A total of 16 teams will represent the continent at the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, the second Valve-sanctioned tournament that will round out the 2025 season for its first-person shooter title.
So far, the European region remains a formidable force in Counter-Strike 2, with seven of the top ten teams from the Valve Regional Standings (VRS) hailing from it, along with several former Major winners.
Europe is packed full of talent and is capable of lifting the trophy in the Hungarian capital. In the first part of a three-part preview of Counter-Strike’s second Major of 2025, Esports Insider takes a closer look at the European sides in contention for the title
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Iconic Names In Stage 1
Six European sides begin their Budapest campaign in the opening stage of the tournament, beginning on November 24th, 2025.
After showing signs of improvement following the Austin Major, GamerLegion has struggled to find any consistency heading into Budapest. Since IEM Dallas 2025 in May, the team has placed no higher than the top eight. A fourth place at PGL Masters Bucharest 2025 could’ve been a far better result for a team capable of challenging the region’s top talent.
Elsewhere in Stage 1, Fnatic and Ninjas in Pyjamas look to begin their Majors with victories after scoring solid placements in recent months.
For Fnatic, victory at Fragadelphia Blocktober secured its place in Budapest, but the shock benching of Cai ‘CYPHER‘ Watson following the event leaves several question marks on a roster that has the firepower to spring surprises over superior opposition.
The last time Ninjas in Pyjamas competed at a Tier 1 event was IEM Cologne 2025, where the Swedish organisation scored a top-12 finish. Two months later, the team finished runner-up to NAVI at StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2025, showing glimpses of skill that could spark a deep run.
FaZe Clan is among the European contingent beginning its Major in Stage 1. Like many others in the opening stage, the team has chopped and changed its starting lineup with the aim of finding success.
The return of Russel ‘Twistzz‘ Van Dulken has yet to yield the results that saw it win the PGL Antwerp Major in 2022, putting it in a position where a slow start could be disastrous.
A New Hope For Team Liquid
The return of Jonathan ‘ELiGE‘ Jablonowski to the Team Liquid starting lineup following the departure of Twistzz hopes to rekindle the form that saw it compete for tournament wins.
ELiGE’s latest tenure with the team has started with signs of improvement, with third-place finishes at Birch Cup 2025 and the CS Asia Championship 2025. A top-eight finish at PGL Masters Bucharest 2025 included a victory over Legacy, while a surprise defeat to SAW put an end to any hopes of a championship before the Major.
Team Liquid begins the Budapest Major in Stage 2 alongside the likes of PGL Masters Bucharest champions Aurora Gaming, StarLadder StarSeries Fall winners NAVI, and FISSURE Playground 1 champions TYLOO.
The team has a wealth of experience in Tier 1 competition, and if it can string together some early victories, there’s always a chance of Team Liquid making a deep run.
Several Championship Contenders
Throughout 2025, the European region has seen several teams lifting the biggest trophies Counter-Strike esports has to offer. In June, Team Vitality won the BLAST.tv Austin Major, rounding off four months of total dominance.
Despite a few cracks in the once impenetrable armour, the French esports organisation has positioned itself as one of Europe’s powerhouse teams that has a proven track record of excelling in Major tournaments.
Elsewhere, the likes of Team Falcons and MOUZ continue to display incredible levels of consistency with regular playoff and Grand Final appearances. For both teams, victory in Budapest could act as a breakthrough moment to lay the foundations for a strong 2026.
Team Spirit remains a force to be reckoned with. Without a win since August, the team is always capable of giving the likes of Team Vitality and Team Falcons a run for their money. Danil ‘donk‘ Kryshkovets is widely considered the best rifler in the world and continues to display highlight-worthy moments to keep the team in contention.
If Team Spirit can fire on all cylinders at StarLadder Budapest Major, there’s a very strong chance of it making another playoff appearance.
Source: https://esportsinsider.com/
