After two topsy-turvy rounds of play that saw the commencement of the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, Round 3 of Stage 1 saw the first few teams heading into the next round, as well as the teams that were the first to be eliminated from the event. While most teams still have their fate hanging in the balance, Round 3 set the tone for the final few rounds of Stage 1.
Round 3 at a Glance
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Legacy | 13 – 6 | RED Canids |
| B8 | 13 – 11 | PARIVISION |
| fnatic | 13 – 3 | Imperial |
| FaZe | 8 – 13 | Ninjas in Pyjamas |
| FlyQuest | 2 – 0 | Fluxo |
| GamerLegion | 2 – 0 | Rare Atom |
| M80 | 2 – 0 | NRG |
| Huns | 2 – 0 | Lynn Vision |
Teams Going 3-0
Australian powerhouse FlyQuest became the first team to seal their spot in Stage 2 by dominating Brazilian side Fluxo with a 13-1 and 13-2 scoreline across the two maps, and concluded an effortless win.
M80 pulled off a stunner over NRG, beating them with 2-0 scoreline. They successfully booked their spot in the next round of play over NRG, which looked like another threatening side from NA who could cause a few upsets.
Teams Going 0-3
Rare Atom, arguably the team that was most picked for a “0-3” in Pick’Ems, becomes the first to take an exit from the Major. GamerLegion winning 13-7 and 13-5 in consecutive maps sealed the fate of Rare Atom and brought themselves a fighting chance to continue at the Major.
Lynn Vision became the team to head out after losing to the Huns. The Mongolian side showcased its dominance over the Chinese side to survive for another round of play in Budapest. Lynn Vision’s performance throughout the event has been anything but convincing, which makes this early exit anything but a surprise.
Teams with their fate up in the air
The shocker of the day was FaZe going down to Ninjas in Pyjamas, as the superteam failed to produce anything convincing as the Swedes cruised past them with a dominant display on Overpass, leaving FaZe with a single loss away from elimination.
Fnatic shocked everyone by cruising past Imperial with a 13-3 scoreline, putting them a win away from qualification, and the latter will be a single loss away from elimination. The Brazilian showdown between Red Candids and Legacy saw the latter find themselves in the same position as Fnatic.
The fight on the CIS front saw B8 pull ahead of Jame’s PARIVISION in a match that could have easily gone either way, with both teams trading blows for blows before the Ukrainian side edged out a close but important win to secure a 2-1 scoreline in the Swiss Bracket.
Far from how everyone expected their results to turn out, it was sad to see some teams bow out. As we continue to progress further in the event, more surprises, shockers, and entertaining games of Counter-Strike await us. Only time will tell who makes it out of this Stage and who gets left behind.
