A Major That Finally Feels Major

The upcoming StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 is set to break new ground for Counter-Strike esports. For the first time ever, a Major will crown its champion through a best-of-five Grand Final, marking a major shift in how the biggest event in the scene decides its winner.

📢 You asked, it happened.

The Budapest Major Grand Final goes Bo5 for the first time in CS history!

💬 Tag the team who’s build to last those 5 maps! pic.twitter.com/pRDPyYDwAT

— StarLadder CS2 (@StarLadder_CS) November 4, 2025

The announcement, made by StarLadder on November 4, has been met with widespread excitement from players, analysts, and fans alike. Many are calling it the change that “finally makes a Major feel like a Major.”

Setting a New Standard

The decision comes after years of requests from the community for Valve to align Majors with other top-tier tournaments hosted by organisers such as ESL, BLAST, and FISSURE, which have long featured best-of-five finales.

With the Budapest Major leading the way, Valve has confirmed that all future Majors will now feature best-of-five Grand Finals, replacing the long-standing best-of-three format.

This move mirrors the structure used at recent events like the Thunderpick World Championship 2025, where FURIA completed a stunning reverse sweep over NAVI in a five-map thriller, a level of intensity fans are hoping to see repeated on the biggest stage.

Inside the Budapest Major

The StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 will kick off on November 24, featuring 32 teams battling through multiple Swiss stages before the playoffs begin at the MVM Dome from December 11–14.

The organisers have revealed a sneak peek at the setup for the 20,000-seat arena, promising an immersive 360-degree stage that ensures every fan in attendance gets a full view of the action. It’s designed to be a true spectacle, matching the scale and prestige of the event.

All three stages of the Major will feature live crowds, with tickets available now on the official StarLadder website.

Fans and Pros Celebrate the Change

The community reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. From pro players like Jacob “Pimp” Winneche to esports fans across Twitter and HLTV, the sentiment has been clear: this is a massive win for competitive Counter-Strike.

“Finally a Major that feels Major,” wrote one user, echoing hundreds of similar comments online.

Brazilian fans were especially quick to point out that Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo, now playing under FURIA, has an incredible 10–1 record in best-of-five finals, making him a clear fan favourite to thrive under the new system.

Even esports brands and teams chimed in with celebration posts, from Geekay Esports joking “only took over a decade” to Strafe Esports hyping it up as “a real grand final.”

What About Best-of-Ones?

While the switch to a best-of-five Grand Final has been welcomed, discussions continue around another controversial topic: best-of-one (BO1) matches in the group stages.

Despite calls for change, Valve confirmed that the early Swiss stages of the Major will remain BO1 for now. Some fans argue the format is too random, especially under CS2’s faster MR12 round structure, while others believe it adds unpredictability and gives underdogs a fighting chance.

For now, it seems the BO5 upgrade will be the headline change, but the debate around the rest of the format is far from over.

A Defining Moment for Counter-Strike Esports

With Budapest hosting the season’s final Major and the first-ever best-of-five Grand Final, this tournament is shaping up to be one for the history books.

Between the upgraded format, the grand 360-degree stage, and the live crowd for every stage, StarLadder’s latest Major looks set to capture the spirit of what fans have been asking for: a world-class, unforgettable Counter-Strike experience.

The post Starladder Budapest Major Becomes First CS2 Major with Best of Five Grand Final appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Natus Vincere are back on top. The Ukrainian giants have claimed the StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2025 title in Budapest after a commanding 2-0 victory over Ninjas in Pyjamas, marking their first Counter-Strike championship since 2024.

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS OF STARLADDER STARSERIES FALL 2025! 🏆#navination pic.twitter.com/RlM9R3xT8c

— NAVI (@natusvincere) September 21, 2025

NAVI’s road to the trophy wasn’t without bumps, but when it mattered most they looked every bit the favourites. After struggling in recent months with disappointing results at BLAST Bounty, the Esports World Cup, and BLAST Open London, the squad arrived in Hungary under pressure to prove themselves. They did exactly that.

