The Counter-Strike competitive scene is gearing up for its marquee event of the second half of 2025: the StarLadder Budapest Major. As the year’s second (and final) Major and the last Tier-S desktop esports showpiece of the season, the tournament brings a revamped qualification system, the comeback of a storied operator to top-tier events and plenty of drama over which team will walk away with the coveted trophy.
When and where is StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 taking place?
StarLadder’s Major will take place in Budapest, Hungary, from November 24 to December 14, nearly mirroring the schedule of last year’s December Major held in Shanghai.
The event will be split between two venues: the esports-focused MTK Sportpark will host the three-stage group phase, while the decisive playoffs will move to MVM Dome, Europe’s largest handball arena with a 20,000-seat capacity.
Tickets remain on sale, with fans able to attend both the group stage and playoff matches. Full details are available via the link.
All teams qualified for StarLadder Budapest Major 2025
The upcoming Hungarian Major will be the first event where every participant is determined solely by the Valve Regional Standings. Unlike the first Major of the year, which offered ranking-based invites only for the second and third stages, this one extends the system to the very first stage, thus fully eliminating regional qualifiers.
Stage 3 teams
Stage 2 teams
Stage 1 teams
StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 format and full schedule
Aside from the qualification system, the Major follows the same format as the Austin event held earlier this year in June. Following the 2025 expansion to 32 participating teams, the tournament now features four stages, three of which are group stages identical in both structure and team count.
All regular group stage matches will be played in a best-of-one format, while elimination, advancement and decider games will switch to best-of-three. In the playoffs, every match, including the grand final, will be played as a best-of-three series.
-
Stage 1 (November 24-27);
-
Stage 2 (November 29 - December 2);
-
Stage 3 (December 4-7);
-
Playoffs (December 11-14).
How to watch StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 live: Streams & broadcasts
Expect extended coverage of the tournament across official StarLadder channels, regional studios, and numerous co-streamers: simply check the game section on your favorite platform during the event to find a broadcast that suits you. Expect appearances from leading creators such as Mark “ohnePixel” Zimmerman, Vadim “Evelone” Kazakov, Piotr “Izak” Skowyrski, and numerous others.
Ahead of the tournament, StarLadder released its community broadcast guidelines, highlighting several key rules for co-streamers.
-
Community casters can restream the Major, but only non-commercially.
-
Must use the official CSTV feed with mandatory delay.
-
Stream must be from a home/personal setup, not a studio.
-
No sponsors, ads, branded integrations beyond built-in platform monetization (subs, bits, etc).
-
No custom overlays/production, no studio-style broadcasts.
-
No political/social commentary; keep it strictly about the event.
-
Chat must be moderated, and no banned individuals may appear.
For full details, check the tournament operator’s website.
StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 official broadcasts
Keep in mind that during the group stage, certain matches will run concurrently, with some streamed on secondary and tertiary channels.
StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 viewership and what to expect
Counter-Strike Majors have consistently drawn over a million viewers in recent years, making them some of the most-watched tournaments annually. With a time zone favorable for most fans, the Budapest Major is expected to deliver strong viewership, potentially even exceeding the numbers seen at the Perfect World Shanghai Major.
Beyond solid performance, the big question is whether this edition can set new milestones for the series or the game itself. Historically, only two Majors (both in 2021-2022) have peaked at over 2 million live viewers. It will be exciting to see if Budapest can approach those record-breaking numbers.
Detailed Esports data at your fingertips.
Subscribe to & start exploring!
Mentioned events
Mentioned teams
