Do FaZe have the map pool to win the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025? | Grand Final Preview

The FaZe magic is in full force, and they are now just one step away from lifting a Major trophy, their first in CS2. They have made two unsuccessful attempts to do it, and today might be their third. Standing in their way is Vitality, the undisputed juggernaut of the year. FaZe have already beaten them once in the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, but that came in a best-of-one. Today, the script changes to a best-of-five.

On paper, the deck is stacked against FaZe. It’s the first time in a long while that I can remember them playing a best-of-five, whereas Vitality have already played nine this year. That naturally raises the question: does FaZe actually have a map pool deep enough to go toe-to-toe with Vitality? Let’s dig into it.

The map pool story

I think the narrative around best-of-fives being a death sentence for FaZe has snowballed a bit too far. The simple reason is that the map pools of both teams are quite similar. Vitality don’t play Ancient, where FaZe looked visibly uncomfortable yesterday. On the other hand, this means that FaZe can get rid of Train. The remaining five maps are all ones that FaZe have already played more than once at this Major. So if FaZe do end up losing, I don’t think the map pool will be the smoking gun.

So far, FaZe and Vitality have played ten maps against each other this year, and here is how many times they have won:

• Nuke: Vitality (2), FaZe (1)

• Anubis (No longer in map pool): FaZe (1)

• Dust2: Vitality (2)

• Mirage: FaZe (2)

• Inferno: Vitality (2)

At face value, it tells us FaZe have had the upper hand on Mirage, while Vitality have been superior on Dust2 and Inferno. Nuke, meanwhile, has been a proper arm-wrestle. While I still think Dust2 will lean Vitality’s way today, Inferno could be a different story altogether. FaZe have looked sharp on it, which makes me believe there’s room for a surprise. On the flip side, Mirage feels far less comfortable than history might suggest, and I expect it to be much tighter than before.

Unless karrigan throws a curveball, FaZe will almost certainly ban Train, with Vitality responding by banning Ancient, which likely leaves us with Overpass. That’s another map where I’d still give Vitality the edge, but it’s a momentum-driven map, and a lot will depend on which version of FaZe shows up on the day.

Taking everything into account, Vitality should have the advantage on Dust2 and Overpass. For FaZe, Mirage and Inferno are the maps where they’ll have to roll up their sleeves and grind if they want a real shot. Even on Nuke, it’s going to be an uphill slog. Every time FaZe play Nuke with these current roles, it feels like living on borrowed time. I genuinely don’t understand how teams don’t punish the yard more aggressively. It’s hard to sell me on the idea that karrigan will suddenly become the answer there, and Vitality have likely seen enough to find a way in. That said, I’d be more than happy to eat my words.

Where FaZe hold the edge

What’s interesting is that in every series FaZe have played against Vitality, they’ve been heavy underdogs, and yet, they’ve consistently exceeded expectations. None of the best-of-threes were a walk in the park for Vitality. There’s no denying this final is another steep climb for FaZe, but then again, that’s been the story of their entire Major run. If FaZe has been the outright experts at doing something, it has been at making a comeback. And a longer format means ample time for FaZe to get their heads into the game.

karrigan mentioned in an interview that the jcobbb change was meant to build toward 2026, and yet here they are, in a Major final in 2025. They were never meant to be here, but they’ve scrapped and clawed their way through. I’ve lost count of how many times I personally wrote them off during this Major, even as a fan, only for them to prove me wrong again. At this point, it’s clear that FaZe are a team that simply can’t be estimated. And if karrigan once lost a Major he wasn’t supposed to lose, who’s to say he can’t win one he isn’t supposed to win?