The Final Showdown

The Grand Final opened on Nuke, where NAVI took control early with a strong CT side. NIP threatened a comeback in the first half but NAVI steadied the ship, holding a 7-5 lead at the break. Despite losing the second-half pistol, a force-buy win handed NAVI the momentum they needed to cruise to a 13-7 finish.

Inferno told a different story, at least at first. NIP’s star duo Kacper “xKacpersky” Gabara and Artem “r1nkle” Moroz lit up the scoreboard, restricting NAVI to just three rounds on their T side. But any hopes of a Ninjas upset were dashed once NAVI switched to defence. Their structure and resilience on the B site shut down NIP’s attempts to break through, with Mihai “iM” Ivan producing standout moments including a clutch three-man spraydown. NAVI closed the map 13-10, sealing a clean 2-0 series.

NAVI win their first trophy of 2025 at StarSeries Fall 🏆🙌 pic.twitter.com/pLJ0GH1TGR

— HLTV.org (@HLTVorg) September 21, 2025

Building Confidence Again

For NAVI, this title is more than just silverware. The team’s recent slump raised questions about whether the addition of Drin “makazze” Shaqiri was enough to turn their fortunes around. Their fourth-place run at IEM Cologne in July was followed by a string of early exits, leaving fans frustrated and critics calling for more roster changes.

In Budapest, however, NAVI looked united. From their recovery against 9INE in the opening round to back-to-back wins over Passion UA and NIP in the upper bracket, they rediscovered the cohesion that’s been missing. The victory comes with $200,000 in prize money and, perhaps more importantly, a huge boost in confidence heading into ESL Pro League Season 22 later this week.

What’s Next

NAVI now shift focus to ESL Pro League, which kicks off on September 27. A strong showing there will cement their place in the top 32 of the Valve Regional Standings and secure qualification for the StarLadder Budapest Major in November.

For Ninjas in Pyjamas, the loss stings but their resilience through the lower bracket to reach the final shows promise. Still, it’s NAVI who leave Hungary with the headlines, the trophy, and the momentum they’ve been searching for all year.

The post NAVI Take Down NIP to Win StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2025 appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Counter-Strike 2’s latest patch was meant to improve competitive play, but many professional players say it’s had the opposite effect. The Show Off update, released on 17 September, tweaked CS2’s shooting subtick system to supposedly make weapon fire more precise and responsive. Instead, some of the game’s biggest names claim it has made the FPS worse to play.

Team Falcons star rifler Nikola ‘NiKo’ Kovač was among the first to voice his frustration. Taking to social media, he said: “How can they make game feel even worse every f**king time.”

This update completely destroyed the spray—CS feels broken and ridiculous now. And the funny thing is, we’ll have to play in the tournament with this new update

— İsmailcan Dörtkardeş (@XANTAREScsgo) September 17, 2025

He wasn’t alone. Aurora Gaming’s İsmailсan ‘XANTARES’ Dörtkardeş argued that the changes have ruined weapon control. “This update completely destroyed the spray. CS feels broken and ridiculous now. And the funny thing is, we’ll have to play in the tournament with this new update,” he posted.

Timing couldn’t be worse

The backlash comes as CS2 heads into a busy stretch of top-tier competition. Both FISSURE Playground 2 and StarLadder StarSeries Season 19 will be played on the updated subtick system. With these events tied to the Valve Regional Standings (VRS), the results could have a big impact on qualification pathways for future majors.

Valve moves quickly

In response to the criticism, developer Valve pushed out another small patch on 18 September. This update attempted to refine subtick mechanics further, with “improved timestep-independence of subtick movement acceleration” added to smooth out gameplay. It also fixed purchasing errors with the new Genesis Terminal Uplink skin.

It’s the seventh update in September alone, highlighting just how much Valve is still adjusting CS2’s mechanics. While the developer has a history of rolling out small fixes until the community is satisfied, pros will be keeping a close eye on whether the latest tweaks restore balance before more big events kick off.

For now, though, it’s clear that CS2’s subtick changes haven’t landed the way Valve intended. As XANTARES put it bluntly, “CS feels broken and ridiculous.”

The post “CS feels broken and ridiculous”: CS2 pros slam Show Off update appeared first on Shane the Gamer.