StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 is kicking off soon, and 32 teams will take to the stage to battle it out for the CS2 Major trophy, and their share of the $1,250,000 prize pool. While that battle rages on, viewers can also earn themselves a trophy in the form of the prestigious diamond coin. Here’s everything you need to know about the Pick’Ems to secure the Budapest Major diamond coin.
What are CS2 Pick’Ems?
CS2 Pick’Ems are in-game prediction challenges that allow viewers to test their knowledge of the pro scene throughout the tournament. To participate, you purchase a Viewer Pass and make predictions about the tournament’s results. Get a certain number of picks correct in a stage, and you unlock the coveted Souvenir packages, alongside upgrades for your coin—bronze, silver, gold, and finally diamond.
Stage-by-Stage requirements for the Budapest Major diamond coin
Reaching the diamond coin requires correct picks across all three stages and the playoffs. In-game, the progress is tracked through 11 challenges:
- Activate your coin before the tournament is over
- Place all ten Pick’Em predictions for Stage 1 before it begins
- Get five correct Pick’Em predictions for Stage 1
- Place all ten Pick’Em predictions for Stage 2 before it begins
- Get five correct Pick’Em predictions for Stage 2
- Place all ten Pick’Em predictions for Stage 3 before it begins
- Get five correct Pick’Em predictions for Stage 3
- Place all seven Pick’Em predictions for the Playoffs before it begins
- Place two correct Pick’Em predictions for the Quarterfinals
- Place one correct Pick’Em prediction for the Semifinals
- Make a correct Pick’Em prediction for the Grand Final
For the stages, the ten predictions include two 3-0 teams (undefeated), two 0-3 teams (winless), and six teams to advance through with a 3-1 or 3-2 record. Get five of those correct and your coin will get upgraded to the next tier. To get to the diamond Coin, you need to get through every stage at the Major, so set your alarms based on the Match Schedule ****to ensure you never miss a deadline.
How to get the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 diamond coin
To get started on your diamond Coin journey at the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, jump into Counter-Strike 2 to purchase your Viewer Pass. Once you have activated the pass you can head to the Pick’Ems hub to make your Stage 1 picks.
Related—Starladder Budapest Major 2025: Stage 1 Preview
In the Pick’Em page, you can simply drag team logos into the 3-0, 0-3, and “to advance” slots, and hit the save button to lock in your selections before the countdown expires. Each stage with 5/10 correct picks will upgrade your coin from bronze all the way to diamond while also awarding Souvenir Tokens along the way.
And if you missed the deadline on Stage 1, you can still jump in during the tournament and complete the rest of the Pick’Em stages. While that won’t allow you to get the diamond coin, you can still earn coin upgrades depending on how many stages you are able to complete.
How to use Major simulators to predict matchups
Third-party sites often offer a matchup simulator letting you run through the full Swiss bracket and playoffs using the seeding data for the major. Both majors.im & HLTV.org have updated their simulators for the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, allowing savvy Pick’Ems players to check the possible matchups before committing to their picks.
These simulators are especially useful for spotting landmines: strong teams that might face each other at the start, thus preventing a 3-0 for at least one of them, or a weaker squad that could find a lucky set of opponents to go through. By selecting the teams that you think will win in each match, you can quickly run through a multitude of simulations, and find a consistent pattern of teams to pick.
Our picks for the StarLadder Budapest Major Stage 1 Pick’Ems
Given the volatility of teams in Stage 1, very few choices seem like a lock to advance. With that in mind here are some of our picks in the StarLadder Budapest Major Stage 1 Pick’Ems.
3-0 Teams: For the undefeated teams, Legacy is the obvious favorite thanks to their strong form, and decent tactical base. And as much as FaZe have struggled recently, against this competition there really is no one better than Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken & David “frozen” Čerňanský.
0-3 Teams: Flipping to the other side of the leaderboard, it really is a battle between RED Canids and the Asian representatives. Lynn Vision, and FlyQuest stand just outside this range thanks to their firepower, so it’s The Huns, and Rare Atom that constitute this Sophie’s choice. After going through the simulator, and looking at possible match ups, we’ve ended up with Rare Atom and RED Canids as the bottom two.
3-1 & 3-2 Advancing Teams: Finally looking at the six teams that will pass through this stage, the European contingent stands out thanks their more regular tier 1.5 play. B8, GamerLegion, NiP, fnatic, and, PARIVISION all have flaws that will manifest themselves in later stages, but to start of the Major, these teams have the necessary skills. The final spot then boils down to Lynn Vision & the Americas, and with NRG out of the running thanks to their substitute situation, we’ve gone with Elias “s1n” Stein’s M80 instead.
Before you fill out your own Pick’Ems though, make sure to run through the Simulators to get an idea of the matchups that might be at play.
Related—Starladder Budapest Major 2025: Teams, Format, Schedule, Prize
Souvenir Tokens, Packages, Viewer Pass: CS2 Major items explained
Alongside the release of the Pick’Em challenge and the event Coin, the Major update also includes a number of in-game items celebrating the Major. This includes:
Viewer Pass: The entryway to the Pick’Em Challenge and all its cosmetics, the viewer pass is the item that unlocks everything related to the Major in the in-game client. The pass usually costs $10, but pricing may vary by region. Players also have the option to purchase the pass alongside three Souvenir Tokens for a higher $18 price.
Souvenir Tokens: Souvenir Tokens are items acquired either by purchasing them directly in the game, or by earning them through successful stages of the Pick’Em challenge. Each token allows the player to acquire a Souvenir Package from a match played at the Major.
Souvenir Packages: These special cases, contain exclusive weapon skins themed around the Major with a pre-applied gold event sticker, and stickers for both teams that played in the chosen match. Packages can be claimed after matches conclude either by redeeming Souvenir Tokens or through Pick’Em progression rewards.
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