Starladder Budapest Major 2025 is one of the most anticipated esports events of the year, featuring 32 elite Counter-Strike 2 teams competing from Nov. 24 to Dec. 14 in Hungary for a $1.25 million prize pool. Teams will battle through three swiss stages, before reaching the intense single-elimination playoffs.
With so many teams in action, it can be tough to gauge the strength of each roster. So we’ve put together this power ranking tier list to help you understand where everyone stands as the pinnacle of Counter-Strike kicks off.
StarLadder Budapest Major 2025: Power Rankings
The power rankings will be split into five tiers.
- S-Tier: Elite teams with consistent top-tier performances, strong mental fortitude, and a realistic shot of winning the Budapest Major.
- A-Tier: Highly competitive teams with solid individual talent and strategic depth, capable of challenging S-Tier teams, but lack the same consistency of trophy lifts.
- B-Tier: Good teams showing potential and skill but held back by inconsistency, mental lapses, or tactical limitations.
- C-Tier: Teams with flashes of creativity and firepower but lacking experience to compete at the highest level.
- D-Tier: Lower-ranked teams, typically playing in the tier two level, unlikely to advance far in the tournament.
S-Tier: Furia vs. Vitality for the title?
Compared to majors like Shanghai 2024, Budapest’s S-Tier is notably small. But that is with good reason. The first season of 2025 was utterly dominated by Vitality. And while the second season initially felt up in the air with many teams vying for the number one spot, Furia has emerged as the dominant force right before the Major.
For Dan “apEX” Madesclaire squad, the major represents a chance to put a final trophy on the, already rather full, 2025 shelf back in Paris. But its placement in the S-Tier is based more on pedigree than actual results. Its firepower is still potent, and if the stars hit the right shots, Vitality remains perhaps the most dangerous roster to ever play Counter-Strike.
Furia, however, has emerged as the dominant force just before the Major. Danil “molodoy” Golubenko’s rapid rise to possibly the game’s strongest AWPer combined with Kaike “KSCERATO” Cerato’s consistent rifling has allowed players like Mareks “YEKINDAR” Gaļinskis and Yuri “yuurih” Boian to regain form. This well-oiled machine runs smoothly under Fallen’s leadership.
The only concern for Furia is its lack of Major experience, but its current form and confidence place it comfortably at the top. Overall, the S-Tier is defined by proven pedigree for Vitality and peak form for Furia, making these teams the favorites to lift the trophy in Budapest.
A-Tier: The usual suspects are all in with a shot
The A-tier features the teams that have consistently earned playoffs finishes across the year. And kicking off the list is the trio of firepower-led squads in Falcons, Spirit, and Aurora. Falcons have assembled the superteam that they wanted but, in a monkey paw situation, that firepower regularly betrays them, with Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov being the only player consistently delivering. Like the G2 rosters of the past, Falcons live and die on their aim entirely.
Spirit looked set to inherit the crown from Vitality, with the roster winning on Ivan “zweih” Gogin’s debut at IEM Cologne. But the addition of Andrey “tN1R” Tatarinovich on top has been a move too far, something the Belarussian is not to blame for. Perhaps Myroslav “zont1x” Plakhotia was adding more to the team than initially expected, or the team would have preferred to keep the young-veteran presence of Boris “magixx” Vorobyev around. Whatever it is, Spirit looked lost at sea despite still having the unstoppable force that is donk.
Related—Team Spirit CS2 recruit rising rifler as zont1x replacement
Coming into the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, Aurora have chosen the perfect time to hit their peak. Their win at PGL Masters Bucharest combined with their strong one-two duo of Ismailcan ‘XANTARES’ Dörtkardeş and Ali “Wicadia” Haydar Yalçın give them enough points on the board to stake a claim for the trophy.
Rounding out this tier are G2, MOUZ and TheMongolZ. These teams all have a strong set of stars, and decent tactical depth, but still lack a piece of the puzzle. For MOUZ and G2, the stars-turned-IGLs are still unproven in championship terms. And for the Asian side, Azbayar “Senzu” Munkhbold’s benching has come as a massive shock, a void they are still yet to truly fill. All of them should be aiming for a playoffs berth regardless, but the trophy might be a step too far.
B-Tier: How many upsets will we see at the Budapest Major 2025?
With the playoffs door looking rather shut, at least on paper, the B-Tier teams will be looking to break their way in. But their battles stem as much from within, as they do from their opponents. Nominally in the lead thanks to their direct Stage two invite are paiN. The Brazilian squad has been ably led by Rodrigo “biguzera” Bittencourt for years now, but their semifinals appearance at the Austin Major looked like a massive coup on paper. But look beyond the final result and it becomes far less impressive, with the biggest win coming over a Furia roster that had not found its footing.
