StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 Day 2: FaZe on the verge in Stage 1

After two days of play at the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, we already have our first teams heading to Stage 2 via the 3:0 bracket. Then, there’s the matter of eliminations, of which there have already been two. For those teams, de_airport awaits.

Thankfully, day two allowed the Counter-Strike to do the talking, with StarLadder mostly eliminating the egregious tech issues that plagued day one. Let’s see who went through and who went home, shall we?

FaZe close to elimination following disastrous NIP loss

FaZe believers are down in the dumps right now. Their inconsistency throughout the rest of the season has lingered like a bad smell throughout the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, and after just two days of action, they find themselves just one best-of-three series away from an early elimination. No, as it turns out, no one is too big to fail, even despite the massive name value this FaZe roster possesses.

At the moment, it does feel as though the weight of carrying both broky and jcobbb is too heavy for the rest of FaZe. Even karrigan put up a decent showing in their 1:1 match against NIP in Budapest, but that wasn’t enough to do any better than a 13:8 loss. Admittedly, it wasn’t quite as bad a loss as yesterday’s to NRG with a coach stand-in, but Ninjas in Pyjamas have been very ordinary in the Major so far. In short, it’s bad news for FaZe.

So it’s clear they’re in a bit of a mess, and anything short of perfection will see them head home from the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 in Stage 1. From what we’ve seen from the team so far, you wouldn’t back them to dig deep and show the required resilience to get back on track. And realistically, if things stay as they are, this is the last we’ll see of this iteration of FaZe Clan.

NRG fail to beat M80, but NA gets a 3:0 team regardless

That NRG ever found themselves in the 2:0 bracket at the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 Stage 1 was nothing short of a minor miracle. Playing with coach daps as a stand-in, they should’ve really been down and out, 0:3 style. But they’ve impressed so far, albeit not enough to secure a win over a massively impressive M80. No matter the result, North American Counter-Strike had something to celebrate here.

It’s clear that M80 are only getting better, not least because of the form of talented rifler Lake. He stands as the most impressive piece of this lineup to me, and I can’t wait to see where his ceiling sits. Few would have pegged M80 among 3:0 picks for the Budapest Major Pick’Ems, so you have to give credit to them for overcoming expectations so far. Whether they can continue to make a similar dent in Stage 2 remains to be seen.

But for NRG, you have to feel that an opportunity has slipped through their fingers. In theory, this first match should be the “easiest” for NRG, against a team they’re very familiar with. And given their difficult situation, the games are only going to get tougher from here on out. Not to tempt fate, but if ever there was a 2:0 team with the potential to go 2:3, it’s this NRG lineup. Let’s see – maybe they have more surprises in store for us over the next couple of days.

FlyQuest also through as Aussies break BO3 curse

In the other 2:0 match, FlyQuest dominated Fluxo by dropping just four rounds in two maps. While the Aussies have always been adept in the best-of-one format, their last two Majors have seen the team crash out after finding themselves in the 2:0 bracket. This time around, the curse has been broken, getting the job done in their first outing in the best-of-threes.

More aggressive, more confident – FlyQuest looked every bit the same team that we’ve seen over the last few days, not least because of the efforts of regali, who died just 10 times across the two maps. The AWPer’s inconsistencies are easy to highlight, but his ceiling is undeniable. We’ll be seeing FlyQuest in Stage 2 of the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025.

StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 Stage 1 Bracket and fixtures

Following day two of the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 Stage 1, the brackets and fixtures are as follows:

3:0 (Qualified)

• M80
• FlyQuest

2:1

• Fluxo vs. Ninjas in Pyjamas
• NRG vs. Fnatic
• B8 vs. Legacy

1:2

• PARIVISION vs. GamerLegion
• Imperial vs. The Huns
• RED Canids vs. FaZe Clan

0:3 (Eliminated)

• Rare Atom
• Lynn Vision