Vitality Champions of the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025: Grand Final Overview

The main and final Counter-Strike 2 tournament of 2025 has come to an end — the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025. Although the trophy was claimed by one of the pre-tournament favorites, Team Vitality, the event still delivered plenty of surprises, including an unexpected second grand finalist.

Few could have predicted that FaZe Clan, a team going through a noticeable slump, would manage to reach the grand final. It is worth reminding that FaZe successfully passed all three stages of the Major, as well as the playoff bracket, earning their place in the decisive match. Below is a brief recap of how the grand final unfolded. While it may not have been the most intriguing series in terms of suspense, it certainly delivered strong emotions.

StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 Grand Final Result

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Map 1 — Nuke

FaZe started the series on Nuke, beginning on the attacking side and completely taking control from the pistol round onward. Vitality struggled to impose their own pace, allowing karrigan and his squad to secure 8 rounds on the T side. That advantage proved more than sufficient, as FaZe confidently closed the map on defense, winning 13:6.

Map 2 — Dust2

The second map, Dust2, saw Vitality respond in dominant fashion. Playing on the attacking side, Vitality mirrored FaZe’s success from Nuke, winning 9 rounds on T side. FaZe, in turn, were unable to claim a single attacking round. As a result, Dust2 ended 13:3 in favor of Vitality.

Map 3 — Inferno

The series then moved to Inferno, where FaZe Clan entered with a six-map winning streak on this battleground. However, in the grand final, they were unable to replicate that success against Vitality. The French side opened strongly, winning 8 rounds on the CT side. FaZe attempted a comeback by securing the pistol round and the two following rounds, but it proved insufficient. Vitality consistently found weak points in FaZe’s setup and closed out round after round. Inferno finished 13:9 in favor of Vitality.

Map 4 — Overpass

On Overpass, FaZe’s chances looked slim even before the map began, but Vitality delivered an outstanding performance. ZywOo and company claimed an impressive 11 rounds on the attacking side, narrowly missing a near-perfect half. After the side switch, FaZe managed to win the pistol round, but there was no real comeback. Vitality maintained full control and closed the map 13:2, officially becoming the champions of the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025.

MVP of StarLadder Budapest Major 2025

Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut was named the MVP of the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, confirming once again his status as one of the top players in Counter‑Strike 2. His consistent impact and standout performances throughout the tournament were crucial in Team Vitality’s path to the championship, and his individual brilliance earned him the well-deserved MVP award. This achievement adds another Major MVP to ZywOo’s impressive career, underlining his key role in Vitality and his continued dominance on the global CS2 stage throughout 2025.

StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 Summary

It was an exciting and intense tournament, perfectly timed just before the Christmas holidays. Originally, the event featured 32 teams, with the best of the best competing fiercely until the very last round. Here’s a reminder of which teams participated and the positions they finished in.

• 1st – $500,000: Team Vitality
• 2nd – $170,000: FaZe Clan
• 3rd–4th – $80,000: Team Spirit, Natus Vincere
• 5th–8th – $45,000: Team Falcons, The MongolZ, MOUZ, FURIA
• 9th–11th – $20,000: B8, G2 Esports, Passion UA
• 12th–14th – $20,000: Imperial Esports, 3DMAX, paiN Gaming
• 15th–16th – $20,000: Team Liquid, PARIVISION
• 17th–19th – $10,000: Ninjas in Pyjamas, M80, Astralis
• 20th–22nd – $10,000: Fnatic, Aurora Gaming, TYLOO
• 23rd–24th – $10,000: MIBR, FlyQuest
• 25th–27th – –: NRG, Fluxo, Legacy
• 28th–30th – –: The Huns Esports, RED Canids, GamerLegion
• 31st–32nd – –: Lynn Vision Gaming, Rare Atom

StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 was the winter Major organized by Valve for the 2025 competitive CS2 season. The tournament featured a total prize pool of $1,250,000 USD. Group stage matches were held at MTK Sportpark, while the playoff stage took place at the MVM Dome in Budapest, Hungary, where the decisive matches of the Major were played.