At the end of 2025, Counter-Strike will receive its second Major of the year — the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, set to take place from November 24 to December 14 in the capital of Hungary. This marks the long-awaited return of the renowned tournament organizer StarLadder, which last hosted a Major in Berlin 2019, where Astralis claimed the championship and the prize pool amounted to $1 million. This time, the scale is even greater — $1.25 million, with $500,000 going to the winner. StarLadder, which has been organizing major series such as StarSeries, ProSeries, and i-League since 2012, is once again stepping onto the biggest stage, offering fans the chance to witness the world’s best teams in action.

• Event Dates: November 24 – December 14, 2025 (Budapest, Hungary)
• Total Prize Pool: $1,250,000 | Champion’s Share: $500,000

Invitations to the Major are determined by the Valve Regional Standings — the official ranking system by Valve that reflects team performance across three regions: Europe, Americas, and Asia-Pacific, as well as the global leaderboard. This ranking defines the initial distribution of all participants. To secure a spot at the Major, teams must perform consistently at top-tier events and defeat strong opponents, as every match directly impacts their ranking points.

A total of 32 teams representing 25 countries will compete at StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, with Brazil having the largest player representation (28). The tournament will consist of three Swiss stages followed by the final playoffs:

• Stage 1 (Nov 24–27): 16 teams, Swiss format; Bo1 matches, with decisive games played as Bo3. The top 8 advance, the rest are eliminated.
• Stage 2 (Nov 29 – Dec 2): 16 new participants, same format. Top 8 move forward.
• Stage 3 (Dec 4–7): 16 teams, the final Swiss stage before playoffs. The best 8 reach the final stage.
• Playoffs (Dec 11–14): Single Elimination bracket, all matches Bo3, where the champion will be crowned.​

The first three stages will take place at MTK Sportpark, while the Playoffs will be held at MVM Dome, Budapest’s premier arena — the stage where the new Major champion will be decided.

Prize Pool Distribution:

• 1st place — $500,000
• 2nd place — $170,000
• 3rd–4th places — $80,000
• 5th–8th places — $45,000
• 9th–16th places — $15,000
• 17th–24th places — $10,000
• 25th–32nd places — $5,000

Among the participants are both world-class powerhouses and fresh challengers: Team Vitality, Team Spirit, Team Falcons, MOUZ, G2 Esports, FURIA, paiN Gaming, The MongolZ, Aurora Gaming, Natus Vincere, Astralis, 3DMAX, Team Liquid, MIBR, Passion UA, TYLOO, FaZe Clan, GamerLegion, Ninjas in Pyjamas, B8, PARIVISION, Fnatic, Legacy, Imperial Esports, M80, NRG, Fluxo, RED Canids, Lynn Vision Gaming, The Huns Esports, FlyQuest, and Rare Atom.

This Major will be especially historic for RED Canids, PARIVISION, and The Huns, as they will receive their first-ever official team stickers and player autographs in the game.

The StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 promises to be a spectacular finale to the CS2 season — a celebration of tradition, history, and modern competition converging in the heart of Budapest. It’s a chance for legends to reaffirm their dominance — and for new teams to make their mark on the biggest stage of the year.