This starting tournament phase sets up the basis for the following top-tier excitement. The teams in Stage 1 are pretty strong, and their battles are spectacular and interesting.
FaZe Clan carries an impressive legacy in Counter-Strike, but the team has fallen pretty low to start a Major from Stage 1. Legacy players are building up their reputation in CS2 esports, and their impact is already meaningful.
These two teams are generally considered the biggest favorites in Stage 1 of the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025. Still, they jump into the pool of ambitious underdogs — such opponents know how to bite big names, regardless of their previous trophies.
Stage 1 may not feature the biggest teams of the current esports scene, but this tournament phase is fun to watch. It showcases different approaches to the game and has a good potential for wow moments and historic breakthroughs.
Everything from the initial Swiss System stage at CS2 StarLadder Major 2025 in Budapest is here. Watch the stream, check out the schedule, and follow the daily results!
How to watch CS2 Budapest Major Stage 1: Stream
Schedule of Stage 1 matches at the Budapest Major 2025
Stage 1 goes on for four days, from Nov. 24 to Nov. 27. Each tournament day is packed with CS2 esports matches, and the competition intensifies in the advancement and elimination rounds.
The daily schedule at the Budapest Major is based on the previous results. Here are the matchups for Nov. 2.
Estimated start | |
|---|---|
| 3 p.m. CET / 9 a.m. ET | Fluxo 1:2 FaZe 6:13 on Inferno 13:7 on Nuke 10:13 on Mirage |
| 5:30 p.m. CET / 11:30 a.m. ET | NRG 0:2 Imperial 8:13 on Nuke 5:13 on Train |
| 8 p.m. CET / 2 p.m. ET | PARIVISION 2:1 Legacy 13:9 on Inferno 5:13 on Mirage 19:16 on Dust II |
Stage 1 results at the Budapest Major: Swiss System brackets and details on each round
Three wins are needed for the teams at StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 to make it through the Swiss System stages. In this section, you'll find the brackets and the detailed info on matchups in five rounds of Stage 1.
Round 1
B8 0:1 M80 11:13 on Mirage Imperial Esports 1:0 Rare Atom 13:11 on Dust II | Legacy 0:1 FlyQuest 10:13 on Train PARIVISION 1:0 The Huns 13:8 on Mirage | Ninjas in Pyjamas 0:1 NRG 7:13 on Overpass GamerLegion 0:1 Fluxo 10:13 on Nuke | FaZe 1:0 Lynn Vision 13:5 on Nuke Fnatic 1:0 RED Canids 16:14 on Ancient |
Round 2
After Round 1, the teams are divided into groups with the 1:0 and 0:1 scores. Some will go to the advancement section, while others will fall to the edge of elimination.
1:0 matches | 0:1 matches |
|---|---|
| Imperial 0:1 FlyQuest 6:13 on Inferno | Legacy 1:0 Rare Atom 13:6 on Dust II |
| PARIVISION 0:1 M80 9:13 on Mirage | B8 1:0 The Huns 13:11 on Ancient |
| Fnatic 0:1 Fluxo 9:13 on Train | GamerLegion 0:1 RED Canids 6:13 on Train |
| FaZe 0:1 NRG 10:13 on Dust II | Ninjas in Pyjamas 1:0 Lynn Vision 13:2 on Train |
- FaZe Clan couldn't go 2:0 in Stage 1, as they lost to NRG.
- NiP had the most dominant win so far, a 13:2 versus Lynn Vision.
- B8 pulled off a nice comeback, from a 3:7 to 13:11.
- FlyQuest, NRG, Fluxo, and M80 have advancement matches in Round 3, with a chance of perfect run for two team.
