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The StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 continues into Stage 2, where every match carries high stakes and teams must perform under intense pressure. The group stage is taking place at MTK Sportpark, while the playoffs will be held at the MVM Dome in Budapest.
On the second day of Stage 2, FaZe faces NiP in a crucial BO3 match. Both teams are currently undefeated in this stage, holding a 2-0 record, making this encounter pivotal for securing a strong position in the group. FaZe will look to leverage their aggressive strategies and individual firepower, while NiP will rely on coordinated team play and tactical execution to maintain their perfect record.
How The Bookies View It: FaZe Favoured
Bookmakers see FaZe as the slight favorite in this BO1 matchup, offering odds of 1.67, while NiP is listed at 2.12. The odds reflect FaZe’s strong start in Stage 2, their aggressive firepower, and the team’s ability to control key rounds. NiP, though undefeated as well, are considered the underdogs due to FaZe’s recent form and experience, but the match is expected to remain competitive as both teams aim to extend their perfect records.
FaZe Clan form. What result can be expected from FaZe Clan
Team FaZe Clan in 2025 remains one of the most recognizable and competitive organizations in CS2. Starting as a content-focused clan in 2010, FaZe has grown into a top esports brand, known for blending experienced players with high-level talent. The team continues to focus on staying competitive at international events while adapting to the evolving CS2 meta.
The 2025 roster balances experience and skill: Helvijs “broky” Saukants provides consistent rifling and solid fragging; Finn “karrigan” Andersen leads as captain and IGL, directing strategy and coordination; David “frozen” Čerňanský offers flexible map control and reliable aim; Jakub “jcobbb” Pietruszewski brings adaptable rifling and steady performance; and Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken adds clutch potential and precision. Coach Filip “NEO” Kubski guides tactics and team communication, keeping the squad coordinated.
- Team FaZe Clan 2025 roster: broky, karrigan, frozen, jcobbb, Twistzz.
In 2025, FaZe Clan has had mixed results in tournaments. They finished 7th–8th at CS Asia Championships 2025 ($10,000), 4th at ESL Pro League Season 22 ($22,000), and 5th–6th at BLAST Open Fall 2025 ($20,000). Online, they placed 3rd–4th in the BLAST Open Fall 2025: Closed Qualifier. Other events like the Esports World Cup 2025 (9th–16th, $20,000), BLAST Bounty Fall 2025: Closed Qualifier (9th–16th, $2,500), and IEM Cologne 2025 (7th–8th, $24,000) showed areas for improvement. Earlier in the year, they took 5th–8th at BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 ($45,000), 9th–12th at IEM Dallas 2025 ($5,000), and 5th–6th at BLAST Rivals Spring 2025 ($25,000).
FaZe Clan’s strength comes from the combination of experienced leadership and skilled players. karrigan directs the team on and off the map, broky and jcobbb provide reliable firepower, frozen adds flexibility, and Twistzz can turn rounds in clutch moments. This mix helps FaZe stay competitive internationally, though the team is still looking for more consistent top finishes in major S-tier tournaments.
FaZe Clan Map Pool
Over the past three months, FaZe Clan has shown clear preferences and performance patterns across their map pool. Mirage has been their strongest map, boasting a 69.2% win rate, highlighting their comfort and tactical execution there. Ancient and Dust2 follow with moderate success at 54.5% and 50%, showing that the team can adapt and perform on different layouts. Inferno and Nuke have proven more challenging, with win rates of 44.4% and 42.9%, indicating room for improvement in mid-round control and site execution. Overpass and Train have been weaker areas: Overpass has yet to yield a victory, while Train is consistently used as a first ban, suggesting strategic avoidance rather than reliance.
NiP form. What result can be expected from NiP
In the first half of the 2023 season, NiP were remembered only for qualifying for the Paris Major 2023 after finishing 7th at European RMR B, as well as finishing in the top 8–11 at the Major itself. The team’s form slightly improved over the course of the season.
Although NiP lost in the Last Chance Qualifiers at Gamers8, they later performed well at BLAST Premier: Fall Groups 2023. They confidently advanced to the Fall Final, defeating such giants as Vitality.
NiP approached IEM Cologne 2023 in full combat readiness. There were no roster changes before the tournament, which clearly played in favor of the Swedish club.
In the first round of the Play-In at IEM Cologne 2023, Ninjas in Pyjamas faced Into The Breach. The match ended in an easy NiP win on Ancient with a score of 16-5.
