The Pick’Ems for Stage 1 of the upcoming Budapest Major 2025 CS2 event are now live, and fans only have ten more days to lock in their picks before the action begins.
While any CS2 player can participate in the Budapest Major 2025 Stage 1 Pick’Ems, only those who grab the Viewer Pass for the event will be able to earn Souvenir Tokens upon making correct picks and making progress on their tournament coin.
Similar to previous Majors, players eyeing the prestigious Diamond coin will need to hit at least five of their ten picks in Stage 1 to stay in contention.
This guide will help you navigate the Stage 1 Pick’Ems and everything you’ll need to know to keep your Diamond coin dreams alive.
Budapest Major 2025 Stage 1 Pick’Ems Guide
Before we get into the guide, it’s important to note that the current format of CS2 Majors makes Pick’Ems inherently volatile, and Stage 1 is particularly challenging as this is the phase that’s most prone to upsets.
With that being said, this article includes our picks for the Budapest Major 2025 Stage 1 Pick’Ems. We’ve taken into account the recent performances of all the participating teams alongside a bunch of other factors while making these picks, but we strongly recommend readers do their own research before locking in their picks.
Best Stage 1 Picks for Budapest Major 2025
Without further ado, let’s check out our picks for Budapest Major 2025 Stage 1:
- 3-0 Picks: Legacy, B8
- 0-3 Picks: The Huns, Rare Atom
- Qualifying Picks: Lynn Vision, Fnatic, FaZe Clan, GamerLegion, FlyQuest, Ninjas in Pyjamas
Legacy, B8, GamerLegion, and FaZe Clan are easily the most popular teams for the 3-0 spot in this event. However, FaZe hasn’t been in the best form recently, ever since the departure of rain, and while they still have a solid roster, there’s a good chance they drop a map along the way, even if they ultimately qualify.
On the other hand, Legacy has been in stellar form recently, with all its players showing exceptional individual performances over the past months. GamerLegion and B8 are both equally strong teams, so feel free to swap out B8 for GL if you feel they have a better shot.
The Huns and Rare Atom are likely the safest bets for the 0-3 spot, as both teams primarily have experience playing against C-tier teams and consistently struggle when facing higher-tier lineups.
We have listed Lynn Vision, Fnatic, FaZe Clan, GamerLegion, FlyQuest, and Ninjas in Pyjamas as the 3-1 and 3-2 qualifying picks for the event. However, teams like Parivision and M80 also have a fair chance of stealing one of these spots, not to mention that any of the 3-0 candidates could drop a map and fall into this pool as well.
This unpredictability is exactly what makes the current format so difficult to predict, and makes the Diamond coin all the more valuable.