Round 3
2:0 matches | 1:1 matches | 0:2 matches |
|---|---|---|
| FlyQuest 2:0 Fluxo 13:1 on Overpass 13:3 on Inferno | Legacy 1:0 RED Canids 13:6 on Nuke | GamerLegion 2:0 Rare Atom 13:7 on Inferno 13:5 on Overpass |
| M80 2:0 NRG 13:7 on Inferno 13:2 on Overpass | B8 1:0 PARIVISION 13:11 on Inferno | The Huns 2:0 Lynn Vision 13:7 on Ancient 13:8 on Dust II |
| FaZe 0:1 Ninjas in Pyjamas 8:13 on Overpass | ||
| Fnatic 1:0 Imperial 13:3 on Train |
- FlyQuest and M80 are the first teams to advance to Stage 2 at the Budapest Major. They defeated their opponents with great confidence.
- FaZe continued their weird performance, as they did not look themselves in the match verses NiP.
- Rare Atom and Lynn Vision left the tournament after this round.
Round 4
2:1 matches | 1:2 matches |
|---|---|
| Fluxo 0:2 Ninjas in Pyjamas 5:13 on Nuke 5:13 on Train | RED Canids 1:2 FaZe Clan 13:7 on Mirage 17:19 on Nuke 13:5 on Inferno |
| B8 2:0 Legacy 16:12 on Dust II 13:5 on Mirage | PARIVISION 2:0 GamerLegion 16:14 on Overpass 16:12 on Ancient |
| NRG 1:2 Fnatic 13:3 on Mirage 10:13 on Inferno 9:13 on Dust II | Imperial 2:0 The Huns 13:8 on Nuke 16:12 on Mirage |
- NiP completed their march to Stage 2, as they took down Fluxo in the advancement match.
- B8 had a close Map 1, but then, they dominated on Mirage over Legacy. It's an advancement win for them!
- With the coach in the Major roster, NRG got a great win on Map 1, but Fnatic recovered and won to advance to Stage 2.
- FaZe barely survived their match against RED Canids, and they continue their run on the verge of elimination.
- GamerLegion and The Huns left StarLadder Budapest Major 2025.
Round 5
Three matches complete Stage 1 at StarLadder Budapest Major 2025. They are all about advancement to the next phase or packing home. You can watch them on the stream here.
2:2 matches |
|---|
| Fluxo 1:2 FaZe 6:13 on Inferno 13:7 on Nuke 10:13 on Mirage |
| NRG 0:2 Imperial 8:13 on Nuke 5:13 on Train |
| PARIVISION 2:1 Legacy 13:9 on Inferno 5:13 on Mirage 19:16 on Dust II |
- FaZe Clan had another rollercoaster of a match: they needed to pull off a crazy comeback on Mirage to survive the battle versus Fluxo and advance to Stage 2.
- Imperial defeated NRG. After being in a 2:0 gang, NRG lost three matches and got eliminated.
- Legacy failed their Stage 1 performance. Despite being one of the bigger team at the start of the CS2 Budapest Major, they lost crucial matches and left the tournament.
Stage 1 preview: The thrill of Counter-Strike at Budapest Major
CS2 tournaments of this level are the most exciting esports events of the yearly schedule. Many people look forward specifically to Stage 3 and Playoffs, as the top-most teams are there, battling for the trophy. Stage 1 matches are somewhat overlooked, while they are still amazing.
There is a certain thrill of watching CS2 matches of high level with no teams you fully support as a fan. It’s a way to see the game in its competitive beauty, regardless of who pulls off comebacks, 4Ks, knife kills, and other wow moments.
Stage 1 of StarLadder Budapest Major treats us to exactly such a show. There still is the layer of extra expectations — if you placed your Pick’Em predictions. But, it makes the experience more enjoyable without too harsh emotions, such as when your team loses in the Major semifinal.
CS2 teams in Stage 1 certainly have their fans, but fewer than Vitality or FURIA. In addition to FaZe and Legacy, we can name a few that are interesting to follow. B8, GamerLegion, Ninjas in Pyjamas, FlyQuest, and Fnatic are good examples.
The best contender teams from the Budapest Major Stage 1 will continue to create the esports show for us in Stage 2. The level of challenge for them increases significantly, though.
The StarLadder CS2 Major in Budapest continues until Dec. 14. The champions will be crowned on the final day.