In the match for a spot in the group stage of IEM Cologne 2023, NiP played against MOUZ. The "mice" outplayed the Swedes in class, allowing them to take only 19 rounds in two maps. The tournament ended for NiP in the top 16.
In the 2024 season, NiP drastically changed their roster, essentially carrying out a full rebuild of the team.
- NiP roster: r1nkle, ewjerkz, sjuush, xKacpersky, Snappi.
At PGL Major Copenhagen 2024: European RMR A, NiP performed poorly — top 16. Things slightly improved in the second half of the year: top 2 at YaLLa Compass 2024, top 4 at FiReLEAGUE Global Final 2023. Among TIR-S tournaments, the best performance was at BLAST Premier: Fall Groups, where NiP managed to beat C9 and FaZe, but stopped at the top 8 after losing to Astralis.
Later, NiP played at BLAST Premier: Fall Showdown 2024 but failed to repeat the success of the previous BLAST tournament, finishing only top 16. They later placed top 28 at ESL Pro League Season 20 and top 16 at CCT Season 2 European Series #13. They also participated in the Thunderpick World Championship 2024, where they finished top 12 — a result that can hardly be called successful.
In the 2025 season, NiP participated in a large number of various qualifying tournaments. Only one of them ended in victory — PGL Astana 2025: European Qualifiers. However, at PGL Astana 2025 itself, NiP managed to reach the playoffs by winning their group with a 3-2 score — this was the Swedish club’s best result in the past 5 months of the 2025 season.
Ninjas in Pyjamas performed quite well at C and B-tier tournaments. The team won Fragadelphia x LVL UP EXPO 2025, placed 3rd–4th at The Proving Grounds Season 1, and finished 2nd at CCT Season 3 European Series #3.
The team also performed successfully at StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2025. In the upper bracket, NiP claimed victories over OG and parivision but were defeated by NAVI in the Upper Bracket Final. In the Lower Bracket Final, the team beat B8 and advanced to the Grand Final, where they lost to NAVI and finished 2nd in the tournament, earning $130,000.
Later in the year, NiP participated in PGL Masters Bucharest 2025, an A-Tier offline Counter-Strike 2 event. The team fought hard but fell 1:2 in the playoffs, finishing 15th–16th and earning $6,250.
NiP Map Pool
Over the past three months, NiP has shown a varied performance across different CS2 maps. Their strongest map is Train, with a 71.4% win rate, followed by Nuke at 61.5% when picked first and Ancient at 57.1%, highlighting their strength on maps that favor structured strategies and coordinated team play. Overpass and Dust2 have been more challenging, with win rates of 33.3% and 28.6% respectively, while Mirage, often banned first, has brought only 25% success. Inferno has been their weakest map recently, with 0% wins, indicating clear vulnerabilities on this popular competitive map. This map pool suggests that while NiP can dominate on strategic maps like Train and Nuke, they may face difficulties on more dynamic or commonly contested maps.
Head-to-Head: FaZe Clan vs Ninjas in Pyjamas
Looking back at the history between FaZe Clan and Ninjas in Pyjamas (NiP), the two teams have faced each other many times, but most of these matches occurred with very different rosters. For example, in ESL Pro League Season 13 (March 2021), NiP managed a 2–0 victory over FaZe. Up to that point, the teams had met around 50 times, with NiP winning 22, FaZe 25, and 3 matches ending in a draw. In the PGL Major Antwerp 2022, FaZe won a 2–1 series (16–10 Nuke, 13–16 Overpass, 16–8 Inferno).
More recently, on November 25, 2025, during Stage 1 of the StarLadder Budapest Major, the teams met in a BO1, where NiP defeated FaZe 13–8 on Overpass. While historical data shows a fairly balanced rivalry with a slight edge to FaZe, this recent result gives NiP confidence and demonstrates that they can challenge the favorites. Nevertheless, both lineups have evolved since past encounters, meaning the upcoming BO1 could swing either way depending on map control and early round performance.
Predicted result of the match FaZe – NiP at StarLadder Budapest Major 2025
Even though FaZe suffered a 13–8 defeat to NiP on Overpass during Stage 1, they have regained momentum throughout Stage 2, including a strong 2–0 win over Aurora that showcased their improved coordination, map control, and individual skill. In this BO3 matchup, FaZe’s experience, strategic depth under karrigan’s leadership, and clutch potential from Twistzz make them the favorites. Their versatility across multiple maps allows them to adapt and counter NiP’s strengths, giving them a clear advantage in a longer series. While NiP are capable of winning a map, FaZe’s regained form and firepower should ultimately secure the series victory.
Prediction: FaZe win.
