The third stage of the Major has entered its most intense phase, where every mistake equals elimination from the tournament. Some continue their road to greatness, others already ended their journey.
Tournament context
StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 Stage 3 is the final phase of the Swiss format before the playoffs. Teams with a 1:2 score face elimination matches: the winner moves to the decisive 2:2 group, while the loser leaves the Major. On the line are not only playoff spots but also Valve Regional Standings (VRS) points, which define seeding for future elite tournaments.
read more
How the matches unfolded
B8 vs paiN
Series result: 2:0 in favor of B8
- Dust2 (B8 pick) — 13:9
The Ukrainians dominated in firefights, converting rounds through consistent B-site entries. kensizor and esenthel led in crucial close-range duels. - Ancient (paiN pick) — 13:12
paiN almost made a comeback, but B8 confidently closed the match with precise reads of opponents’ positions in the final rounds.
Player of the Match — Artem “kensizor” Kapran
- K–D: 52–46
- ADR: 92.4
- Rating 3.0: 1.41
B8 stay alive in the race for playoffs. paiN are eliminated from the Major.
Passion UA vs Imperial
Series result: 2:0 in favor of Passion UA
- Inferno (Passion UA pick) — 13:8
JT’s team showed aggressive map control, denying their opponents any mid-round chances. - Dust2 (Imperial pick) — 13:10
The Brazilians hit a streak of strong attacks, but Passion UA secured key retakes on the A-site.
Player of the Match — Johnny “JT” Theodosiou
- K–D: 40–30
- ADR: 93.4
- Rating 3.0: 1.57
Passion UA move to the 2:2 group. Imperial are out of the Budapest Major.
FaZe vs 3DMAX
Series result: 2:0 in favor of FaZe
- Dust2 (FaZe pick) — 13:6
FaZe dismantled the defense through well-coordinated long takes. frozen and broky won nearly every duel. - Inferno (3DMAX pick) — 13:6
FaZe’s disciplined CT side left the French roster with zero opportunities for a comeback.
Player of the Match — Jakub “jcobbb” Pietruszewski
- K–D: 34–17
- ADR: 84.6
- Rating 3.0: 1.52
FaZe continue the fight. 3DMAX exit the tournament.
VRS results
- B8 — +18 pt → 1669 pt (strengthening position near the top-15)
- Passion UA — +31 pt → 1478 pt (surging closer to top-20)
- FaZe — +25 pt → 1638 pt (back in the race for top-10)
- paiN — –10 pt → 1489 pt (ranking drop and tournament exit)
- Imperial — –12 pt → 1341 pt (deep fall in standings)
- 3DMAX — –12 pt → 1609 pt (risk falling even lower after updates)
What’s next?
The winners advance to the decisive series:
B8, Passion UA, and FaZe — group 2:2, last chance to reach playoffs. Any defeat now means the end of the tournament.
paiN, Imperial, and 3DMAX are eliminated, ending their run in Budapest.
Match summary
B8, Passion UA, and FaZe survived where no mistakes were allowed. Ahead lies the most ruthless part of the Major: the 2:2 matches, where only half of the teams will earn a ticket to the playoffs — and the rest will lose their championship dreams.
The Ukrainian rosters and FaZe are still alive. The next match will decide everything.
read more
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.
