StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 Stage 2 opens with a duel between Natus Vincere and FlyQuest — both teams start with a 0:0 score in the Swiss system. The winner secures a 1:0 advantage and a significant boost toward reaching Stage 3, while the loser falls into the less favorable 0:1 bracket. The match between NAVI and FlyQuest is one of the key battles of the Stage 2 opener, as it features teams with very different levels of international experience and ambitions.
StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 Stage 2 — a time to separate contenders
The stage will be held from November 29 to December 2 in Budapest. Sixteen teams continue their journey toward Stage 3, including top global contenders: FaZe, Astralis, NAVI, Team Liquid, NiP, as well as FlyQuest, who made a surprising breakthrough from Stage 1.
Tournament format: Bo1 in matches without direct elimination or advancement and Bo3 in decisive encounters. This structure makes opening matches extremely risky — one defeat can immediately create a difficult situation. Natus Vincere vs FlyQuest clearly shows how crucial it is to start Stage 2 with confidence.
Head-to-head — experience advantage for NAVI
The teams have a history of meetings, but FlyQuest have recently formed a refreshed roster with international background. NAVI have a significant edge in top-tier tournament experience and have previously secured wins over FlyQuest.
Current rankings:
- Natus Vincere — #9 in the world
- FlyQuest — #31 in the world
On paper, NAVI appear to be the favorite, but FlyQuest’s form in Stage 1 proved they cannot be underestimated.
Current form
- Natus Vincere — searching for stability against strong opponents
NAVI (#9 HLTV, #10 VRS) have delivered mixed results recently: losses to Heroic, Astralis, and FURIA, but wins over The MongolZ, Aurora and Imperial. The team is working on adapting its lineup, with more responsibility shifting to younger players — im and w0nderful.
With this level of mechanics, NAVI are capable of controlling matches, but questions remain about late-round consistency.
- FlyQuest — momentum from Stage 1
FlyQuest (#31 HLTV, #26 VRS) surged into Stage 2 after three consecutive victories: against Fluxo, Imperial and Legacy. The team looks confident thanks to aggressive gameplay and the individual growth of regali, who has become the driving force of the roster.
FlyQuest have momentum — and momentum can neutralize differences in status.
Map Pool & Veto
Statistics from the last 3 months (NAVI | FlyQuest):
- Dust2: 60% | 43%
- Mirage: 67% | 57%
- Inferno: 50% | 80%
- Nuke: 54% | —
- Train: 67% | 50%
- Overpass: — | 40%
- Ancient: 50% | —
Expected veto:
- NAVI remove Inferno — FlyQuest have their highest win rate here
- FlyQuest remove Overpass — NAVI do not currently play it, but have historically strong CT setups
Likely picks:
- NAVI: Mirage — a comfortable map with flexible roles
- FlyQuest: Train — a map where they can push tempo advantage
Decider: Dust2 — slight advantage toward NAVI
Key duels
- b1t vs regali — the main snipers and clutch performers
- im vs jks — deciding the pace of entry control
- Aleksib vs AZR — IGL duel of macro-decisions and adaptation
Prediction
NAVI have the experience, individual level and tactical depth. FlyQuest are a bold team playing with confidence and without fear of favorites. However, in Bo1 format it is stability that decides everything — and NAVI hold the edge here.
Predicted result: Natus Vincere 1–0 FlyQuest
