StarLadder Budapest Major Stage 2 has come to a thrilling end, as we are now one Stage away from reaching the playoffs. The 8 teams who made it through Stage 2 will now be contesting in yet another Swiss bracket for a spot in the playoffs, and waiting for them in the next Stage will be the 8 best teams in the world.
Here is the table of all Stage 3 teams at the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 (8 Direct Invites + 8 Qualified from Stage 2):
| Team | Region | Qualification Method |
|---|---|---|
| Team Vitality | EU | Direct Invite (VRS) |
| Team Spirit | EU | Direct Invite (VRS) |
| Falcons | EU | Direct Invite (VRS) |
| MOUZ | EU | Direct Invite (VRS) |
| G2 Esports | EU | Direct Invite (VRS) |
| FURIA Esports | Americas | Direct Invite (VRS) |
| paiN Gaming | Americas | Direct Invite (VRS) |
| The MongolZ | Asia | Direct Invite (VRS) |
| NAVI | EU | Qualified (Stage 2) |
| FaZe Clan | EU | Qualified (Stage 2) |
| B8 | EU | Qualified (Stage 2) |
| Imperial Esports | Americas | Qualified (Stage 2) |
| PARIVISION | EU | Qualified (Stage 2) |
| Liquid | NA | Qualified (Stage 2) |
| PassionUA | NA | Qualified (Stage 2) |
| 3DMAX | EU | Qualified (Stage 2) |
Big Dawgs Go Through
Goes without saying that most of the CS2 community had NAVI going 3-0 in Stage 2. Having lately dropped their form, NAVI has given strong competition to the big names, and given the level of competition, it is only natural for them to go through to the next Stage with a flawless scoreline.
The second team to go 3-0 up was FaZe, a team that has struggled with roster inconsistencies that affected their results, and for them to go 3-0 in Stage 2 after taking a beating across Stage 1 goes to show that FaZe Clan turns up when the stakes are high.
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
B8 and PARIVISON from CIS and Imperial from Brazil became the first teams to secure a 3-1 scoreline. They delivered a solid, convincing performance across the board against teams expected to do better than they did. They came, and they conquered, and now they are at Stage 3.
Passion UA, Liquid, and 3DMAX became the last three teams to make it to the next round of play. Liquid, having disappointed year-round, long understood, struggled in the early stages, and it is hard to imagine them making it to the playoffs. 3DMAX has consistently challenged bigger teams, and the community will be looking at them to cause another upset at the big stage.
Failing to Meet Expectations
Aurora failing to make it through has been another shocker, and for lesser-known teams to go ahead, something no one expected coming into Stage 2. FlyQuest, having performed so well in the previous stage, failed to advance to Stage 3 with a 0-3 scoreline, making it another sad exit for Aussies at a Major. Astralis was eliminated by Liquid, while many were convinced that but the results say otherwise.
Stage 2 has only let the strong teams through, and now that we have the biggest names waiting for them in the next Stage, StarLadder Budapest Major is shaping up to be a blockbuster.