"If your coin survived Stage 3... welcome to the final boss."

We made it through Swiss, barely. Stage 3 was chaos, upsets hit, brackets shattered, coins died honorable deaths. But now, it's playoffs. No more safety net, no more Bo1 minefield. Eight teams entered the arena, eight teams remain, and every single one is top 10 in VRS.

For the first time this year, you must pick a Champion, two Finalists, and four Quarterfinal losers. Every choice matters. One wrong call? Your coin greys out forever.

And fittingly, Budapest gives us blood immediately:

NiKo vs donk, again.

FalleN chasing one last crown.

MOUZ vs FaZe on home soil.

Vitality vs the MongolZ in a grand final rematch.

If you're not nervous, you're doing Pick'ems wrong.

Speaking of Pick'ems, we have our own right here on the site!

Budapest Major 2025 Playoff Bracket

Image source

Day 1: December 11

Spirit vs Falcons

Vitality vs The MongolZ

Day 2: December 12

MOUZ vs FaZe

FURIA vs NAVI

Four quarterfinals. No upsets necessary, but at least one is coming.

Let's break this down matchup by matchup, and then lock in the optimal Pick'ems path.

Quarterfinal Predictions

Spirit vs Falcons

The headline match. donk vs NiKo, round 4 in 2025.

Spirit enter hot, Falcons enter historic. This is already the org's best Major run ever, NiKo looks reborn, and this roster thrives in big arenas. But Spirit's firepower ceiling is unmatched, and in this year's head-to-heads, Spirit have always had the final punch.

Pick to Advance: Spirit

Danger level: Medium

If NiKo goes nuclear, this can swing, but Spirit are the safer bracket path.

Vitality vs The MongolZ

The Austin final rematch, but with a different landscape.

Vitality come in as the known quantity: structure, playoff experience, championship DNA. The MongolZ? Fast, fearless, terrifying if they snowball early. They've taken down giants before, but Vitality usually win long series by sheer discipline.

Pick to Advance: Vitality

Danger level: Slight

MongolZ upset equity is real, but Vitality are still favorites.

MOUZ vs FaZe

Home crowd MOUZ vs one of the greatest cores ever.

torzsi plays in his own country. Fans will shake the stage. FaZe have deep Major pedigree but inconsistencies showed earlier, while MOUZ remain reliable and well-drilled. If this goes late, MOUZ utility and mid-rounds win out.

Pick to Advance: MOUZ

Danger level: High

FaZe can absolutely steal this, but MOUZ have the on-paper edge.

FURIA vs NAVI

The heavyweight slugfest.

FURIA are still world #1. FalleN chasing his first Major in 9 years is cinema. NAVI counter with w0nderful in star form and one of the best tactical structures remaining. This is the closest match of the playoffs and feels like a grand final preview disguised as a quarterfinal.

Pick to Advance: FURIA

Danger level: Extreme

NAVI can win this. Full stop. But the #1 team is #1 for a reason.

Semifinals & Finals Projection

Semifinal 1: Spirit vs Vitality

This is where experience meets raw firepower. If donk is online, Spirit take it. If Vitality stabilize, it gets slow, tactical, grindy. But Spirit look like they peaked at exactly the right moment.

Winner: Spirit

Semifinal 2: MOUZ vs FURIA

The crowd vs the favorite. MOUZ can upset, but FURIA's form carries more championship weight. BO3 stamina + star depth favors the Brazilians heavily.

Winner: FURIA

Grand Final Prediction

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Spirit vs FURIA

One team hungry for a dynasty. One team chasing history for their captain.

Spirit have the highest ceiling in the playoffs, but FURIA are the most stable team in the world right now. When everything is on stage, experience and composure decide titles.

2025 Major Champion Pick:

🏆 FURIA

(Confidence: High)

Budapest Playoffs Pick'ems Template

🏆 Champion FURIA

🎖 Finalist Spirit

🔥 Semifinalists

Vitality

MOUZ

❌ Quarterfinal Eliminated

Falcons

The MongolZ

FaZe

NAVI

TL;DR

• Budapest Major playoffs feature eight top-10 VRS teams in single-elimination bracket
• First-time Major format requires Champion, two Finalists, and four Quarterfinal elimination picks
• Spirit vs Falcons headlines with donk vs NiKo round 4, while FURIA vs NAVI provides heavyweight quarterfinal clash
• FURIA predicted as champion based on world #1 form and FalleN's championship experience