Team Spirit and Team Vitality advance to StarLadder Budapest Major semi-final

Team Spirit and Team Vitality have advanced to the semi-finals of the 2025 StarLadder Budapest Major. 

The two sides defeated Team Falcons and The MongolZ, respectively, on the opening day of the playoffs, which took place at Hungary’s MVM Dome.

After qualifying from Stage 3 with ease, Team Spirit looked to continue its momentum against Team Falcons, a team that has steadily built form over the past three months. 

Team Spirit dominated its pick of Nuke with Ivan ‘zweih’ Gogin leading the charge at the top of the scoreboard. Four headshots in round eight prevented any kind of Team Falcons offence on the A site, while an ace in round 12 put any kind of attacking momentum for the Falcons on hold. 

Five consecutive offensive rounds in the second half were enough for Team Spirit to secure a 13-4 scoreline to move within one map of the semi-finals.

Despite the first-map blowout, Team Falcons’ defence responded in the first half of Dust II. Seven rounds on defence established a two-round lead, giving the roster a chance to level the series. 

Team Falcons continued to build on the first-half lead, securing a five-round advantage with some well-timed attacking play. However, Team Spirit reduced the deficit to one with some stalwart defence. Despite the best offensive efforts of Team Falcons, another zweih ace closed the deficit, forcing overtime.

With momentum in its favour, Team Spirit took the lead in overtime, taking all four rounds to complete the comeback with a 16-12 scoreline and a 2-0 sweep. For Team Falcons, it departs Budapest with a top-eight finish.

Even with a temporary stand-in, The MongolZ found itself across the stage from Team Vitality in a rematch of the BLAST.tv Austin Major Grand Final. The Mongolians began its pick of Mirage on the front foot, taking three attacking rounds to lock in an early lead.

After scoring four eliminations in the opening pistol round, William ‘Mezii’ Merriman continued to excel with a rifle in hand alongside Mathieu ‘ZywOo’ Herbaut. The French AWPer’s lightning-fast reactions proved the difference in the second half, enabling Team Vitality to win five straight attacking rounds to take The MongolZ’s pick 13-5.

ZywOo continued leading the charge for a Team Vitality side looking to end 2025 with a ninth Tier 1 trophy in the year.

Another strong attacking showing in the opening half of Dust II secured an 8-4 lead at halftime. Similar to Mirage, The MongolZ struggled in the second half, with Team Vitality scoring five in a row to complete a dominant 13-5 win and a 2-0 sweep. 

Despite the defeat, The MongolZ continued to demonstrate its ability to contend against the very best teams in the world. The Mongolians end the season with a top-eight finish and a chance to re-evaluate its roster before the 2026 season begins. 

With the first two quarter-finals concluded, attention turns to the remaining quarter-final matches to determine the final four teams. MOUZ will face off against FaZe Clan in the first quarter-final, taking place on December 12th, while NAVI takes on FURIA in the second match. 

With Team Spirit and Team Vitality advancing, the two powerhouses will battle in the first semi-final on December 13th.