StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 continues its opening day with one of the most contrasting matchups of the entire first round. GamerLegion — a stable top-20 European roster — faces Fluxo, a Brazilian lineup entering the Major in peak form with five consecutive wins. In a Bo1 format, even the smallest mistake can derail a team’s entire tournament run. And exclusively for us, CS legend shox shared his take on this matchup — and his verdict is quite clear.
Current Form & Context
GamerLegion — Europe’s most stable mid-tier contender
GamerLegion enter the Major with a familiar pattern: mixed but meaningful results. They beat fnatic, Gentle Mates and even HEROIC, but struggled against high-tempo teams like SAW and Aurora. GL aren’t about raw dominance — they are about structure, discipline, map control and consistency. They rarely give opponents free rounds. Tauson remains the team’s anchor:
- 1.11 rating
- strong impact in pivotal duels
- one of the most reliable riflers in their tier
REZ has finally regained his form, hypex excels in trading and pressure duels, while ztr continues to hold GL’s structure together regardless of the matchup. In Bo1, teams like GamerLegion tend to thrive.
Fluxo — tempo, aggression and the Brazilian spark
Fluxo arrive in Budapest riding a confidence-building streak: wins over Sharks, Galorys, 9z and Bounty Hunters showed a team that finally found rhythm — fast mid control, sudden tempo shifts and unconventional force-round calls. Lucaozy is in one of his peak periods (88% WR on Train, 67% on Nuke), decenty adds late-round clutch potential, and kye provides crucial duel impact in tight endings. But Fluxo also rely heavily on improvisation — which becomes risky on LAN against well-structured teams like GL.
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Shox’s Take — Exclusive Insight
Legendary CS figure shox evaluated the matchup very directly:
Gamer Legion against Fluxo — I would pick GL because I just think it’s a better team than Fluxo. Sorry to Fluxo, but there is too much gap between the teams. GL is also a team like B8 — they can go to Stage Three.
His words match the statistical and stylistic realities: GL have the deeper playbook, stronger structure, and a stability advantage that matters enormously in a Bo1.
Road to the Major
GL qualified confidently, playing disciplined, positionally sound Counter-Strike. Even recent losses were close — GL always fight to the end. Their style does not collapse under pressure, making them dangerous in the first round of any Major.
Fluxo arrive in excellent spirits but with an important caveat: most of their recent opponents were mid- or lower-tier teams. Against structured European opponents, Fluxo’s success rate drops sharply.
Map Pool & Veto Analysis (Bo1, last 3 months)
Winrates (3 months):
- Dust2: GL 56% | Fluxo —
- Mirage: GL — | Fluxo 53%
- Inferno: GL 42% | Fluxo 33%
- Nuke: GL 44% | Fluxo 67%
- Train: GL 50% | Fluxo 88%
- Overpass: GL 57% | Fluxo 67%
- Ancient: GL 33% | Fluxo 44%
Likely bans:
- GamerLegion remove Train — Fluxo have an 88% WR and huge tempo advantage here.
- Fluxo remove Overpass — GL are very strong on CT setups, and Fluxo do not want a slow, structured map.
Most probable Bo1 map: Dust2 or Nuke — maps where GL look disciplined and Fluxo cannot overwhelm with pure aggression.
Key Duels
- Tauson vs Lucaozy
Stability vs explosiveness. Whoever wins early duels will dictate the match’s momentum.
- REZ vs zevy
REZ is more consistent in mid-range fights; zevy depends heavily on a strong start. If he starts cold, Fluxo lose their tempo.
- ztr vs aRT
ztr = structure.aRT = chaos. A clash of philosophies that can fully define the pace of the Bo1.
VRS Impact — important opening points
GamerLegion (#19, 1524 pt)
- +19 pt if they win
- –24 pt if they lose
Fluxo (#40, 1278 pt)
- +29 pt if they win
- –6 pt if they lose
For GL, this match is crucial for maintaining their mid-tier favorite status. For Fluxo, it’s an opportunity to break into the top-35.
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Prediction
GamerLegion and Fluxo represent two different worlds: structure vs improvisation, stability vs volatility. Fluxo can absolutely catch momentum in a Bo1, steal a forcebuy, or overwhelm with early aggression — but in longer, controlled rounds, GL have an advantage on nearly every layer of the map. Shox summarised it best:
GL is simply a better team. The gap is too big.
Fluxo can create chaos — but GL are better at neutralizing chaos.
Expected Score: GamerLegion 13–8 Fluxo
