Xaxas
15.12.2025
The StarLadder Budapest Major didn't just end 2025. It defined it.
Under the lights in Hungary, Team Vitality completed the rarest of feats in modern Counter-Strike: back-to-back Major championships, dispatching FaZe 3-1 in the first-ever best-of-five Major final. It was a series that began with doubt, flirted with chaos, and ended in inevitability, much like the Major itself.
And for our Pick'ems? Budapest was the tournament where confidence gave way to humility.
FaZe came out swinging.
On Nuke, Vitality looked mortal. ZywOo struggled, FaZe's individuals were sharp, and karrigan orchestrated a defensive masterclass that briefly convinced everyone this final might go the distance. But as the series moved forward, so did the balance of power.
From Dust2 onward, the Major turned into a Vitality clinic.
apEX's calling dismantled FaZe's early information plays, flameZ and mezii delivered clutch after clutch, and ZywOo returned to form. Dust2 (13-3) and Inferno (13-9) showcased Vitality at their suffocating best: disciplined, composed, and merciless in late rounds.
By the time Overpass arrived, resistance had faded. Vitality ran up an 11-round T-side streak, abusing FaZe's B defense until the result felt preordained. Robin "ropz" Kool delivered one of the greatest individual maps in Major final history (a 2.89 rating, 22-7 K-D), but even that brilliance could only delay the inevitable.
Vitality closed the series 13-2, lifting the trophy and putting a definitive stamp on their year.
If there was any lingering debate about Mathieu "ZywOo" Herbaut's place in Counter-Strike history, Budapest ended it.
With Vitality's win, ZywOo became:
The only player ever with three Major MVPs
The first since 2016 to win two Major MVPs in a single year
The record holder for most Big Event MVPs in a calendar year (8)
What made this MVP special wasn't just numbers. It was impact. In a tight internal race with ropz, the difference came down to kills per round win, where ZywOo stood clearly above the rest.
"When Vitality are playing like this and all of us are on the same page," ZywOo said, "no one can challenge us."
Budapest proved that wasn't arrogance. It was accuracy.
FaZe's Major story deserves its own chapter.
They were 0.4 seconds from elimination in Stage 1, rebuilt themselves round by round, surged through Stage 2 undefeated, upset MOUZ in playoffs, and took down NAVI to reach the final. It was a run powered by resilience, momentum, and what fans affectionately call "FaZe bullshit."
That magic simply ran out against a Vitality side playing mistake-free Counter-Strike.
For a roster that integrated rookie jcobbb just months ago and endured one of the hardest years in its history, Budapest still ends as a reminder: FaZe remain dangerous whenever survival is on the line.
If the final crowned an era, the playoffs destroyed predictions.
We correctly predicted Vitality's victory over The MongolZ, where experience and structure prevailed exactly as anticipated. Our Spirit over Falcons pick also landed, delivering not just a win but a statement of depth and belief that validated our pre-tournament analysis.
Our MOUZ over FaZe prediction proved costly, as pedigree and momentum punished our reasoning in ways we didn't foresee. The FURIA over NAVI pick became our biggest miss, with NAVI's preparation completely dismantling the world #1 when it mattered most. Most damaging of all, our champion pick of FURIA collapsed in the quarterfinals, eliminated before they could mount any meaningful run and taking our entire bracket prediction down with them.
The Budapest Major reinforced an old truth: Majors don't care about season-long form. They reward adaptation, mental resilience, and peaking at the right moment.
By the time Vitality lifted the trophy, our Pick'ems weren't just wrong, they were instructive.
Vitality end 2025 with nine trophies and two Majors, a résumé strong enough to spark era discussions. apEX now stands among the most decorated leaders in CS history, ropz continues to deliver in every Major final he reaches, and ZywOo plays with the hunger of someone who still loves competition more than accolades.
As for Budapest?
It reminded us why we watch, why we predict, and why we're so often wrong.
Momentum doesn't ask permission. Majors don't follow scripts. And when Vitality play like this?
No one can challenge them.
Xaxas
15.12.2025
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