At last, the decisive day has arrived for the teams dreaming of reaching the main stage of StarLadder StarSeries Budapest 2025. In the European Play-in we witnessed four different stories of success — from OG’s confident performance to Iberian Soul’s stunning upset.
📊 StarSeries 19 Play-In has concluded, here are the results.
4 teams move forward to the Main Event. Stay tune; invite reveals and more are incoming! pic.twitter.com/7Pt2SfHFmZ
— StarLadder CS2 (@StarLadder_CS) August 17, 2025
OG: a reborn lineup with a young star
OG entered the Play-in with confidence — after summer transfers the team had strengthened significantly, and the match against Turkish squad FUT became proof of that.
On the first map, Mirage, chosen by FUT themselves, OG immediately set the pace. They won the first half 9–3, driven by Chr1zN’s aggression and spooke’s reliable support. In the second half, FUT could not find a single way to break OG’s defense — final score 13–5.
On Nuke, the story repeated itself. Despite this map being notoriously difficult for younger rosters, OG played with full composure: adam b’s sharp rotations, nicoodoz’s clutch consistency, and overall excellent synergy from all five players. Final score — 13–6 and a 2–0 victory.
The brightest performance came from nicoodoz, who finished with a 1.68 rating and a 41–18 scoreline. Yet it’s impossible to overlook spooke, who continues to prove himself as the breakout player of the season — this time contributing 35 kills and a 1.43 rating.
OG now look not only like a refreshed lineup, but one capable of challenging the very best in Budapest.
9INE vs BIG: a battle of willpower and the knockout blow on Nuke
The clash between 9INE and BIG was expected to be one of the closest series of the Play-in — and it lived up to the hype.
The Germans started strong on their pick, Train, securing a 13–10 win through solid defensive setups and timely entries from tabseN. But from there, momentum shifted to 9INE.
On Inferno, the Poles showed discipline and patience, waiting for their opponents’ mistakes. The turning point came in a run of six consecutive rounds at 7–9, when faveN and kraghen won key duels and flipped the map. Final score — 16–13.
The decider was Nuke, and here only one team showed up — 9INE. They crushed BIG 13–4, with phzy standing out as the undisputed hero: 58 frags and a 1.23 rating. His flawless AWP control denied BIG any chance of a comeback.
BIG leave the Play-in disappointed, while 9INE proved they are ready to compete at the highest level.
Iberian Soul: sensational elimination of fnatic
The biggest shock of the day was fnatic’s elimination at the hands of Spanish side Iberian Soul. For veterans led by KRIMZ, this tournament was supposed to be another chance to prove their relevance, but the journey ended in the Play-in.
Fnatic started well on Inferno, winning 13–9. But on Mirage, they looked completely lost. Iberian Soul dismantled their attack, denying access to key areas — 13–3.
The decider, Overpass, turned into pure drama. Fnatic kept fighting for every round, with only KRIMZ’s experience keeping them afloat. But the Spaniards played as a unit: MartinezSa (51–35, 1.37 rating) and alex took the lead and pushed their team across the finish line, 13–11.
Once again fnatic fell short of making the next step, while Iberian Soul established themselves as the breakout surprise of this qualifier.
PARIVISION: endurance in a three-map marathon
Russian team PARIVISION faced ECSTATIC, and their series became a real test of resilience.
On the opener Train, the Danes came out on top in overtime 25–22, showcasing nerves of steel. But PARIVISION refused to give in: on Dust2 they regrouped and closed the map 13–10, with key clutches from xiELO and BELCHONOKK.
The decider Inferno went in favor of PARIVISION, who sealed it 13–9. Here, Jame stood out with sharp AWP shots that repeatedly swung the momentum.
Statistically, xiELO (75–60, 1.25 rating) was the team’s anchor, delivering across all three maps.
Who’s heading to Budapest
As a result, the following teams booked their spots at StarLadder StarSeries Budapest 2025:
- OG
- 9INE
- Iberian Soul
- PARIVISION
They will join the top-tier squads that already received direct invitations and fight for prestige and a massive prize pool. This day once again proved that in modern CS2, upsets are becoming more frequent — and no favorite can feel safe.
Looking ahead to Budapest
For the four advancing teams, the Budapest main stage will be the ultimate challenge. For OG, it’s a chance to solidify the success of their rebuilt lineup and show they belong back among the elite. 9INE, fresh off their triumph over BIG, will aim to prove their consistency and compete on equal footing with the top teams. Iberian Soul already delivered one major upset by eliminating fnatic, but now they must prove it wasn’t just a one-off miracle. And PARIVISION, with their grit and composure, will finally test their potential against the tournament favorites.
