Favourites flounder as new contenders emerge at StarLadder Budapest Major 2025

The opening day of the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 has already seen some early upsets, as unlikely underdogs have risen to go 2-0 in Stage 1.

Following a lengthy tech delay, there will be at least one surprising contender to advance straight to Stage 2, while notable names are already fighting for their tournament lives.

As Australia’s sole representative in Counter-Strike’s tentpole tournament, FlyQuest opened its Major campaign against opposition that several members of the community had predicted to go 3-0.

The team kicked off its Major with a surprise 13-10 victory over Brazilian team Legacy. The organisation then continued this momentum into round two, defeating Imperial Esports 13-6, becoming one of the first teams to qualify for Stage 2 at the earliest opportunity.

After making the playoffs at BLAST Open London, M80 has continued to build momentum following its success across the pond. The North American organisation bested B8 13-11 before defeating Parivision 13-9, putting it on the verge of earning a place in the next stage.

Elsewhere, Fluxo has continued an upward trend for the Americas, impressing in the opening two rounds. A 13-10 win against GamerLegion surprised many, before going on to defeat Fnatic 13-9 to cement its place in the 2-0 bracket.

Heading into the Major following a string of underwhelming performances, GamerLegion’s turbulent run of form has continued in the Hungarian capital. Defeats to Brazilian sides Fluxo and Red Canids see the team among the first to score an 0-2 record, putting it on the brink of an early elimination. 

With Damian ‘daps‘ Steele acting as a temporary stand-in, expectations for NRG were somewhat muted, with fans tipping the North American organisation to lose all three of its Stage 1 matches.

Despite the last-minute roster change, NRG has already become the standout surprise of the tournament so far. A 13-7 win over Ninjas in Pyjamas laid the foundations for a clash against FaZe Clan. Daps led the charge once again with an inspired performance on Dust II, with NRG taking a 13-10 victory to secure a 2-0 record.

Alongside teams scoring two wins and two defeats, eight teams have scored one win and one defeat. CS Asia Championship 2025 winner Legacy responded following its defeat to FlyQuest with a comfortable 13-6 win over Rare Atom to remain in contention for a place in the second stage

Alongside Legacy, Fnatic, Ninjas in Pyjamas, RED Canids, Imperial Esports, Parivision, B8 and FaZe Clan enter round three with a 1-1 record. Meanwhile, GamerLegion, Rare Atom, The Huns and Lynn Vision Gaming are all in the deadly 0-2 bracket.

With the opening day of matches concluded, attention turns to round three, where the first teams advance to Stage 2 while others pack their bags and head to the airport. 

Fans can tune into day two of the StarLadder Budapest Major across the tournament organiser’s Twitch, YouTube, and Kick channels.