The 2025 Counter-Strike season delivered some unforgettable moments from dynasty-defining performances to stunning upsets that rewrote the script. Here are five matches that capture the year’s most compelling storylines deserving a spot on every fan’s watchlist.
Vitality’s first true challenge—IEM Melbourne grand final
It is quite rare for a non-prestige event finals to become many’s match of the season. But Melbourne became an instant classic showcasing why Vitality’s Grand Slam run was so special. After cruising through the first map 13-2, Vitality found themselves in a dogfight as Falcons clawed back to force a fifth map on Nuke. The decider was an epic test of willpower, with Falcons holding match point at 12-6 before Vitality mounted an incredible comeback. The match extended through three overtimes, featuring clutches, smoke defuses, and nail-biting rounds that had the Rod Laver Arena crowd on their feet.
Related—Vitality bolsters CS2 roster with Inter Grand Slam and Major winner
ZywOo’s 1.34 series rating told only part of the match’s story. This was about Vitality showing their clutch factor under maximum pressure. TeSeS dropped 40 frags on Nuke, and still couldn’t close it out, and Falcons had to watch Vitality receive the ESL Grand Slam, one of their many achievements in that dominant season.
Two sides of TheMongolZ’s coin at the Austin Major
TheMongolZ were the big story of the Austin Major playoffs, but before they became a grand finalist, they were a stepping stone for another of Austin’s Cinderella runs. FaZe, bolstered by s1mple’s return to the Majors, made their way through the tournament and took on TheMongolZ for a spot in the playoffs. After falling behind 7-1 on Ancient, FaZe showcased the clutch factor that defines their team. With s1mple and ELiGE at the helm, they clawed back to steal the map 13-11 then dumpstered TheMongolZ on Anubis to make their way into the playoffs.
Related—FlameZ follows through with heartfelt promise to mzinho at CS2 Austin Major
But TheMongolZ bounced back soon after, and went on a solid run through the playoffs to make their way to the grand finals. The match against Vitality was going to be an impossible mountain to climb, but they came out swinging on their map pick with Senzu and 910 tearing through the European favorites to claim a stunning 13-5 victory. Starting 0-3, TheMongolZ won 10 of the next 11 rounds, thoroughly dismantling the Vitality side. Cinderella runs are always exciting to watch, but to see two of them unfold across a single tournament makes these two matches even more special.
G2’s day to shine at BLAST Open London
After the player break, Vitality’s dominance gave way to a wider brawl between the top squads as trophies exchanged hands all across the globe. And amongst the melee, G2 found their moment to shine. With NiKo and m0NESY both out of the squad, G2 went under the radar for many, but this five-map thriller at the Wembley Arena showed Vitality’s vulnerability and introduced huNter’s G2 as genuine title contenders.
Related—G2 huNter- on 13-1 demolition of Spirit in BLAST London: ‘We don’t care who we play’
The match turned around on Inferno, where Vitality held match point with G2 on a low buy—only to watch their grip on the trophy slip away as G2 forced overtime and eventually won the map. The decider on Train became a coming-out party for G2’s young guns. HeavyGod and MATYS, the roster’s least experienced players, stole the show in front of a packed arena. For Vitality, the loss marked their first finals defeat since the player break and began a four-month title drought that would define their second season struggles. It’s essential viewing for understanding how the competitive landscape shifted in 2025’s second half.
The Vitality-Falcons rematch at ESL Pro League season 22
After four months without a trophy, Vitality finally rediscovered their winning formula with a commanding 3-0 sweep. But this wasn’t just about ending the drought—it was about flameZ entering hard-carry mode. The Israeli star scorched back-to-back maps on Inferno and Train, delivering multi-kills and clutches that swung every crucial moment in Vitality’s favor. His quad-kill defending B on Inferno set the tone, followed by an unlikely one-vs-two clutch and a pistol-round triple that broke Falcons’ resistance.
On Train, flameZ spearheaded an 8-4 CT half with 16 kills before helping close out the map with crucial B-site entries. mezii then took over on Dust2, while flameZ added one more one-vs-two clutch to cap his dominant performance. The clean victory moved Vitality to eight titles for the year—just two away from captain apEX’s stated goal of matching prime Astralis’s 10-trophy 2018 season. It was the performance that reminded everyone why Vitality had been so dominant in the first half of 2025.
B1ad3 dismantles FURIA at the Budapest Major
Few matches capture the essence of Counter-Strike tactics like this one. FURIA entered as world number one and heavy favorites, only to watch NAVI dismantle them on Mirage with tactical preparation that suffocated star player molodoy. Had it not been for a NAVI fumble on Inferno that handed FalleN the now infamous one-vs-three, it would have been a comfortable 2-0 for the NAVI side.
Related—NAVI outclass Furia to secure semis at StarLadder Budapest 2025
Despite that moment, NAVI refused to tilt. They stormed to a 9-1 lead on Train’s T-side and never looked back, winning 13-3 to complete one of the Major’s biggest upsets. w0nderful’s 1.52 rating on map one and dominant map-three performance showcased the individual firepower NAVI had lacked all year, while B1ad3’s tactical mastery reminded everyone why prepared underdogs are so dangerous. For FURIA, it was a stunning collapse from a team known for resilience—molodoy’s 0.81 rating and the weight of rookie pressure became the story within the story of this unforgettable quarterfinal clash.
