Team Vitality beats Faze Clan to win StarLadder Budapest Major 2025

French esports organisation Team Vitality has lifted its second Major trophy of the year after winning the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025.

The team walked out victorious in Counter-Strike 2’s season-ending event by beating FaZe Clan 3-1 in the Grand Final.

The first best-of-five Grand Final in Major history kicked off with FaZe Clan’s pick of Nuke. Even with Team Vitality starting on the defensive side, the Red Militia quickly secured eight attacking rounds. Jakub ‘jcobbb’ Pietruszewski’s Desert Eagle, in particular, proved pivotal in securing control of the A site. 

Following an unexpected run to the Major Grand Finals, Finn ‘karrigan’ Andersen’s experience came in clutch in round 18, scoring three MP9 eliminations to put FaZe Clan on the brink of an early series lead. The pairing of Karrigan and jcobbb combined in round 19 to secure a 13-6 win for a 1-0 advantage.

Team Vitality’s pick of Dust II opened with the BLAST.tv Austin Major winners halting any kind of FaZe Clan momentum, racing to an impressive eight-round lead.

FaZe Clan answered back with a couple of defensive rounds, but the French organisation’s attack proved superior, scoring a 9-3 round at halftime. Four pistol headshots from Mathieu ‘ZywOo’ Herbaut in round 13 kept the ball rolling for Team Vitality during its defensive campaign. Cementing itself as the best Counter-Strike 2 team of 2025, Team Vitality also demonstrated superb team play, dominating the second half to take Dust II with a 13-3 scoreline to level the series.

Inferno played host to map three, with both sides trading rounds back and forth in the early stages. In the end, though, Team Vitality halted any FaZe Clan offence in its tracks, securing an 8-4 lead at halftime with William ‘mezii’ Merriman’s trigger discipline outsmarting the attackers. 

FaZe Clan chipped away at the deficit in the second half, but Team Vitality’s riflers kept any kind of comeback at bay. Strong attacking displays, as well as mezii continuing to perform, saw Team Vitality extend its advantage, scoring a 13-9 win.

Overpass, a typically defensive-sided map, opened with Team Vitality reeling off seven offensive rounds, leaving FaZe Clan floundering as the French organisation closed in on the trophy. 

Robin ‘ropz’ Kool took control of the AWP alongside ZywOo, resulting in an unstoppable duo that saw the team race to a huge 11-1 lead. FaZe Clan opened the second half with victory on the pistols, but Team Vitality answered back immediately to restore the 10-round advantage. 

Ultimately, FaZe Clan had no answer to Team Vitality’s ruthless aggression, five quick eliminations in round 15 wrapped up a dominant Overpass 13-2 to secure a 3-1 series victory and a second CS2 Major trophy.

For Team Vitality, victory in the Hungarian capital is the ninth Tier 1 title in 2025 for the organisation’s Counter-Strike roster.