Last month, it was announced that StarLadder will host its second Major, and its first CS2 Major, in Budapest, Hungary, in 2025. StarLadder has now announced the dates for the MRQs leading up to the Major, and, well, people are not exactly thrilled about it.

Road to Budapest Major 2025 announcement brings bad news

The StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, which will be the second Major to feature 32 teams, is once again going to have Major Regional Qualifiers (MRQs) to determine which teams qualify for the first stage. Unfortunately, the MRQs will once again be held online. I hope they don’t turn into a disaster again, but it’s looking grim.

The Budapest MRQ clashes with several big tournaments

I say that because, well, that’s not even the last of the bad news. Not only are the MRQs online, but they also clash with several major events. According to the VRS, invites will be handed out to teams on October 8th, as per usual. The MRQs are then scheduled for October 16th – 19th, overlapping with the following tournaments:

  • Thunderpick World Championship, an $850k tournament set to take place from October 15th – 19th in Malta.
  • CS Asia Championships, a $1 million tournament in China, scheduled for October 14th – 19th.
  • MESA Nomadic Masters Fall, a $250k tournament in Mongolia, scheduled once again for October 15th – 19th.
  • Roobet Cup, another $1 million tournament, which is to be held online.

With the MRQs scheduled for those dates, these tournaments may end up being rescheduled or even canceled. I hope it doesn’t come to that. October already has ESL Pro League Season 22 in the first two weeks, and November is completely stacked with events. TOs are left with only a slim margin, between the 19th and 25th October, before PGL Bucharest S2. Again, such a tight schedule could affect the teams’ performance, which is never ideal for the organizers.