What started as a simple Pick’Em challenge during the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 turned into a life-changing moment for one CS2 fan. Against thousands of participants, his predictions earned him one of the most iconic skins in Counter-Strike history — the AWP | Dragon Lore. But for the winner, this wasn’t about flexing a rare item. It was about a decision that would go far beyond the game.
What was the most surprising prediction for you?
The most surprising thing for me was getting all five most-played skins right, as well as the most-picked map of the entire Major. If you look at my overall Pick’Em, it doesn’t look that impressive — I didn’t correctly predict any of the 3–0 or 0–3 teams, nor the top kills or ADR. That’s why I wasn’t expecting anything at all. But in the end, those five skin-related picks were what actually enabled me to win.
What criteria did you use to select the winners?
For the semifinals, I focused on what I believed were the four most reliable teams at the time. Vitality was an obvious pick — it’s Vitality. I chose Spirit over Falcons because Falcons tend to be unlucky at Majors, and I believed donk would completely dominate them. I picked MOUZ over FaZe because I felt FaZe might finally run out of luck and MOUZ would be the team to push them out of the Major.
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As for FURIA, like many others, I thought they were one of the main contenders to win the event. I expected a massive final between two titans — which we did get, just with FaZe instead. Still, I can’t say FaZe really resisted that much in the final.
What is the main mistake people make when filling out their Pick’Em?
I think one of the biggest mistakes is that people don’t watch pro matches outside of Majors and don’t pay attention to details like what skins players are actually using. For example, the Desert Eagle Blaze was a no-brainer for me. I also knew that many players in the first two stages wouldn’t be rich enough to consistently use extremely expensive skins like Butterfly Emeralds or Pandora’s Gloves — yet they would still make up the majority of skin appearances throughout the Major. On top of that, people overrated FURIA at this Major — including me with my playoff picks.
One piece of advice for the community: what is the main thing not to do with Pick’Em?
Don’t expect everything to go exactly the way you predict. A Major is a completely different kind of tournament — miracles really happen here. Just look at FaZe.
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Win a prize or finish #1 on the leaderboard — which is more fun?
Definitely winning the prize. But being #1 on the leaderboard is also pretty funny and satisfying.
Who was the first of your friends to know that you won Skin.Club Pick’Em?
I didn’t tell anyone. I didn’t want anyone to expect anything until I actually had the Dragon Lore in my hands. To be honest, until that moment, I didn’t really believe what was happening was real.
What will you do with the Dragon Lore?
I might play with it for a while, but later I’m going to sell it. I need to take care of some health issues and help my family. On top of that, Christmas and New Year are coming soon, so having some extra money for presents really matters.
Was the Dragon Lore the main reason you joined Pick’Em, or was it more about the challenge?
The main prize was definitely motivating, but I didn’t expect anything. I didn’t want to get disappointed — especially considering how my Pick’Em looked at the end of Stage 3, when I was around 1500th place. At that point, I just hoped to reach Diamond, because I believed there would definitely be someone luckier than me.
Overall, though, participating was genuinely fun. I really liked the design this year — the little Ts and CTs, the roadmap, and the ideas with ADR, kills, maps, and skins. Thanks to all of that, everything somehow came together for me in the end.
Your emotions about winning the Pick’Em, and what would you like to wish the community?
It’s hard to find the right words. I feel overwhelmed, excited, and incredibly grateful. I want to thank everyone at Skin.Club who made this possible and wish the entire community happy holidays.
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Want to be next? Keep your eye on the next Pick’Em Event from Skin.Club — your Dragon Lore moment might be one click away.
