The second round of Stage 2 at the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 became the defining moment of the opening day of the main Swiss stage. Eight Bo1 matches between teams with 1–0 and 0–1 records set the first major trends: four teams broke through to 2–0 and immediately earned a double chance to advance to the next phase, while others fell into the danger zone.
1) Ninjas in Pyjamas 13–8 TYLOO (Nuke)
NiP continued their confident run in Stage 2. Strong defensive control, minimal individual mistakes, and excellent economic reads were the key to success. TYLOO created several dangerous rounds but failed to close them out.
Player of the Match — Kacper “xKacpersky” Gabara
- K–D: 20–11
- ADR: 95.1
- Rating 3.0: 1.71
NiP move to 2–0, TYLOO fall to 1–1.
2) Natus Vincere 13–10 Imperial (Mirage)
One of the tensest matches of the day. Imperial entered aggressively and confidently, but NAVI kept their defensive clusters compact and disciplined. All key rounds — clutches, 2v2s, and retakes — went NAVI’s way, and w0nderful delivered one of the best maps of Stage 2 so far.
Player of the Match — Ihor “w0nderful” Zhdanov
- K–D: 26–15
- ADR: 119.0
- Rating 3.0: 1.99
NAVI rise to 2–0, Imperial drop to 1–1.
3) FaZe 13–10 Aurora (Dust2)
FaZe shut down one of the most dangerous teams of the season. Aurora started stronger, but FaZe quickly adjusted their defensive structure, while jCobb and frozen consistently won duels in key zones. The final rounds showcased FaZe’s trademark composure.
Player of the Match — Jakub “jCobb” Pietrzuszeski
- K–D: 24–14
- ADR: 90.4
- Rating 3.0: 1.53
FaZe advance to 2–0, Aurora fall to 1–1.
4) B8 13–11 fnatic (Ancient)
B8 claimed one of the most important victories in their Major career. The Ukrainian squad looked extremely composed: no panic, strong clutch control, and well-executed T-sides on Ancient. fnatic found momentum in the mid-game, but headtr1ck and esenihal dismantled their late-round setups.
Player of the Match — Daniil “headtr1ck” Valitov
- K–D: 19–11
- ADR: 77.2
- Rating 3.0: 1.48
B8 rise to 2–0, fnatic fall to 1–1.
5) 3DMAX 13–7 FlyQuest (Inferno)
3DMAX delivered a stable, tactically clean performance. FlyQuest looked lost after a failed T-half — only jks and INS tried to keep the team afloat. The French roster, led by bodyy, closed the game with almost zero pressure.
Player of the Match — Alexandre “bodyy” Pianaro
- K–D: 16–13
- ADR: 94.6
- Rating 3.0: 1.62
3DMAX climb to 1–1, FlyQuest drop to 0–2.
6) M80 13–11 Astralis (Ancient)
M80 recovered after their opening loss and won one of the tensest matches of the round. Once again, Astralis lacked stability — Staehr and Magisk played exceptionally well, but the team as a whole did not. M80 showed character in the final rounds and secured the win.
Player of the Match — Victor “Staehr” Staehr
- K–D: 29–17
- ADR: 109.9
- Rating 3.0: 1.53
Despite Staehr’s monster performance, M80 take the match and move to 1–1, while Astralis collapse to a critical 0–2.
7) Passion UA 13–10 MIBR (Mirage)
Passion UA demonstrated disciplined Counter-Strike: strong mid control, precise rotations, and consistent trading.
MIBR fought hard — especially ik1m and exit — but lacked cohesion on the T-side.
Player of the Match — Klimentii “ik1m” Krivosheev (despite the loss)
- K–D: 23–15
- ADR: 113.3
- Rating 3.0: 1.70
Passion UA rise to 1–1, MIBR drop to 0–2.
8) PARIVISION 13–3 Liquid (Dust2)
The most one-sided match of the day. PARIVISION completely dismantled Liquid in every aspect: through mid, through long, through B-site — no matter the direction, Liquid looked helpless. nota delivered a performance worthy of an MVP medal.
Player of the Match — Emil “nota” Moskvitin
- K–D: 20–5
- ADR: 119.2
- Rating 3.0: 2.58
PARIVISION move to 1–1, Liquid fall to a disastrous 0–2.
VRS — RESULTS OF ROUND 2
Positive VRS changes:
- Natus Vincere: +11 pt
- FaZe: +31 pt
- Ninjas in Pyjamas: +46 pt
- B8: +19 pt
- PARIVISION: +46 pt
- Passion UA: +19 pt
- 3DMAX: +11 pt
- M80: +31 pt
Negative VRS changes:
- Astralis: –24 pt
- Liquid: –23 pt
- Aurora: –24 pt
- fnatic: –8 pt
- Imperial: –3 pt
- FlyQuest: –8 pt
- MIBR: –11 pt
Updated Tournament Picture
2–0 teams (one win away from qualification):
- NAVI
- FaZe
- NiP
- B8
1–1 teams (full chaos and maximum tension):
Aurora, Imperial, fnatic, PARIVISION, 3DMAX, M80, Passion UA, TYLOO
0–2 teams (one loss away from elimination):
- Liquid
- MIBR
- FlyQuest
- Astralis
What’s Next
The third round of Stage 2 will be the first major turning point:
- we will get the first qualification match participants,
- and the first teams eliminated from the Major.
Key storylines to watch:
- FaZe, NAVI, NiP, B8 — can they secure 3–0?
- Liquid, Astralis, FlyQuest, MIBR — who survives the elimination matches?
- PARIVISION, M80, Passion UA — can they stabilize their form?
The Budapest Major 2025 is shaping up to be one of the most dramatic tournaments of the year — and this is only the beginning of Stage 2.
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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.
