieve two MVPs in Majors within the same year. 

• Vitality’s performance across seven titles and 37 series wins in 2025 is widely regarded as one of the most dominant competitive seasons in Counter-Strike history. 

Looking Ahead

With this Major in the books, all eyes turn to 2026 CS2 events, where Vitality will defend their crown and FaZe will look to rebound. Fan debates predict fierce competition from teams like Spirit, NAVI, and FURIA, all pushing the next wave of CS2 rivalries.