Before the start of the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, the professional scene has revealed a clear trend: Inferno has become the main battleground of modern Counter-Strike. Since July, it has been played more than any other map, and now it is set to define the style, pace, and character of matches at the biggest autumn tournament in Budapest.
Impact on the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025
The Budapest Major gathers the widest pool of teams in recent years — from Vitality, Falcons, and FURIA to rising lineups from Asia and the Americas. All of them enter the event with a clear understanding: Inferno may decide the outcome of playoff matches.
While Overpass and Train remain the least popular maps, and Ancient and Dust2 strengthen their position among the “standard” picks, it is Inferno that will shape the nature of top-tier matchups. This becomes especially important in a Major atmosphere, where every detail matters.
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Inferno Takes the Lead This Season
Analytics from the second season show that no map has influenced the tournament landscape as much as Inferno. Since July 2025, it has been played 89 times at major international events — the highest number of the entire season.
Following behind with a noticeable gap:
- Nuke — 73 times
- Mirage — 72 times
- Ancient — 62 times
- Dust2 — 60 times
- Overpass — 43 times
- Train — 40 times
This once again confirms that the CS2 meta has fully stabilized: teams increasingly favor structured maps with controlled tempo, and Inferno remains the ideal battleground for both tactical clashes and individual brilliance.
What This Means for the Future of the Map Pool
These statistics clearly indicate that the community and pro players have stress-tested the meta through real LAN competition. Inferno delivers balance, tempo, and predictability, while other maps remain either too cyclical or too inconsistent.
And this leads to the question — Which map should Valve remove next?
Most analysts agree that Overpass or Train may be at risk — both consistently remain the least popular maps of the season.
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Map Pool and Teams
The StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 begins in a world where Inferno is the absolute king. The map pool has stabilized, teams have already adapted to the latest updates, and the most-played map of the season is set to become the center stage for every key battle.
And if the trend continues, the road to the championship title will run straight through Inferno.
