The first matchday of StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 Stage 1 began dynamically — four Swiss stage matches immediately delivered surprises, standout individual performances and important shifts in VRS rankings. The teams that opened the tournament with a win boosted their momentum and confidently moved into the 1:0 bracket, while those who lost ended up in the risky 0:1 group, where the next match may drastically alter their Major trajectory.
Tournament context
StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 Stage 1 is the first stage of the prestigious Major series, where 16 teams compete in a Swiss (Bo1) format for eight spots in Stage 2. The tournament directly affects Valve Regional Standings (VRS): victories add rating points and increase a team’s chances of advancing, while losses reduce the overall VRS reserve, complicating future qualification prospects.
In the Bo1 format, even a single mistake can cost everything — which is why the opening matches are especially important for teams aiming to get as close as possible to the coveted 3:0 score.
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PARIVISION vs The Huns — 13:8 (Mirage)
PARIVISION opened their campaign confidently, controlling Mirage for most of the match. xiELO, AW and Jame set the pace on both halves, and discipline in key moments prevented The Huns from coming back into the game.
Player of the Match — Vladislav “xiELO” Lysov
- Rating 3.0: 1.91,
- ADR: 117.4,
- K-D: 22–10
FlyQuest vs Legacy — 13:10 (Train)
FlyQuest won their first map of the Major thanks to the stable performance of Vexite and jks, who combined aggression with reliable defense. Legacy stayed close throughout the match, but a collapse in the final rounds left them without a chance to come back.
Player of the Match — Declan “Vexite” Portelli
- Rating 3.0: 1.77,
- ADR: 104.5,
- K-D: 25–16
Imperial vs Rare Atom — 13:11 (Dust2)
The most intense match of the day — Imperial secured the victory only in clutch rounds. chelo was the undeniable driving force of the team, winning key duels, while Rare Atom lacked stability in the late-game moments.
Player of the Match — Marcelo “chelo” Cespedes
- Rating 3.0: 1.67,
- ADR: 98.2,
- K-D: 24–15
M80 vs B8 — 13:11 (Mirage)
B8 led 10:2 and had full control of the game, but M80 produced one of the best comebacks of the day — an 11:1 streak in decisive rounds. The American-Canadian roster stepped up at the perfect moment, while Lake and HexT dominated the remaining duels.
Player of the Match — Artem “kensizor” Kapran
- Rating 3.0: 1.53,
- ADR: 101.1,
- K-D: 25–19
Despite the loss, the Ukrainian player became the best performer of the match.
VRS results for the teams
- Legacy: –28 pt (1756 → 1728), drop to #8
- B8: –22 pt (1526 → 1504), drop to #19
- PARIVISION: +25 pt (1413 → 1438), rise to #23
- M80: +41 pt (1321 → 1362), rise to #27
- FlyQuest: +72 pt (1259 → 1331), jump to #30
- Imperial: +14 pt (1304 → 1318), rise to #32
- Rare Atom: –9 pt (1159 → 1150), drop to #53
- The Huns: –4 pt (1098 → 1094), drop to #63
What’s next for the teams
In the 1:0 bracket now are: PARIVISION, FlyQuest, Imperial, M80 — in the next round they will have the chance to move to a 2:0 score, significantly increasing their chances of reaching Stage 2.
In the 0:1 bracket: The Huns, Legacy, Rare Atom, B8 — now forced to play on the edge. A second loss in the Swiss Stage is extremely dangerous, as the path to Stage 2 becomes significantly more difficult.
The draw for the 1:0 and 0:1 rounds will be generated using the Buchholz system and announced soon.
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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.
