StarLadder Budapest 2025 Major: Format unveiled

StarLadder recently announced the location of the second Counter-Strike 2 Major of 2025. Set to take place in Budapest, StarLadder also revealed that they plan to open the doors for live audience from day 1.

Let's take a quick look at the format of the StarLadder Budapest 2025 Major. As of now, The Budapest Major will follow the same format as Shanghai and Austin Majors. The Major is divided into three stages. While some are invited to various stages based on their VRS placements, others have to grind it out through the MRQs, a system that replaces the RMRs.

Stage 1 of the Major will feature sixteen teams in a Swiss system format. The initial games are still set to run bo1 formats even after Valve's re-introduction of MR12s. Elimination and qualification games will play out as bo3s with eight teams qualifying to the next stage. A team should win a minimum of 3 matches to clear the stage.

These eight teams from the first stage join eight teams who are directly invited or have earned their stage 2 slots from MRQs. The same format as stage 1 will determine the eight teams who will make it to the third stage and one last iteration of the same format will send eight teams into a single-elimination bracket bo3 playoffs. The grand-final will still run as a bo3.

StarLadder Budapest 2025 Major format