Every team sponsor at StarLadder Budapest Major 2025

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The wait is over, and the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 is finally here. 32 teams have flocked to Hungary to battle it out for the $1,250,000 cash prize, a 25% increase over the purse of StarLadder’s last Major in 2019. As the premiere Counter-Strike 2 stage of the year, the top teams will be on show for millions to see.

With so many teams in attendance, and the stages quickly eliminating teams, the spotlight is priced at a premium for the Major. Sponsors of the attending teams will be on display for some of the top Counter-Strike moments of the year, with the opportunity for large-scale brand exposure in CS2’s global audiences across Europe, the Americas and much more.

As the action kicks off, Esports Charts takes a look over the names behind the teams at the Budapest Major. Which teams has the most — and least — sponsors? Which brand sponsors the most teams? All this and more is explored below.

Team sponsorship overview

Among all teams attending the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, Team Vitality edged out the competitors for the top spot as the most sponsored team. The French organization boasted 13 sponsors, spanning industries such as gaming peripherals, food and beverage brands, and more. 

Ukrainian organization NAVI came in a close second with 11 partners, followed up by FURIA with 11 sponsors, our Americas representative here. North American competitor NRG fell just behind FURIA with one fewer sponsor, but the Brazilian organization emerged ahead thanks to its wide spread of sponsorships with food and beverage brands, betting companies and one analytical service provider — Esports Charts.

On the other end of the scale, PARIVISION was the only team with a single partner behind them. The esports organization is partnered by PARI, the parent company behind the organization’s name, which has helped the team develop its rosters for numerous esports titles over the past few years.

FaZe Clan are another anomaly; the world-renowned organization is secure enough to be picky with their esports sponsors, and the team has selected only SteelSeries and Rollbit as their partners for now. Conversely, The Hunts Esports are a newer organization still finding their feet and sponsorships, and their time at the upcoming Major could put them on the map for many brands looking for partnership opportunities. 

China remained a slightly secluded region, as we noted previously in our EWC 2025 sponsorship overview, largely relying on local sponsors. One link between these Chinese teams, ZOWIE, a gaming peripherals brand by BenQ, sponsored a wide selection of Chinese rosters; the brand is popular in China, and ZOWIE is one of the most-well-represented brands at the Major.

Brand partnerships and activity

While the teams on stage are the main focus for the many fans following the Major, the brands represented by the teams will be impossible to miss. Among all of these sponsors, Red Bull was the most active brand, sponsoring 8 total teams at the Budapest Major: including brands like G2 Esports, Team Falcons, NAVI and more.

Following close behind Red Bull, ZOWIE secured 6 partnerships ahead of the Major, tying with fellow gaming peripheral brand Logitech. While ZOWIE operated mostly with Chinese teams, Logitech instead focused their efforts on the American and European markets.  

Other highly active brands within the CS2 esports sphere included names from Electronics / Gaming Peripherals, and plenty of those from the Betting / Gambling industries. These two categories were the leading kinds of sponsors for CS2 teams at this year’s Major, with the Electronics / Gaming Peripherals category leading with 27 total sponsors.

Marketing / Analytical / Digital Services finished up the podium place, recording 17 individual brands behind them. Food & Beverage brands remained a strong category, led by Red Bull who sponsored many teams. Other digital-related service industries also ranked highly in our categories, such as Web3 and Crypto and Gaming Marketplaces, highlighting the digitally-native ecosystem of esports which appeals to sponsors in relevant industries. 

Alongside these digital brands, some sectors like Food & Beverage and Apparel remain eternally popular options. Other non-endemic categories for this esports event included 2 Automotive sponsors, 3 representatives for the Pharmaceuticals and Health category, and a handful of cosmetic brands.

Regional sponsorship insights

Analyzing global sponsorships through a regional lens, we can observe that Europe has brought the largest total number of sponsors to the Major — unsurprisingly, as the most-represented region at the tournament. However, in terms of the average brands per team, Europe and the Americas regions are both neck-and-neck, leading far ahead of Asian competitors. 

In terms of the kinds of sponsors behind these teams, Europe and the Americas recorded a similar total of categories. The Americas region not only came out ahead here, but recorded a far higher spread of categories proportionally, with almost 30 fewer sponsors than Europe.

Asia recorded not only the fewest brands overall and on average, but also the fewest number of categories. The region is especially reserved in terms of some industries, such as gambling brands which dominate sponsorships in the Western world. The MongolZ was the only Asian team to bring a gambling sponsor to the upcoming Major, with three sponsors related to this industry backing the Mongolian team.

The StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 is the best chance for sponsors of CS2 teams to receive a special kind of international attention that few other esports events can match. The ongoing event will enchant Counter-Strike esports fans for weeks to come, likely generating millions of Hours Watched. Keep an eye on the Media Value for the event, which can be found on the tournament page, estimating the cost of an 1% on-screen banner for the entire event duration.