It’s time for much stronger Counter-Strike 2 teams to join the tournament. Stage 2 is a test for the players ahead of facing the current top powerhouses.
Starting from Nov. 29 and up to Dec. 2, the Budapest Major 2025 features Stage 2 matches. Eight teams from the previous phase join eight teams with higher regional standings to battle for spots in the final Swiss System stage.
Those who went from the opening period of the StarLadder CS2 Major 2025 in Budapest may have a slight advantage. They are already in the heat of competition, while newcomers only start their tournament run.
At the same time, the guys from NAVI, Aurora, and Astralis are generally considered stronger opponents and safer bets for advancing further.
With big upsets or with dominance of the favorites, Stage 2 certainly can deliver excellent Counter-Strike 2 and tons of wow-matches.
How to watch CS2 Budapest Major Stage 2: Stream
Schedule of Stage 2 CS2 esports matches at the Budapest Major 2025
Starting from best-of-one matches of Round 1 and to the intense advancement/elimination battles: each Stage 2 day at the CS2 Major is deeply exciting.
In the table below, you'll find the schedule of matches at the StarLadder Major in Budapest — for Dec. 1.
Stage 2 results at the Budapest Major
The detailed results of each Swiss System round in the CS2 Budapest Major 2025 Stage 2 are listed in this section. Check out the general progress via Swiss brackets and dive into map picks and match scores in the tables below.
Round 1
Astralis 0:1 NiP 10:13 on Nuke 3DMAX 0:1 Fnatic 6:13 on Inferno | Passion UA 0:1 FaZe 10:13 on Dust II PARIVISION 0:1 TYLOO 5:13 on Mirage | NAVI 1:0 FlyQuest 13:2 on Train Aurora vs M80 13:6 on Dust II | MIBR 0:1 Imperial 5:13 Nuke Liquid 0:1 B8 7:13 on Mirage |
- FaZe looked pretty good at their match versus Passion UA, even if the opponents had some really good rounds.
- NiP, Imperial, Fnatic, and B8 are also the Stage 1 teams who defeated higher-seeded opponents.
- NAVI absolutely destroyed FlyQuest in the opening match, with a real risk of a 13:0.
Round 2
1:0 matches | 0:1 matches |
|---|---|
| NiP 1:0 TYLOO 13:8 on Nuke | FlyQuest 0:1 3DMAX 7:13 on Inferno |
| NAVI 1:0 Imperial 13:10 on Mirage | M80 1:0 Astralis 13:11 on Ancient |
| Aurora 0:1 FaZe 10:13 on Dust II | Passion UA 1:0 MIBR 13:10 on Mirage |
| Fnatic 0:1 B8 11:13 on Ancient | PARIVISION 1:0 Liquid 13:3 on Nuke |
- Ninjas in Pyjamas and B8 continued their impressive streak with the wins over TYLOO and Fnatic.
- As the biggest favorites, NAVI and FaZe won their matches. These weren't easy battles for them, though.
- Astralis lost their second match in the tournament and fell to the elimination zone.
Round 3
2:0 matches | 1:1 matches | 0:2 matches |
|---|---|---|
| FaZe 2:0 NiP 16:12 on Inferno 16:12 on Nuke | Passion UA 0:1 3DMAX 3:13 on Train | FlyQuest 0:2 Astralis 5:13 on Mirage 11:13 on Overpass |
| NAVI 2:0 B8 13:6 on Train 13:8 on Mirage | M80 1:0 TYLOO 13:10 on Train | MIBR 0:2 Liquid 5:13 on Inferno 17:19 on Mirage |
| Fnatic 0:1 Imperial 10:13 Dust II | ||
| PARIVISION 1:0 Aurora 13:11 Overpass |
- FaZe and NAVI advanced to Stage 3 with 3:0s. FaZe defeated NiP, while NAVI took down B8.
- FlyQuest and MIBR left the tournament. There were no wins for MIBR. FlyQuest could not repeat their Stage 1 success.
Round 4
2:1 matches | 1:2 matches |
|---|---|
| PARIVISION vs NiP | Fnatic vs Passion UA |
| Imperial vs M80 | Aurora vs Astralis |
| B8 vs 3DMAX | Liquid vs TYLOO |
Round 5
2:2 matches |
|---|
| TBD vs TBD |
| TBD vs TBD |
| TBD vs TBD |
Stage 2 preview: The competition intensifies at the StarLadder Major in Budapest
Among all the teams that advanced from Stage 1, the following few draw the most attention.
- FaZe Clan were almost eliminated, and people want to know how they can handle the increased level of competition in the Major’s Stage 2.
- M80 represent North America, and it’s interesting to witness what this region is capable of now. The 3:0 run of M80 in the opening stage was pretty surprising.
- FlyQuest looked really good in Stage 1, up to delivering the recording map score, 13:1, in their advancement match. How far can this momentum take FlyQuest?
It’s also worth following the current performance of legacy organizations, such as Fnatic and Ninjas in Pyjamas. The young power is brought to the event by B8.
Fan favorites on GG.BET: Legacy reigns supreme
Data from the opening stage reveals a betting landscape defined by absolute loyalty to the big brands.
Despite the shaky performances discussed above, FaZe Clan (71%) and Fnatic (70%) remain in a league of their own, commanding the overwhelming majority of user trust. This "legacy bloc" significantly overshadows the mid-tier favorites like B8 (59%) and Ninjas in Pyjamas (58%), who maintain a strong, albeit cautious, following.
Interestingly, the community remains skeptical of the tournament's breakout stars: even strong runs from M80 and Imperial earned them only 54% backing, while FlyQuest trails significantly at 46%.
It seems bettors are voting with their hearts for the giants, rather than chasing the hot hands of the underdogs.
Fresh power to the Major
As of Stage 2 teams at the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, we have some clear favorites for the next phase qualification.
- NAVI: It’s generally surprising to see them here, but after reaching the top 4 at IEM Cologne 2025, the team has a significant drop in results.
- Aurora is a strong team that still needs some additional push. They won PGL Masters Budapest 2025.
- Astralis may not have their most powerful roster, but the presence of these guys at IEM Chengdu positively surprised the fans.
Passion UA is an unusual team on the list of Stage 2 participants. They played at BLAST Rivals Fall 2025 and defeated The MongolZ in the opening match. 3DMAX may also unleash interesting power.
The Counter-Strike 2 Major 2025 in Budapest is a marathon, and we are still away from the finish.
Stage 3 starts on Dec. 4, and the strongest CS2 esports teams in the world join the tournament with it. The Major’s Playoffs are from Dec. 11 to Dec. 14.
