In an exclusive interview, fl0m discussed the StarLadder CS2 Budapest Major atmosphere and Counter-Strike’s cohesion in 2025.
After meeting many fans at the StarLadder CS2 Budapest Major, Erik “fl0m” Flom shared that the atmosphere in Budapest feels different, with so many fans coming from all points of the world to watch the game. In an exclusive interview with esports.gg, the professional player and founder of the CS: GO team Mythic explained that this year has been truly unique for the competitive Counter-Strike scene.
fl0m meets fans at the StarLadder CS2 Budapest Major
On the last day of the event, fl0m connected with many fans at the Monster booth. He distributed free goodies, took countless pictures, and autographed dozens of signs. For him, the event has been really nice. "In the first days of the event, if you looked around, the arena did not feel as big as it really is. But now, the arena is filled. It is spectacular to see the arena filled with fans," he stated.
In the Grand Final, Team Vitality and FaZe will have to prove themselves. Budapest will receive 20,000 people at the MVM Dome arena, and everyone will be watching closely. Only one team can take the StarLadder CS2 Budapest Major 2025 trophy home.
"In Austin, the venue is smaller, so it is always packed. But here, there will be 20,000 people. It feels insane," fl0m added. "This is my first European Major, and for me it's a whole new experience. Connecting with so many people from different countries is really cool. In Austin, you also see a lot of people from Europe, but this is totally different."
fl0m: "My brain says Vitality, but my heart says FaZe."
As for Grand Finals predictions, fl0m is in an internal conflict. "My brain says Vitality, but my heart says FaZe," he laughed. For him, Helvijs "broky" Saukants was the player who had evolved the most since the beginning of the tournament.
"It has to be broky. He was a shell of himself. Apparently, he was sick at the beginning of the tournament, but now he has been going crazy. He finally found his stride," fl0m said. But he was not the only player who caught his attention during the event. "Obviously, jcobbb also needs to be in this discussion. FaZe's run since Stage 1 is really cool to watch. You can see them progress throughout the tournament."
The impact of the Valve Regional Standings
The 2025 season brought a different kind of Counter-Strike. For fl0m, the most popular version since its release. According to the pro player, the introduction of the Valve Regional Standings (VRS) was one of the reasons behind it.
This new system was introduced in October 2023, but debuted in the 2024 Copenhagen Major. At the beginning, it had many flaws and delays. By replacing the historic qualification system, this was one of the biggest updates Counter-Strike has been through. The VRS allows teams to earn points based on their tournament match results, opponent strength, prize pools won, and LAN wins.
This system is also divided into regions: the Americas, Europe, and Asia. More points mean more opportunities to the regions and teams, since the slots per region are also determined by this ranking. "This is the first full season with the VRS, and I feel this is the most popular Counter-Strike has ever been," fl0m stated.
"When I look at it, I feel that we are in a pretty good spot. There are always challenges, but Counter-Strike has finally brought all the pieces together, weaving them into a cohesive ecosystem. For the first time, everything feels truly connected," he added.
That's all for now. Stick around for more Counter-Strike 2 news, guides, and updates on esports.gg.
