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- Budapest Major
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Stage 2 of the StarLadder Budapest Major is upon us, with eight new teams taking to the server on Saturday. Even though more top teams are present at this stage, the competition still feels wide open, with the best performers from Stage 1 having a good chance of advancing even further.
The biggest names starting their Major run in this stage are Natus Vincere, Aurora, Astralis, and Team Liquid. All of these teams hold significant name value, but none of them are at the peak of their powers at the moment. Hopefully, they’ll step up on the biggest stage.
With the opening games beginning shortly, here’s our preview of the most interesting matchups.
HooXi brings Astralis back to the Major. Credit: © PGL
Two historic organizations will face off in the opening game of Stage 2 at the StarLadder Budapest Major, with Astralis taking on NIP. The latter performed really well in Stage 1, advancing with a 3-1 record, following convincing victories against Lynn Vision, FaZe Clan, and Fluxo.
Kacper “xKacpersky” Gabara, one of the best performers in Stage 1, was the spearhead of NIP’s efforts, creating space for his teammates and delivering tons of impact with his entries.
As for Astralis, they come into this event on the back of a decent showing at IEM Chengdu, where they snatched wins against NAVI and The MongolZ. It has to be said, though, that the Danes’ performances are up and down in nature, and it’s a real toss-up as to what version of Astralis shows up on the day.
Because of the momentum from Stage 1 and the confidence present in their game, NIP should be able to come out on top in this opening BO1.
Score prediction:
Odds:
Odds courtesy of Stake. Odds are subject to change.
Can FlyQuest continue their flawless run? Credit: © StarLadder
NAVI is in a weird place right now. It seems that the team has been on the verge of making another roster change all throughout the second season of 2025, but they are still able to put together good performances from time to time. However, their most recent showing was disastrous, as they bombed out last at IEM Chengdu.
On the other end of the spectrum, FlyQuest has been on the rise, and the Aussies have looked much better since the additions of Justin “jks” Savage and Aaron “AZR” Ward in the coach role. Their Stage 1 performance reflects that, as they had no trouble qualifying with a 3-0 record.
While the form would suggest FlyQuest have what it takes to come out victorious in this game, NAVI still have an edge in terms of player quality and Major experience. They had plenty of time to prepare for Stage 2, so they should be invigorated and ready to overcome a team like FlyQuest with relative ease.
Score prediction:
Odds:
Odds courtesy of Stake. Odds are subject to change.
Liquid arrive in Budapest. Credit: © StarLadder
The last opening matchup we wanted to highlight was Liquid vs. B8. Since replacing Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken with Jonathan “EliGE” Jablonowski, Liquid’s performances have remained at a similar level. They are comfortably in the 10-20 range when it comes to the best teams in the world, but they haven’t been able to progress further into the top 10.
B8, on the other hand, are making inroads at the Major. The Ukrainians bested PARIVISION and Legacy on the way to achieving their 3-1 Stage 1 record, with the rifling duo of Andrii “npl” Kukharskyi and Artem “kenzisor” Kapram shining the brightest among their team.
Usually, teams that qualified through the previous stage have an advantage over the ones starting their Major journey from a later point, as they are already used to the pressure and playing environment. This could play a factor in this game, as a warmed-up B8 might be too much to handle for Liquid in this opener.
Score prediction:
Odds:
Odds courtesy of Stake. CS2 odds are subject to change.
Feature image credit: © StarLadder
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