When the stage narrows to just a few matches and every round carries the weight of a trophy, favorites no longer have the right to make mistakes. It is in moments like these that it becomes clear who is ready to fight for the title until the very end.
Tournament context
StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 Playoffs is the final stage of the tournament, featuring only the strongest teams of the season. The semifinals are played in a Best of 3 format, with a spot in the grand final and crucial Valve Regional Standings (VRS) points on the line, directly impacting the global rankings and invitations to key events.
A loss at this stage means complete elimination from the tournament.
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How the match unfolded — FaZe vs Natus Vincere
Score: 2:1 in favor of FaZe
- Ancient (NAVI pick) — 13:5
Natus Vincere started confidently on their own pick, dominating on defense and imposing a slow, controlled pace. FaZe struggled to find answers to the aggressive plays from makazze and the consistent performance of w0nderful, allowing NAVI to close the map without excessive pressure. - Nuke (FaZe pick) — 13:11
On the second map, FaZe regrouped. After an even first half, karrigan’s squad significantly improved their attacking coordination. frozen and broky consistently found opening frags, and FaZe won several key rounds on the edge of their economy, which became the turning point of the map. - Inferno (decider) — 13:8
The deciding map was fully controlled by FaZe. They aggressively contested Banana, denying NAVI the chance to build their offense. In the second half, FaZe methodically shut down every comeback attempt, bringing the series to a logical conclusion.
Player of the Match — Russell “Twistzz” Van Dulken
The Canadian rifler was the key figure of the series, consistently influencing the game across all three maps.
- K–D: 48–44
- ADR: 80.8
- Rating 3.0: 1.29
Key impact: consistent entry frags on Nuke and decisive duels on Inferno that ultimately broke NAVI’s resistance.
VRS results
- FaZe — +27 pt → 1745 pt
- Natus Vincere — –18 pt → 1848 pt
FaZe significantly improve their position in the global rankings, closing the gap to the top teams. For NAVI, the loss means dropping important points and ending their run at the semifinal stage.
What’s next?
FaZe advance to the grand final of StarLadder Budapest Major 2025
karrigan’s team earns the chance to fight for the championship title and the tournament’s top prize.
Natus Vincere are eliminated from the tournament
The playoffs are over for NAVI. What lies ahead is a reset and preparation for the next major events of the season.
Match summary
FaZe withstood the pressure of the semifinals and managed to turn the series around after losing the first map. Experience, discipline, and roster depth proved to be the decisive factors. NAVI put up a respectable fight, but at the crucial moment, FaZe were stronger. Up next is the grand final, where the fate of the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 title will be decided.
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Skin.Club Pick’em Challenge
Running alongside the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 is the Skin.Club Pick’em Challenge — an interactive feature where fans predict match results, choose advancing teams, and earn points throughout the tournament. By making accurate picks, participants unlock rewards ranging from premium skins to rare gloves and knives, with the ultimate prize being the iconic AWP | Dragon Lore.
