Counter-Strike 2 Major Championship Predictions
StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 - Bet on Counter-Strike 2 Majors with Expert Esports Picks & Predictions
Valve Major Championship are the biggest events on the professional Counter-Strike scene, featuring the best teams and players in the world. You can bet on Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) and get the latest Esports betting odds when you join Stake Sportsbook.
Read our picks and predictions for the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 right here at Stake.
What is the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 Tournament?
Counter-Strike 2 is a fast-paced tactical first-person shooter (FPS). Two teams of 5 players take turns attacking or defending across multiple rounds to win the map. Attacking teams must plant a bomb or defeat all the opposing players, while defenders attempt to defeat opposing players, prevent the bomb from being planted or defuse it.
Every year, the best Counter-Strike teams face off to win the Valve Major Championships, known simply as Majors. These Counter-Strike 2 tournaments are the most prestigious events in competitive Counter-Strike. The StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 is the second CS2 Major Championship of 2025, featuring 32 teams and total prize money worth $1.25 million. The first 3 stages of the tournament take place at the MTK Sportpark, while the playoffs are held at the MVM Dome.
Format & Structure of StarLadder Budapest Major 2025
24-27 November - Stage 1
The Major gets underway with the Stage 1 teams, which compete in a Swiss system format. Matches here are played to the best of 1 (Bo1), but elimination matches and advancement matches are best of 3 (Bo3). The top 8 teams progress to the next round.
29 November - 2 December - Stage 2
A further 8 teams join this stage. As with the previous stage, a Swiss System is used to determine the top 8 teams, which then progress to the next stage.
4-7 December - Stage 3
The Stage 3 invitees also join the best teams from the previous stage. Once again, a Swiss System is used, with Bo1 matches except for elimination and progression matches, which are Bo3.
11-14 December - Playoffs
The playoff stage is a single-elimination bracket, and matches are played to Bo3.
The map pool for all stages of the tournament is the standard competitive map pool:
Ancient
Dust II
Inferno
Mirage
Nuke
Overpass
Train
Valve Major Championship Recap
The Blast.tv Austin Major 2025 was the 22nd Counter-Strike Major and took place in the summer of 2025, between 3 June and 22 June. Team Vitality were crowned champions after defeating The MongolZ 2-1 in the final. This was their 2nd Major win in total, having also been victorious at Paris 2023. In their route to the final, Vitality defeated 2-time Major winner Natus Vincere and MOUZ in the quarterfinals and semifinals. The tournament MVP was Team Vitality’s ZywOo
Predictions & Players and Teams to Watch
Team Vitality
Team Vitality recently won their 2nd Major Championship, becoming champions at the Blast.tv Austin Major. In addition, the team just won ELS Pro League Season 22, adding to their wins at the Intel Extreme Masters Katowice, Dallas and Melbourne this year. Top players for Vitality include ZywOo and apEX.
Team Spirit
This year, Team Spirit won the BLAST Bounty Fall tournament, along with the Intel Extreme Masters Cologne, PGL Astana and BLAST Bounty Spring. Chopper and donk are two of their best players.
Team Falcons
Team Falcons finished runners-up at Season 22 of the EL Pro League, along with BLAST Rivals Spring 2025, Intel Extreme Masters Melbourne and PGL Cluj-Napoca. This year, they won PGL Bucharest while also finishing 3rd at the Esports World Cup. Top players for Falcons include kyxsan and NiKo.
The MongolZ
The MongolZ finished runners-up at 3 S-tier tournaments in 2025. After losing the Blast.tv Austin Major Grand Final to Team Vitality, they also came 2nd in the BLAST Bounty Fall and FISSURE Playground #2 tournaments. However, they were crowned champions of the 2025 Esports World Cup.
Types of Bets & How to Bet on Counter-Strike 2
Getting started and placing your first CS2 bets is relatively straightforward. We’ve laid out the main steps below, but it’s also worth checking out our guide to Esports betting and guide to Counter-Strike betting beforehand.
