After a fiery start to Stage 2, the intensity didn’t fade — the second half of the opening Swiss round delivered heavy domination from the favorites, surprising collapses, and another major wave of shifts in the VRS standings. Aurora reaffirmed their status as one of the hottest teams of the season, NAVI demolished FlyQuest, B8 continued their flawless pace, and Imperial produced the most one-sided match of the day. The four winners move into the 1–0 bracket, while M80, FlyQuest, Liquid, and MIBR find themselves in the dangerous 0–1 group — where a second defeat could already put their Major run at risk.
Aurora vs M80 — 13:6 (Dust2)
Turkish dominance and a monstrous performance from Wicadia Aurora are marching through the Major like a tank. The team shut down M80 by seven rounds — and did it with the confidence of a squad playing a warm-up rather than a Swiss opening match. Wicadia delivered one of the best Bo1 performances of the tournament so far: sharp duels, consistent round openings, and explosive aggression on long and mid. M80 tried to slow the pace, but every attempt was instantly shut down by XANTARES and woxic, who locked down the defense together.
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Player of the Match — Ali “Wicadia” Yalçın
- Rating 3.0: 2.12
- ADR: 117.7
- K–D: 23–11
- KAST: 89.5%
- Swing: +8.88%
Natus Vincere vs FlyQuest — 13:2 (Train)
Total destruction: NAVI leave no chance. This was the match in which NAVI demonstrated complete, iron-solid map control. A 12–0 first half speaks for itself. FlyQuest couldn’t win a single clutch, a single impactful duel, and barely posed any threat on any part of the map. b1t played a phenomenal map — precise aim, perfect positioning, and full dominance at every distance. NAVI looked not just like a team aiming to win, but like a team proving they’re returning to championship-level form.
Player of the Match — Valeriy “b1t” Vakhovskiy
- Rating 3.0: 2.33
- ADR: 117.9
- K–D: 20–4
- Swing: +12.44%
Liquid vs B8 — 7:13 (Mirage)
The Ukrainian squad topples another favorite. B8 continue one of the strongest tournament starts in their history. The team outplayed Liquid across the entire Mirage map: aggressive entries, clean retakes, sharp duels, and disciplined CT setups. KENZSOR delivered a fantastic performance — opening duels, confident timings, and constant pressure that fueled B8’s momentum. Liquid looked lost, especially in mid-round scenarios where B8 fully controlled information and tempo.
Player of the Match — Artem “kensizor” Kapran
- Rating 3.0: 1.39
- ADR: 95.4
- K–D: 17–12
- KAST: 75.0%
- Swing: +4.52%
MIBR vs Imperial — 5:13 (Nuke)
Imperial showcase the strength of Brazilian CS and crush MIBR. Imperial delivered the most convincing match of the round. The team dominated Nuke from start to finish — strong positional trades, impactful multikills from try, stability from skullz and chelo, and full control of CT rotations. MIBR tried to break through with early A-site hits, but after losing several critical rounds in a row, their economy collapsed — and with it their momentum.
Player of the Match — Santino “try” Rigal
- Rating 3.0: 2.29
- ADR: 111.4
- K–D: 22–9
- Swing: +13.10%
VRS results for the teams
- Aurora: +6 pt (1817 → 1823), remain #4
- M80: –4 pt (1423 → 1419), drop to #27
- Natus Vincere: +12 pt (1709 → 1721), rise to #8
- FlyQuest: –5 pt (1421 → 1416), drop to #27
- B8: +31 pt (1584 → 1615), rise to #13
- Liquid: –19 pt (1709 → 1690), drop to #11
- Imperial: +20 pt (1328 → 1348), rise to #31
- MIBR: –13 pt (1315 → 1302), drop to #41
Bracket after the second block of matches
1–0 bracket
- Aurora
- Natus Vincere
- B8
- Imperial
These four teams now fight for a 2–0 scoreline — one step away from reaching the decisive stage of the Major.
0–1 bracket
- M80
- FlyQuest
- Liquid
- MIBR
For them, the next match is survival mode: a second loss would severely damage their playoff ambitions.
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.