NaVi’s placement here might raise eyebrows given they won a Major in 2024, but the Ukrainian powerhouse is in worrying decline. The departure of Justinas “jL” Lekavičius, their Major MVP, has left a gaping hole that the Drin “makazze” Shaqiri move simply hasn’t filled. While Valerii “b1t” Vakhovskyi continues to shine, the team lacks the cohesion that once made them unstoppable. What’s most concerning is that this doesn’t look like a temporary slump but rather a downward spiral threatening complete collapse unless drastic changes are made.
Liquid represents North America’s best hope for a deep Major run. With their mixture of seasoned veterans and hungry young talent, they possess the firepower to challenge anyone on their day. The question remains whether they can maintain consistency across a grueling tournament format. 3DMAX has been the surprise package of 2025, punching well above their weight with intelligent counterstratting and disciplined execution.
Related—Veteran CS2 analyst criticizes FaZe karrigan for lackluster individual performance
Astralis and FaZe both arrive carrying the weight of their storied histories but recent question marks over their form. For Astralis, the Danish legends are in transition, trying to blend their tactical legacy with new firepower. FaZe continues their eternal quest for CS2 Major glory, but roster instability has left them vulnerable. Legacy and GamerLegion round out this tier as dark horses capable of causing headaches in the Swiss stages, even if a playoff berth feels like a stretch.
C-Tier: Youth, potential, and regional wildcards
The C-Tier is where potential meets reality. These teams bring flashes of brilliance and creative strategies, but they’re still learning what it takes to compete at Major level. B8 leads this group after making their IGL change stick. Oleksii “alex666” Yarmoshchuk’s open leading style and great communication has unlocked a dominant Andrii “npl” Kukharskyi, setting them up as a dark horse capable of surprising the bigger names if their stars align.
Fnatic’s inclusion here might seem harsh, but Benjamin “blameF” Bremer and Dmytro “jambo” Semera can only carry the squad so far. While blameF has been one of the best riflers for half a decade, this iteration of Fnatic is rebuilding and lacks the depth to consistently threaten elite teams. The Major will test whether their firepower-first approach can translate into sustained success beyond best-of-ones.
NIP’s remarkable turnaround cannot be understated. Starting the year from scratch in the VRS rankings, their steady ascent culminated in a runners-up finish at StarLadder Fall 2025. Marco “Snappi” Pfeiffer’s leadership paired with Kacper “xKacpersky” Gabara’s individual prowess has restored faith in a squad many had written off. If Artem “r1nkle” Moroz pops off, they could punch well above their tier placement. PARIVISION rounds out the group as major debutants with incredible mechanics in Emil “nota” Moskvitin, Vladislav “xiELO” Lysov, and Andrey “BELCHONOKK” Yasinskiy. Under Dzhami “Jame” Ali’s leadership, they’re making waves in tier two, though their invite came more from playing the VRS system than dominating matches.
M80 will be flag bearers for North America after NRG’s IGL situation left them compromised. The Elias “s1n” Stein-led squad has been a consistent force with all their stars shining bright heading into Budapest. Passion UA plays with heart and aggression but often lacks the experience to close out tight games. Tyloo continues China’s steady rise with their aggressive Asian style, though like the TYLOOs of the past, it rarely translates into sustained international results. GL rounds out the tier, with ztr leading them to strong performances that paper over obvious cracks—their riflers carry the aquila alone after struggling to make an AWPer work since acoR’s departure.
D-Tier: The underdogs and regional representatives
Every Major needs its Cinderella stories, and the D-Tier teams arrive hoping to write theirs in Budapest. While playoffs appear unrealistic, these squads earned their spots through regional dominance and deserve their moment on the global stage. The Brazilian contingent of MIBR, Imperial, fluxo, and red canids all face uphill battles. Imperial, once known for hosting the last dance, has reinvented itself behind Vinicius “VINI” Figueiredo’s leadership since 2023, though 2025 has been all about the Santino “try” Rigal show. If Marcelo “chelo” Cespedes fires on all cylinders, they can steal a best-of-one or two.
Fluxo and red canids represent Brazil’s regional grinders. What RED canids lacks in tactical cohesion, they occasionally make up for in firepower during best-of-ones, though consistency has eluded them throughout 2025. MIBR carries organizational prestige but arrives with a roster still finding its footing against tier-one competition.
Flyquest represents Oceania’s latest hope. Despite analysts calling this the most skilled Australian roster—even surpassing the Renegades squad that made top four at StarLadder Berlin 2019—the upgrades have only maintained their regional number one status. With Justin “jks” Savage as their latest signing, they somehow lack the impact required to compete even at this level. Lynn Vision brings the classic aggressive Asian style, though their online dominance will need mechanical perfection to translate internationally.
The Huns and Rare Atom round out the field as the Major’s ultimate underdogs. While TheMongolZ made waves at the top of CS2, The Huns have been building up Asian competition with a more up-tempo style that hasn’t paid off. They’ll battle Rare Atom to stay out of the 0-3 pool. Rare Atom, much like The Huns, has limited tactical depth and struggles with inconsistency—picking up a single win would be commendable. For all these teams, their journey to Budapest is already an achievement, and representing their regions with pride matters more than win-loss records.
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