Team Vitality Wins Starladder Budapest Major 2025

Team Vitality continued to reign supreme in Counter-Strike 2 by defeating the American team FaZe Clan in the Grand Final of the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025. This victory marks another milestone for the roster, which was already crowned champion at the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 earlier in June. Voted Team of the Year at both the Esports Awards and The Game Awards, Team Vitality fully lived up to its leadership status, demonstrating tactical mastery, precision, and composure throughout the competition.

Once again, the team was carried by the exceptional performance of French player Mathieu “zywOo” Herbaut, who was crowned Major MVP for the third time in his career. Voted Player of the Decade at the Esports Awards last August, zywOo furthered his status as favourite to claim, for the fourth time, the title of best Counter-Strike player of the year.

Team Vitality Wins Starladder Budapest Major 2025

Team Vitality’s Counter-Strike 2 team has firmly cemented its status as a world-class force to be reckoned with. Having qualified for the playoffs with a 3-1 record, the team secured a decisive 2-0 victory against The MongolZ in the quarterfinals.

Carrying this strong momentum into the semi-finals, Team Vitality faced the in-form Russian side, Team Spirit. After a hard-fought series that showcased the team’s exceptional skill and cohesion, Team Vitality triumphed 2-0. Their first map on Mirage became one of the most remarkable comebacks of the year, securing their spot in the Grand Final.

Sunday’s Grand Final delivered a spectacular best-of-five showdown against FaZe Clan. Against the American side, Team Vitality demonstrated remarkable tactical and mental superiority, winning by a score of 3-1. This final series highlighted their elite-level performance in front of more than 20,000 spectators at the Budapest Arena, as well as fans around the world.

With this victory, Team Vitality claims its ninth international title of 2025, adding a memorable new chapter to one of the greatest seasons in Counter-Strike 2 history.

TEAM VITALITY: TEAM OF THE YEAR IN COUNTER-STRIKE 2

Back at the top of the world rankings, Team Vitality spectacularly concludes the 2025 season, with its ninth international title since the start of the year. Earlier in the season, the Counter-Strike 2 roster had already made its mark by claiming the ESL Grand Slam and setting a record with a 30-match winning streak.

2025 was just as incredible on-screen as it was off-screen, with Team Vitality being named Esports Team of the Year, and Mathieu “zywOo” Herbaut being honoured as PC Player of the Year and Player of the Decade at the 2025 Esports Awards. The organisation also received the title of Best Esports Team at The Game Awards, crowning an exceptional season.

With this ninth trophy of the season, Team Vitality sets a benchmark for the Counter-Strike 2 scene, through its level of play, consistency and team cohesion. With this track record, the French club has established itself as one of the leading forces in international esports. Riding the wave of this historic achievement, the organisation now looks ahead to 2026 with the ambition of etching its name on more trophies across the international stage.

“It’s simply incredible to win nine international titles in a single season. 2025 will forever be remembered as the Vitality era. This perfectly illustrates the talent, dedication, and cohesion of our roster, who have just made history in the game and set new standards for the entire industry. We are overjoyed to put this third star on our jersey – it’s both powerful and absolutely insane! While we weren’t the favourites going into this final tournament, this victory truly crowns their collective efforts and concludes a historic season for Team Vitality in the best possible way. We are proud, excited for our fans and partners, and already looking forward to new challenges in 2026!” said Fabien “Neo” Devide, President and co-founder of the club.

Team Vitality Counter-Strike 2 in 2025

Victories

No. 1 team in the world rankings (HLTV, Valve)
2 Majors
1 Grand Slam
9 international titles
11 finals
69 wins / 13 losses

Player Achievements

Mathieu “zywOo” Herbaut: Set to be the world’s best player for the 4th time in his career (2019, 2020, 2023, 2025)
Mathieu “zywOo” Herbaut: First player to win 3 Major MVP titles
William “Mezii” Merriman: The first and only English player to win two Majors
Dan “apEX” Madesclaire: The most decorated player in the game’s history, holding the highest number of S-tier tournament wins, and now claiming his 4th Major. At 32, he became the oldest player to win a Major.

Awards