Only two days into the action at the StarLadder Budapest Major Stage 1, and we’ve already witnessed upset galore, resulting in teams such as FaZe Clan and GamerLegion being only one best-of-three loss away from elimination. The two European squads have yet to arrive in Budapest, as evidenced by their underwhelming results thus far.
FaZe fell short in BO1s to an inconsistent Ninjas in Pyjamas team as well as an IGL-less NRG with Damian “daps” Steele standing in for the absent Nick “nitr0” Cannella. Whereas GamerLegion struggled against Brazilian opposition, suffering consecutive losses to Fluxo and RED Canids.
Despite a tough start to the Major, both teams still have a chance to make it to the next stage, but first, they have to get through the 1-2 matchups. Here’s a preview of today’s elimination games.
FaZe might be heading back to the airport very soon. Credit: © StarLadder
FaZe are obviously one of the most renowned and well-liked teams in Counter-Strike. It’s no wonder that so many people are disappointed with their recent showings. The only shining light amidst frankly terrible performances is Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken’s individual form.
The Canadian has been on fire since returning to his former team, and is maintaining a very high level in Budapest as well. However, he needs support from the likes of David “frozen” Cernansky and Helvijs “broky” Saukants to get FaZe over the line.
Their opponents, RED Canids, were a lot of fans’ 0-3 picks coming into the StarLadder Budapest Major Stage 1. With that in mind, the Brazilians have already exceeded a lot of people’s expectations by besting GamerLegion.
However, beating a solid tier-1 team in a BO3 might prove to be too big a challenge for RED Canids. It’s no secret that they are heavily outgunned by FaZe, who have superior firepower and considerably more experience in high-stakes matchups.
Score prediction:
Odds:
Odds courtesy of Stake. Odds are subject to change.
Rookies need to step up for GamerLegion to survive at the StarLadder Budapest Major Stage 1. Credit: © GamerLegion
At the beginning of 2025, GamerLegion was one of the most promising up-and-coming teams, but their results have dwindled at the tail end of the year. Bar a decent performance at PGL Masters Bucharest, they haven’t been setting the server alight in recent months.
That being said, it’s still a surprise to see them facing elimination so early into the Major, especially after defeats to Fluxo and RED Canids, two teams no one saw as a threat prior to the event.
PARIVISION are also a team made up of rookies and young talent, with the former Major champion and MVP Dzhami “Jame” Ali steering the ship. Everyone knows that the Counter-Strike talent pool runs deep in Russia, and this PARIVISION squad is another prime example.
The Russian squad has shown more promise on the server than GamerLegion thus far, with their performances being much more convincing, despite also suffering two losses. One thing’s for certain — it’s going to be a much closer game than FaZe vs RED Canids.
Score prediction:
Odds:
Odds courtesy of Stake. Odds are subject to change.
Imperial have not impressed so much at the Major thus far. Credit: © StarLadder
In perhaps the least interesting matchup out of the 1-2 games, Imperial will be taking on The Huns. The Brazilians of Imperial got off to a strong start in the Major opener, beating out Rare Atom, before getting completely demolished by FlyQuest and Fnatic in the following games.
The Huns shared a similar fate, with their only win being against Lynn Vision, a Chinese team that went 0-3. However, their losing efforts were significantly more impressive than Imperial’s, with the games against PARIVISION and B8 being relatively close affairs.
Drawing each other gives both Imperial and The Huns a good shot at making it through. Both teams have a realistic chance to advance to the 2-2 games, but are unlikely to reach the the next stage. Ultimately, we think The Huns have a better shot at surviving today.
Score prediction:
Odds:
Odds courtesy of Stake. Odds are subject to change.
Feature image credit: © StarLadder
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