Vitality, MOUZ, and The MongolZ lock in Playoffs at StarLadder Budapest Major 2025

Vitality, MOUZ, and The MongolZ became the latest set of teams to qualify for the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 Playoffs after winning their respective matches in the 2:1 bracket. NAVI, Falcons, and G2 were all left to fight for at least one more day – here’s how all the action went down on the server.

Vitality dispatch NAVI in deceptively close series

Vitality and NAVI were first up to decide who would be joining FURIA and Spirit in the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 Playoffs. Naturally, Vitality were the obvious favorites, but NAVI have shown enough throughout the Major to suggest that they could be a threat in this one. Especially if Vitality were having an off day.

In the end, the two maps played were almost mirror images of one another. Vitality won both 13:11, with 6:6 CT-sides before emerging slightly better on T-side to win out 7:5. That happened on both maps, albeit with the order of sides played being swapped.

NAVI’s loss came despite the best efforts of w0nderful, who managed to put together a 1v3 for the highlight reel on Inferno. Still, the teammates around him couldn’t come close to his 1.43 rating throughout this series, and that was enough to condemn NAVI to another day’s play. Had just two rounds across the two maps gone their way, NAVI could’ve at least dragged both to overtime. Four rounds, and they’d have won it all. Instead, they’re left to wonder what could’ve been, with a match against B8 their last opportunity to reach the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 Playoffs.

But this was really business as usual for Vitality. Anything below the Playoffs would’ve been a total disaster for the team, and they’ve managed to get there without too much sweat on their brows. Not perfect, sure, but their Stage 3 in Austin started with a loss against Legacy, and we all know how that ended.

MOUZ put Falcons on the brink to reach Major Playoffs

From all of today’s StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 matches, MOUZ vs. Falcons perhaps inspired the most curiosity. Regardless of the result, we were guaranteed to see one of Counter-Strike’s giants headed to last-chance saloon in tomorrow’s games. It was a series that delivered on all fronts, with Falcons being made to pay the price of failing to win a single pistol round from six attempts.

It kicked off on Mirage, where it seemed as though MOUZ had it all together. They managed to rack up an 11:5 lead, but crumbled in an instant. Falcons seemed to figure out the answers on CT-side, rolling over MOUZ with eight consecutive round wins on the way to a 13:11 win. Advantage, Falcons, but we know that doesn’t necessarily mean much nowadays.

MOUZ were very quick to establish that the first map was merely a blip, and they were ready to lock in and secure the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 Playoffs. They romped to a 13:6 victory on Inferno, leaving Falcons to wonder what had hit them. Young kyousuke was found at the scene of the crime here with a 0.38 rating, despite a solid showing on the other two maps in the series.

A Nuke decider was kind of the nightmare matchup for MOUZ. They haven’t won it in their last four attempts against Falcons, but that wasn’t going to stop them from coming out on top in this one. Despite kyousuke’s 22-kill effort, MOUZ were still able to secure it 13:10, even when the momentum started to swing in Falcons’ direction at the start of the second half. Even the most optimistic of Falcons hatewatchers couldn’t have imagined this lineup still being in with a shot of missing out with just a day left to play. Now, they face G2 on the final day, with no more lives remaining. Will NiKo and m0NESY thrive against their old organization, or will they crash under the pressure of it all? No matter what, we have a serious storyline on our hands.

The MongolZ demolish G2 in total non-contest

I’ll be honest – I could only really see a G2 win in this series. The MongolZ, given their roster situation, are difficult to get a grasp on at the moment? What is their true level with controlez? Are they actually still good? I’m not sure. But one thing is for sure – they can shoot HARD. G2 simply didn’t know how to deal with The MongolZ‘s firepower here, resulting in what was ultimately a non-contest.

The MongolZ pick of Ancient opened up the series, and they started how they meant to go on with a 9:3 T-side to kick it off. Techno put up a 14:6 half, which effectively ended the game before it had a chance to get started. From there, the second half was simply a formality. The MongolZ closed it out 13:4, and we were headed to Dust2.

It didn’t get much better for G2, there, either. A five-round haul for G2 in the first half made things look competitive, but as soon as The MongolZ got onto the T-side, it was all one-way traffic. 13:6 the final scoreline, and The MongolZ have made the Playoffs, perhaps a little against the odds. At least for G2, they get to come into tomorrow’s match against Falcons with a point to prove against NiKo and m0NESY. But beyond that, it’s admittedly looking a bit grim for the team.

Elsewhere in the lower bracket matches, B8, Passion UA, and FaZe Clan were able to fend off paiN Gaming, Imperial, and 3DMAX respectively to stay alive for at least another day.

With one more round of games to decide the results of StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 Stage 3, here’s how it’s looking so far in the last-minute race for Playoffs:

3:0 (Qualified)

• Spirit
• FURIA

3:1 (Qualified)

• Vitality
• MOUZ
• The MongolZ

2:2

• FaZe Clan vs. Passion UA
• G2 vs. Falcons
• B8 vs. NAVI

1:3 (Eliminated)

• paiN Gaming
• Imperial
• 3DMAX

0:3 (Eliminated)

• Liquid
• PARIVISION