Issues and joys of Stage 1 at Budapest Major: FlyQuest to sweep, FaZe to survive

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The start of the CS2 Major sparked strong and divided reactions from the community. Several unexpected teams are performing exceptionally well and advancing, while many of the expected top contenders are facing serious challenges and being knocked out of the competition.

After a challenging first stage at the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, eight teams advanced. Despite some frustrating technical difficulties early on, this phase of the tournament also highlighted significant issues with performance for certain teams and entire regions.

The Swiss System rounds were also incredibly rewarding. It’s particularly exciting to see players achieve significant improvements and unlock new potential.

Let’s revisit the first stage of the CS2 Budapest Major, highlighting the key moments and what they signify for each team’s performance.

You can follow all of Esports.gg’s coverage of the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 thanks to GG.BET. Visit GG.BET for the latest betting odds, to make your predictions, and fully experience this exciting event.

FlyQuest to break the curse

Early in 2025, the CS2 team FlyQuest looked like they were starting to improve. Unfortunately, a tough loss at the Austin Major set them back significantly. They started strong with two wins, but then lost three matches in a row, which ended their run in the tournament.

FlyQuest struggled to make an impact in major tournaments after a certain point. However, their strong performance in Stage 1 of the Budapest Major offers a chance to change that and potentially revitalize their competitive presence.

  • After winning two best-of-one (Bo1) matches, over Legacy and Imperial, FlyQuest kept the momentum. They destroyed Fluxo, delivering the biggest score gap so far in the Major, a 13:1 on Overpass. It was a perfect run for the team!

M80 power up Counter-Strike in North America

Now that Team Liquid’s successful run has ended, many in the Counter-Strike community have low expectations for North American teams. However, M80 surprised everyone by performing well in the first stage of the recent Major tournament.

  • Most of the Stage 1 run wasn’t easy for M80. They survived the comeback attempt of B8 in the opening match, and that looked like the biggest threat to their 3:0 advancement plans. On the final map, M80 smashed NRG with a 13:2. The opponents played with their coach in the roster, but the result matters the most.

Ancient organizations and fresh blood

Europe has long been a strong force in Counter-Strike 2 esports, and the 2025 Budapest Major continues that trend. Notably, two historically successful teams have returned to prominence.

  • Ninjas in Pyjamas refreshed their roster and their approaches to the game. Such steps paid off nicely. NiP still lost the Round 1 match to NRG, but the team recovered with three wins, including one over FaZe.
  • With younger players on his side, Freddy “KRIMZ” Johansson performs miracles for CS2 Fnatic. The team advanced to Stage 2 with a 3:1 win/lose score. It was a back-and-forth for Fnatic in Stage 1 of the Budapest Major: a tough win over obscure underdogs from RED Canids, a loss to Flexo, and a dominant victory against Imperial.

B8 also won their first stage with a 3-1 record, and they’ve continued to impress everyone with how well they’re playing. This is their second time competing in Stage 2, and it will be interesting to see if they can improve on their performance in Budapest after their showing in Austin.

  • Among Stage 1 wins for B8 is an advancement match over one of the favorites, Legacy.

Heart attack for FaZe fans

The biggest surprise from the first stage of the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 has been how poorly FaZe Clan has been playing.

Most people predicted a quick 3-0 win for FaZe in their Pick’Ems, but Finn “karrigan” Andersen had other plans. He seemed to enjoy keeping fans on the edge of their seats by pushing the team to the brink of elimination.

  • FaZe looked like a pale version of themselves in most matches. Only at some crucial moments could we witness their true magic. In CS2 Budapest Major Stage 1, FaZe lost to NRG and Fnatic. Their wins were strictly against smaller opponents, and even those weren’t easy matches for FaZe Clan.

The disaster of Brazil

Now that FURIA has been dominating in CS2 esports since mid-2025, many believe other Brazilian teams will also become top contenders. The success of Legacy, who won the CS Asia Championships and finished second at PGL Masters Bucharest in 2025, reinforces this expectation.

The region didn’t perform well, unfortunately. All three teams that competed in Stage 1 were eliminated.

  • RED Canids and Fluxo are smaller teams. Considering their in-game performance, they did well on the Major. Both lost to FaZe in elimination matches, but both were really close to winning.
  • Legacy brought a true disaster. They won only against Rare Atom and RED Canids, which is not impressive for a team of this caliber. Then, Legacy got eliminated.

Big struggles of Asian Counter-Strike

Seeing MongolZ do so well this year has been awesome for our region, honestly. It’s really put us on the map! But, sadly, their success didn’t really translate into a breakout performance for the rest of the Asian CS2 teams at this Major, which is a bit of a bummer.

  • The Huns Esports performed better than expected, as they won over Lynn Visions. It’s their only victory, though.
  • Lynn Vision Gaming had good tournament results before the Major, but they were eliminated with a 0:3. The same goes for Rare Atom.

TYLOO has qualified for Stage 2 of the StarLadder Major 2025 in Budapest. Along with The MongolZ, they represent a strong chance for success for their region.

The Budapest Major will be even tougher for those who’ve made it to Stage 2. This is especially true for FaZe, who need to step up their performance if they want to win more matches. Hopefully, we’ll also see the teams that did well in Stage 1 continue to improve and qualify for Stage 3.

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2025-11-28 13:12