SkinLords CS2 Esports StarLadder returns to Counter-Strike with the 2025 Budapest Major

StarLadder returns to Counter-Strike with the 2025 Budapest Major

The second Major of 2025 has finally been announced, and it will take place from November 24 to December 14 in Budapest, Hungary, for a prize pool of $1,250,000. The tournament organizer for this iteration of the iconic CS2 Major Championship will be none other than StarLadder, who previously hosted the 2019 Berlin Major. Having been gone from the competitive scene for years, StarLadder is now tasked to host the biggest event of the year in their first international LAN tournament in the CS2 era.

Brief History of StarLadder in Counter-Strike

For those relatively new to the competitive scene of CS, you would be excused for not being familiar with the host of the second Major of 2025. However, for the game’s veterans, StarLadder was once a household name when it came to international LANs. StarLadder hosted their flagship StarSeries competition in Global Offensive from 2012 to 2016 before expanding to become the StarSeries & i-League event featuring a significantly larger prize pool from 2016 to 2019. They were also the host of the last Major Championship of the pre-COVID era, with Berlin in 2019, the tournament that solidified Astralis as the single greatest organization in Major history.

What is the Format of the CS2 StarLadder Major?

The CS2 StarLadder Major in Budapest will be the second to host 32 teams in total, with the first being the upcoming BLAST.tv Austin Major. The Opening Stage of the Budapest Major will run from November 24 to 27, featuring a Swiss System format, while the next two phases of the Major with the same ruleset will take place on the dates November 29 to December 2 and December 4 to 7, respectively. The first three stages of the Budapest Major will take place at the MTK Sportpark, while the Playoffs up until the Grand Final will be played from December 11 to 14 at the MVM Dome.

Tickets for the event are currently up on their website, with allocations being done in three different waves. According to the StarLadder website, it is advisable to buy as early as possible since prices will increase every wave.