Budapest Major Semis Complete: ZywOo on top, Twisstz the Magician
The Budapest Major semifinals delivered exactly what Counter-Strike fans were hoping for: legacy-defining moments, superstar clashes, and the kind of pressure that separates great players from immortal ones. With a Grand Final berth on the line, zywOo and donk clashed for the crown of 2025, while the calm and collected NaVi duked it out against the chaotic and always entertaining Faze Clan.
The GOATs Bash Heads
The opening map, Mirage - Vitality’s pick - began in disastrous fashion for the French side. Spirit came out swinging, winning the pistol and seizing complete control of the first half. By halftime, Spirit held an 8-4 lead, with Vitality’s rounds largely coming from individual brilliance in low-economy situations rather than structured success.
The momentum carried into the second half as Spirit claimed yet another pistol and converted the following rounds, ballooning the score to 11-4. At that point, the map looked all but over. But if this year has taught us anything, it’s to never count out Vitality.
Despite Spirit reaching match point with six opportunities to close out the map, Vitality slowly clawed their way back. Utility began to land, spacing tightened, and the clutches arrived. Mezii stood tall in key moments, most notably with a map-saving 1v3 that denied the bomb plant in the dying seconds of the round.
Vitality completed the comeback to force overtime.
In OT, Spirit fought desperately to regain control. tNIR delivered a monstrous performance, surpassing 30 kills and opening overtime with a crucial 1v2 clutch. Donk did what he always does, top fragging the server with 34 kills and a 1.54 rating, but it still wasn’t enough. Ropz and Mezii outshined Spirit’s stars, posting 1.46 and 1.38 ratings respectively, and Vitality secured Mirage in overtime to steal away Spirit’s confidence.
Dust 2: Control, Adaptation, and Checkmate
Dust 2, Spirit’s map pick, finally saw Vitality start strong. They jumped out to an early 4-1 lead before Spirit stabilized behind the familiar firepower of donk and Zweih, the latter continuing his impressive playoffs performance. By halftime, Spirit had fought back to keep the map competitive.
Once again, Spirit opened the second half aggressively, but the momentum didn’t last. Vitality made a crucial adjustment: they simply refused to challenge donk and Zweih on the B bombsite. Time and time again, they hit the opposite side of the map, exposing Spirit’s supporting cast, who struggled to hold under pressure.
As round after round slipped away, donk was left saving and waiting for an opportunity that never came. Vitality’s methodical approach suffocated Spirit’s game plan, and before they could adapt, the map, and the series, was over.
Vitality closed out Dust 2 with authority, punching their ticket to the Grand Final and taking another step toward cementing their reign at the top of Counter-Strike.
Chaos vs. Composure
The second semifinal of the day delivered a matchup that felt far too big for this stage: FaZe Clan versus NAVI. These two organizations are no strangers to one another on the biggest stages in Counter-Strike history - usually colliding in Grand Finals. This time, the setting was the semifinals, but the weight, tension, and atmosphere were unmistakably championship-level.
NAVI wasted no time asserting control on their map pick, Ancient. Much like Spirit earlier in the day, they came out scorching hot, conceding just two rounds in the entire first half. FaZe looked out of answers, and unlike Vitality before them, they couldn’t stabilize. Ancient quickly spiraled out of control, ending in a dominant blowout for NAVI.
Makazze delivered one of the best maps of his young career, posting numbers that even donk would envy. He finished 21–8 with a staggering 2.54 rating. And he wasn’t alone. iM added a strong 16–9 performance, while w0nderful chipped in efficiently at 10–5. For the crowd favorites in FaZe, the situation was growing dire.
The Magician Awakens
FaZe’s map pick of Nuke didn’t offer immediate relief. Once again, NAVI stormed out to an early lead, with iM and Makazze continuing their relentless assault. Even duels that heavily favored FaZe felt like uphill battles. NAVI bulldozed their way to an 8-2 advantage, and by round nine, the writing seemed to be on the wall.
A few early skirmishes left NAVI with a 4v2 advantage, facing only karrigan and a 9 HP Twistzz. FaZe’s economy was in shambles, and another crushing 10–2 half felt inevitable.
But FaZe refused to go quietly.
Slithering through garage and into hell, the duo caught b1t off guard at ramp and somehow secured the bomb plant. Even then, it looked like a routine retake for NAVI. When karrigan fell without a frag, the round should have been over.
But Twistzz isn’t called “the Magician” for nothing.
In one of the most unbelievable clutches of the Major, Twistzz won four consecutive fights without taking a single bullet. That moment ignited FaZe. Riding the momentum of the clutch, they surged through the map, winning 10 of the next 13 rounds to steal Nuke 13-11 and force a deciding map.
Magic Meets Destiny
With spirits crushed on the NAVI side and FaZe fully ablaze, the momentum had completely shifted. FaZe charged into the decider with their visors down, ripping off round after round in dominant fashion. A roaring crowd watched as FaZe closed the half with a commanding 9-3 lead. All they had to do was hold on.
NAVI, however, refused to disappear. They fought with everything they had left, stealing rounds that bordered on the impossible. AleksiB delivered a heart-stopping clutch of his own, defusing the bomb with just 0.04 seconds remaining. NAVI reminded everyone that FaZe didn’t have a monopoly on magic.
Twistzz took that personally.
On a low-economy round, he exploded onto the B site with nothing but pistols. NAVI did well to shut down most of the push, leaving Twistzz trapped in a 1v3 with only a Desert Eagle and nowhere to run. But a cornered snake is the most dangerous kind.
Two crisp headshots onto iM and AleksiB turned the impossible into a 1v1 against Makazze, the hero of map one. Moments later, history was written. FaZe claimed their 12th round off the back of that clutch, and NAVI conceded the map shortly after.
FaZe Clan were headed to the Grand Final.
Dominating Dynasty or the Ultimate Magic Trick?
The Budapest Major Grand Final is set: Vitality versus FaZe Clan.
On one side stands Vitality, the embodiment of dominance. Since the start of their historic run, the French organization hasn’t finished worse than the semifinals at any event. Thirty straight match wins. Thirty-seven consecutive BO3s and BO5s. Seven titles in a row. Now, they stand on the brink of accomplishing something only two rosters in history ever have - and something no team has done since Astralis, winning back to back Majors.
A win here wouldn’t just cap off an incredible year. It would cement Vitality’s place in the all-time greats discussion, perhaps even above Astralis themselves.
On the other side stands FaZe Clan, the team nobody, not even the players themselves, expected to see here. From being 0.4 seconds away from elimination earlier in the Major to standing on the Grand Final stage, this is a run only Counter-Strike’s most chaotic and entertaining roster could produce.
Despite their struggles throughout the year, this marks FaZe’s third Major Grand Final in the last four attempts. Twice before, they walked away with silver.
Now, one question remains.
Will FaZe finally complete the magic trick and claim their first CS2 Major?
Or will Vitality snuff out the chaos and seal their place in history with one final, defining triumph?