What To Expect From The StarLadder Budapest Major Playoffs

The opening stages of the StarLadder Budapest Major have come to a close, and what a crazy few weeks of Counter-Strike it’s been! Now we’re staring down the barrel of the playoffs, with only eight teams remaining. Today, we’re going to take a look at the Quarter Final matchups and give a little recap of how the teams have performed, and what the expectations are heading into this last stretch of the Major.

Spirit vs Falcons

Every matchup in this stacked playoffs bracket is set to be a banger. Spirit vs Falcons is no exception. Danil “donk” Kryshkovets is on the hunt for his second Major title, and Nikola “NiKo” Kovač is still searching for his first. Falcons are on good form, and they’re set to face a Team Spirit who have gone from strength to strength throughout their time in the Major.

Leonid “chopper” Vishnyakov and his boys have beaten Liquid, FaZe, and MOUZ on their run to the Quarter-Finals, looking scarily strong as they do. In the other camp, Falcons have had a somewhat less polished run through the tournament. A loss to B8 in their opening game started things off on the wrong foot, but they bounced back with victories against Passion UA and Imperial. Just when it seemed that they were powering up, a hard-fought loss to MOUZ saw them in the 2-2 bracket and facing elimination, but NiKo won the battle of the Kovačs, knocking out G2 and setting Falcons up for their Quarter-Final fight.

Expect fireworks in this match. If Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov turns up even close to his form on Dust II against G2, Falcons should be able to cause some serious havoc on the server. The constant – and, at points, unfair – comparison between donk and Maksim “kyousuke” Lukin will be on show, with both players looking to book their team a spot in the Semi-Final.

Of course, as it always is in the late stages of a Major, the predominant storyline is the man being referred to of late as ‘Counter-Strike’s Crownless King’. Will this be the year NiKo finally gets his Major, or is another heartbreaking exit on the cards?

Vitality vs The MongolZ

This is an interesting one. Vitality, as we all know, started 2025 as the undisputed best team in the world. Watching them absolutely farm every tournament was as much terrifying as it was amazing. However, they have struggled to return to the lofty heights of their form in the second half of the year. 

The MongolZ have also had a strange year. The sudden and unexpected benching of their star player, Azbayar “Senzu” Munkhbold, and his subsequent replacement by a relatively unknown Unudelger “controlez” Baasanjargal, was a surprise to say the least. Whilst controlez has put forward some incredible performances since his signing, it remains to be seen if he can withstand the pressure of a Major Quarter-Final, and if a team as notoriously mentally fragile as The MongolZ will be able to rally around him and find what it takes to win against a Vitality hungry for their second Major title in 2025.

FURIA vs NAVI

FURIA. In the second half of the year – in the midst of Vitality’s slight slump – this is the name that has eventually risen to the top. Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo is back at the top of the game, leading a team that has come into the Budapest Major as favorites to take the entire thing. Recently, a Mareks “YEKINDAR” Gaļinskis renaissance, coupled with the sheer brilliance of young AWPer Danil “molodoy” Golubenko, and the rock-steady influence of Yuri “yuurih” Santos and Kaike “KSCERATO” Cerato have taken FURIA to incredible new heights. They truly look like the Major is theirs to lose at this point.

In contrast, they play a NAVI who appear to be something of a dark horse. Whilst NAVI are always a familiar name in the top handful of teams, they’ve had a frustrating 2025. But, heading into the Major, they seem to have had a breath of fresh air injected into the team somewhere. They’re playing much better CS than previously, and the vibes look solid. It will be a tough task for them to take down a FURIA with so much momentum behind them – a job not made any easier by the memory of the 13-2 drubbing handed to them by FalleN and co. earlier in the tournament.

MOUZ vs FaZe

FaZe are in the playoffs. Who’d have thought it? Now, whenever you talk about FaZe in Major playoffs, there have to be two distinct sides to the discussion. Realistically, on paper, should this FaZe team beat MOUZ? Probably not, no. But then there’s the phrase on everyone’s lips…FaZe magic. Finn “karrigan” Andersen’s teams just have the uncanny ability to pull ridiculous moments out of their hat whenever they reach playoffs, and with Helvijs “broky” Saukants on an upwards trend, Jakub “jcobbb” Pietruszewski performing above expectations, and the power pieces of Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken and David “frozen” Čerňanský, anything can happen.

MOUZ are definitely the stronger team on paper, and should most likely take the Quarter Final. However, there is a chance that their string of near misses on the biggest of stages could leave them vulnerable, and a slow start might see the game get away from them. If MOUZ turn up and play solid, fundamental Counter-Strike, they should usher themselves into the Semi-Final. But if they give FaZe momentum and confidence early on…well, who knows?

So, there you have it. A quick rundown of what to expect heading into the Playoffs Stage of the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025. Don’t forget – whilst the Major is great, make sure you’re keeping up the grind to be the best Counter-Strike player you can be! If you want to test your skills against the rest of the userbase on global leaderboards – with prizes – be sure to check out our new mode: Striker.