After three exciting stages in Switzerland, the top eight Counter-Strike 2 teams are now competing in the final bracket. Only one team will win the championship after the grand final match.
Early rounds of the tournament showed that a small number of strong teams were clearly leading the way. In the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 Playoffs, six of the teams qualified through the most recent Stage 3. The other two teams didn’t come from earlier stages, and they’re actually well-established contenders, not unexpected underdogs.
FaZe had a challenging but successful run throughout the Major. NAVI played exceptionally well in Stage 2 and managed to advance through Stage 3. With the best Counter-Strike 2 teams competing in Budapest, each playoff match is a thrilling spectacle.
Although a few players are clear frontrunners, we’re likely to see some unexpected results. The way the matches are set up makes upsets possible, but the tournament structure still seems to favor the two strongest players reaching the final.
Everything from the Playoffs at the CS2 Major 2025 in Budapest is here.
I’m super hyped for the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, and I’m following all the action on Esports.gg! GG.BET is helping me stay right in the thick of it – I’m checking out their odds, making my predictions, and just getting even more invested in every match. It’s awesome!
Stream: Watch the CS2 Budapest Major Playoffs
As a huge StarLadder fan, I’m so excited to share that you can watch all the playoff matches from the Budapest Major right on their official YouTube channel! And the best part? I’ve actually embedded the stream right here for you, so you don’t even have to go anywhere else!
Schedule of matches
The Budapest Major Playoffs will take place from December 11th to 14th. You can find the full schedule in the table below.
| Estimated start time | Stage | Matches |
|---|---|---|
| Dec. 11, 5 p.m. CET / 11 a.m. ET | Quarterfinal | Spirit vs Falcons |
| Dec. 11, 8 p.m. CET / 2 p.m. ET | Quarterfinal | The MongolZ vs Vitality |
| Dec. 12, 5 p.m. CET / 11 a.m. ET | Quarterfinal | MOUZ vs FaZe |
| Dec. 12, 8 p.m. CET / 2 p.m. ET | Quarterfinal | NAVI vs FURIA |
| Dec. 13, 5 p.m. CET / 11 a.m. ET | Semifinal | TBD vs TBD |
| Dec. 13, 8 p.m. CET / 2 p.m. ET | Semifinal | TBD vs TBD |
| Dec. 14, 6 p.m. CET / 12 p.m. ET | Grand Final | TBD vs TBD |
Playoffs results at the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025
Most of the Counter-Strike 2 matches in this part of the competition are best-of-three, meaning the first team to win two games wins the match. But the final match will be a best-of-five, which is great because it will be a longer and more exciting showdown.
This section highlights the results from the Budapest Major Playoffs: maps and scores.
Final standings
| Placement | Teams | Prize money |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | TBD | $500,000 |
| 2nd | TBD | $170,000 |
| 3rd–4th | TBD TBD | $80,000 |
| 5th–8th | TBD TBD TBD TBD | $45,000 |
Playoff brackets
| Quarterfinals | Semifinals | Grand final |
|---|---|---|
| Spirit vs Falcons | TBD vs TBD | TBD vs TBD |
| The MongolZ vs Vitality | TBD vs TBD | |
| MOUZ vs FaZe | ||
| NAVI vs FURIA |
Matchups for the top favorites: Preview
Many people consider Team Vitality and FURIA to be the top teams competing for the championship in Budapest. Are your Pick’Em predictions reflecting that? They’ve ended up in separate brackets, meaning they could face off in the final match.
FURIA in the brackets
FURIA is currently a very strong team, having recently won several tournaments and played exceptionally well in Stage 3. Many people consider them a leading contender to win the Major.
Facing NAVI is a familiar task for FURIA, as they destroyed these opponents in Stage 3 Round 1.
Considering FaZe’s difficulties in the first and third stages, MOUZ is expected to win their quarterfinal match. A potential semifinal between MOUZ and FURIA is harder to predict, but based on recent performance, FURIA appears to have the edge.
Vitality in the brackets
Vitality hasn’t been performing consistently well lately, with their only major win since the Austin Major being ESL Pro League Season 22.
Vitality is having a stronger season overall than The MongolZ, so they’re expected to win their quarterfinal match. This matchup is a repeat of the championship game from the Austin tournament.
The match between Spirit and Falcons is expected to be very close. Falcons has been performing well lately, recently making it to the grand final at BLAST Rivals in Hong Kong.
Falcons defeated Vitality in the third-place match at CS2 EWC 2025, but Vitality later beat them in the grand final of EPL Season 22. Separately, Team Spirit was defeated by Vitality at BLAST Rivals Fall 2025.
The recent head-to-head record for Team Vitality and FURIA features a couple of important matches.
- Vitality eliminated FURIA in the EPL S22 Playoffs.
- FURIA won over Vitality in the grand final at IEM Chengdu 2025 and in the semifinal at BLAST Rivals Fall 2025.
Professional Counter-Strike 2 competition is pausing briefly after the Budapest Major. The next major event, BLAST Bounty Winter, will kick off the 2026 CS2 season in January.
Interesting player transfers may shake the scene ahead of the new season!
Read More
- Clash Royale Best Boss Bandit Champion decks
- Best Hero Card Decks in Clash Royale
- Clash Royale Witch Evolution best decks guide
- Clash Royale December 2025: Events, Challenges, Tournaments, and Rewards
- Best Arena 9 Decks in Clast Royale
- Clash of Clans Meltdown Mayhem December 2025 Event: Overview, Rewards, and more
- Cookie Run: Kingdom Beast Raid ‘Key to the Heart’ Guide and Tips
- JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Ora Ora Overdrive unites iconic characters in a sim RPG, launching on mobile this fall
- Best Builds for Undertaker in Elden Ring Nightreign Forsaken Hollows
- Clash of Clans Clan Rush December 2025 Event: Overview, How to Play, Rewards, and more
2025-12-11 13:12