Sign up or log in to your Stake.com account using your secure passkey .
Check your available balance and search for the StarLadder Budapest Major to see all the live and upcoming matches.
It’s also possible to use the menu to look up Esports > Counter-Strike > International > StarLadder Budapest Major 2025.
Select the match you’d like to bet on and choose a bet to add to your bet slip.
Enter your stake, check your potential payout and confirm to place it.
There are lots of different types of CS2 bets at Stake. Some of the most popular Counter-Strike 2 betting markets include:
Match Winner (Twoway)
Spreads
Total Maps Odd/Even
Match Total Rounds
Match Round Handicap
Wins at Least One Map
Map 1/2/3 Winner (Twoway/Threeway)
Match Winner/Map Winner
Map1/2/3 Correct Pistol Round Score
StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 Betting Tips & Strategies
Make the most of our guides - We’ve got loads of helpful guides to help you get started and make betting predictions for the CS Major Budapest 2025. If you’ve already read our main Counter-Strike betting guide. We recommend checking out our guide to FPS betting and guide to FPS terminology.
Consider the format and structure of the tournament - Valve Championship Majors now feature 32 teams and 3 distinct stages before the playoffs begin. Early stages are Bo1, which can create a lot of variance. The top-ranked teams don’t enter the competition until Stage 3, giving them the best chance of getting to the playoffs.
Look at recent form in big tournaments - We’ve picked the 4 best teams based on recent performances in S-tier competitions. It’s worth checking how each team has done recently before you bet on them, focusing on form in offline LAN tournaments where the pressure is higher. Also pay attention to any recent roster changes.
Pay attention to map performance and strategy - Most teams will have specific strategies for different maps, and some may excel on some maps while struggling on others. Look at a team’s map statistics before you bet and consider how they will match up against their opponent. Even if a team looks stronger, they could still lose if they don’t play the map they’re strongest on.
Free Esports & Counter-Strike 2 Online Live Streaming
As the action unfolds in Budapest, you can enjoy both pre-match and live betting. All matches throughout the Majors are covered here at Stake, with live odds and live scores. You can also follow it all as it happens thanks to our free live streams. Simply log in and select a match with the live icon showing to watch.
Deposit & Withdrawal Methods for Betting on Esports
Deposit
Log in to your account and select your balance to open your Stake wallet.
Select the deposit option before choosing a payment method and local currency such as Canadian Dollars, Turkish Lira, Vietnamese Dong, Argentine Pesos, Chilean Pesos, Mexican Pesos, USD in Ecuador, and Indian Rupees.
You can deposit using crypto at Stake too, with a wide range of cryptocurrencies available to bet with, including BTC, ETH, USDT, EOS, DOGE, LTC, TRX, and SOL.
Conveniently send your coins from your wallet using Mesh or buy crypto from MoonPay or Swapped.com before transferring. Or use Swap Crypto to exchange crypto coins directly from your Stake wallet.
Once your funds arrive, you can store them safely in the Stake vault.
Withdraw
Log in to your account and open your Stake wallet.
Choose the option to withdraw, then select an available payment method.
Enter the amount you want to withdraw and provide your payment details if needed.
If you’re withdrawing crypto, always ensure you have the right network selected.
Approve your transfer after double-checking your details and wait for your funds to arrive.
Stake Sportsbook Promotions, VIP Club, & Responsible Betting
Stake offers amazing odds on all major Esports events, along with some fantastic betting promotions. As you place bets and enjoy the action, you’ll also be able to level up your account and unlock exclusive rewards from the Stake VIP Club. Discover how to earn regular rakeback, reload bonuses and even your own VIP host on our VIP FAQs.
Before you start betting, we recommend setting a reasonable budget for how much you’re willing to spend each week or month. Follow our Stake Smart guidelines for more details on how to bet responsibly and stay in control.
