The StarLadder Budapest Major 2025
- Munkhtamir Gantulga
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
The StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 concluded after more than three weeks of competition, featuring four stages and a 32-team field. The event marked the second time in Major history that two Mongolian teams competed, and more importantly, for the first time, brothers (except twins) competed in the same Major ‘Bart4k, The Huns and ‘mzinho’ The MongolZ.
The Huns Run
Despite both Mongolian teams competing at the same Major, "mzinho revealed in a post-match interview with stage host Banks that the two teams did not get the opportunity to meet during the event and planned to meet only after returning home."
The Huns began their campaign from Stage 1, winning over Lynn Vision, but their run for the Major ended early after a 1–3 record.
The MongolZ and controlez
Following a historic high in late September 2025, The MongolZ faced a critical test. The MongolZ, entering from Stage 3 (the main Elimination Stage reserved for the highest-ranked teams), once again delivered a strong showing. This success was unexpected, as few casters or analysts considered them a favorite entering the Major. Despite benching star rifler and high-impact player Senzu and relying on stand-in Controlez, the team advanced to the playoffs with a 3–1 record. Their run included victories over Team Liquid and FaZe Clan in best-of-one (BO1) matches, followed by a win against G2 in a best-of-three (BO3) series.
The addition of controlez was seen as a major risk; he was a veteran player who previously appeared at the earlier Austin Major with Chinggis Warriors, a team that had been eliminated in the opening stages. Yet, he slotted perfectly into the lineup, even topping the Stage 3 opening kill stat.
Their run came shortly after lifting the Esports World Cup trophy and briefly holding the first place on the HLTV global ranking—a historic milestone achieved on September 29th, where they held the top spot for two weeks. By maintaining this elite form with a substitute, they succeeded in defying analyst expectations and breaking many Pick’Em predictions, most of which had assumed the team would collapse without their star player."
The MongolZ faced off against the reigning champions!
The MongolZ vs. Team Vitality: The MongolZ were drawn against reigning Austin Major champions Team Vitality. Vitality entered the match having topped the world rankings for over 30 consecutive weeks, further cementing their status as The MongolZ’s biggest rival after also defeating them in the Austin Major Grand Final.
Team Spirit vs. Team Falcons: Team Spirit had a promising start, sweeping Team Falcons 2–0 to advance.
FaZe Clan vs. MOUZ: Home favorites MOUZ, featuring Hungarian AWPer torzsi, saw their run end after a 0–2 defeat to FaZe Clan.
Natus Vincere vs. FURIA: Brazilian side FURIA, who led the HLTV rankings before the event, were eliminated in a hard-fought series by Natus Vincere (NAVI).
Team Spirit had a promising start to the playoffs, defeating Team Falcons 2–0.
Team Vitality vs. Team Spirit | an epic match!
On Day 3 of the playoffs, Team Vitality faced off against the donk-fueled Team Spirit. Vitality’s structure proved too much for the Russian squad, as they took them out to secure a spot in the Grand Final.
FaZe Clan vs. Natus Vincere: On the other side of the bracket, FaZe Clan continued their miraculous run from Stage 1. They defeated Natus Vincere in the semi-finals, securing their spot for the Grand Final.
The Grand Final: The CS2 history is made!
FaZe Clan went on to set a record with one of the most remarkable runs in Major history, advancing from the opening Stage 1 all the way to the Grand Final.
However, in the championship match against Team Vitality, FaZe were unable to maintain their momentum. After FaZe took the opening map Nuke (13-6), Vitality responded with a vengeance, winning three consecutive maps Dust II (13-2), Inferno (13-9), and Overpass (13-2) to secure a 3–1 victory.
With the win, Team Vitality lifted yet another Major trophy, reaffirming their dominance in the CS2 era and closing out the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 as undisputed champions.
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