Tournament organizer StarLadder announced Monday that it will host the second Counter-Strike 2 Major of 2025 in Budapest, Hungary. Set to take place from Dec. 11 – 14, the top 32 CS2 teams from around the world will compete for a piece of a total prize pool of $1.25 million USD.
StarLadder’s Major event will take place at the MVM Dome in Budapest, which has a seating capacity of 20,000 people.
“Hosting another Major is an incredible honor, and we’re determined to make it unforgettable,” said Roman Romantsov, CEO of StarLadder. “Budapest gives us the perfect stage to push the boundaries of what a live CS2 event can look and feel like. From day one to the Grand Finals, we’re building something that fans – both in the arena and watching around the world – will remember. We invite every Counter-Strike fan to be part of this iconic moment with us.”
Competition begins on Nov. 24, ultimately leading into a four-day playoff at the MVM Dome. Tickets for all stages of the competition are available now.
This announcement from StarLadder marks the first major event (no pun intended) since being acquired by South Asia-based esports and gaming festival company NODWIN Gaming in January. India-based esports company NODWIN Gaming acquired the Ukraine-based tournament organizer in a deal valued at an initial consideration of $5.5M USD (INR 46.75 crores), with a “second part of the consideration payable on meeting the earn-out targets,” according to the official announcement at the time.
Starladder Founder and CEO Roman Romantsov remains in charge of the company’s operations, alongside its current employees, who were kept on by NODWIN post-acquisition.