The tournament organiser has announced that the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 event will feature a best-of-five Grand Final. This marks the first time the title’s most prestigious tournament will decide its champion over five maps rather than the traditional best-of-three.
Debates about changing the format of the Major final have been going on for several years. In recent years, BLAST, ESL, and Fissure have had BO5 finals at their tournaments, but Valve has ignored this. Now, starting with the next Major, the final matches will be played to three wins. In addition to announcing a revised Grand Final format, StarLadder also revealed a sneak peek at the stage layout that will feature at the MVM Dome during the playoffs between December 11th to 14th. The 20,000-seat arena will host a 360-degree stage setup, offering all fans in attendance a clear view of the action taking place.
The tournament itself runs from November 24 to December 14, featuring 32 teams and a $1.25 million prize pool. Early stages will be held at MTK SportPark before moving to the MVM Dome for the playoffs.
This event marks StarLadder’s first Major since 2019’s in Berlin. It was the final Major of the Astralis era before the pandemic. The organiser also has a strong track record in other esports, having hosted top-tier events in Dota 2, PUBG, FIFA, Hearthstone, StarCraft II, and PUBG Mobile.
With its bold new format and grand arena setup, the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 promises to deliver one of the most exciting Counter-Strike spectacles to date.
StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 FAQ
When and where was the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025?
The Major ran from November 24 to December 14, 2025 in Budapest, Hungary. The early stages took place at the MTK SportPark before the playoffs moved to the 20,000-seat MVM Dome, which featured a 360-degree stage giving every fan in attendance a clear view of the action.
How big was the prize pool and the field?
The tournament featured 32 teams competing for a $1.25 million prize pool. It marked StarLadder's first Major since Berlin 2019, which was the last Major of the Astralis era before the pandemic, making its return a notable moment on Counter-Strike's competitive calendar.
What was new about the Grand Final format?
For the first time, a CS Major decided its champion over a best-of-five Grand Final, first to three map wins, rather than the traditional best-of-three. Third-party events like BLAST and ESL had already adopted BO5 finals, and Valve finally followed suit starting with Budapest.
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