Starladder Major Pick’em with Stake — Let’s Get Started!
We’re excited to announce that the Starladder Major pick’em is going live on xplay.gg — and this time it’s even better thanks to our partnership with Stake. Very soon you’ll be able to submit your predictions, follow the action throughout the event, and compete for awesome skins — both through the classic leaderboard and through a brand-new mechanic we’ll talk about below.
About the Starladder Major
StarLadder Major 2025 will take place from November 24 to December 14, 2025, in Budapest, the capital of Hungary. The event will feature 32 teams from around the world, all fighting for a $1.25 million prize pool.
The current Major champions are Team Vitality, who claimed the title at BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025. And for the first time in Major history, all 32 participants received direct invitations based on the Valve Regional Standings.
The Budapest Major is split into four stages. The first three use a Swiss format, where teams continue playing until they hit three wins or three losses. The format works like this:
- all matches are Best-of-1, except for elimination or qualification games;
- decisive matches are played as Best-of-3.
Pick’em on xplay.gg
Just like during previous events, we’re launching a full pick’em:
- predict match results and stage outcomes;
- earn points;
- climb the leaderboard;
- and get a chance to win skins based on your final placement.
Everything works the same way you’re used to — simple, familiar, and fun.
Please note that there are rewards for each stage. For the top three positions in the first stage, players who reach the top 3 on the leaderboard will receive rewards as shown in the screenshot below.
Stake’s New Mechanic
This Major introduces an extra feature to the pick’em. It doesn’t replace the main leaderboard — it works alongside it.
Here’s how it works:
- Complete special partner tasks from Stake.
- Earn chips for each completed task.
- The more chips you have, the higher your chances to win a skin in a separate draw.
It’s an additional way to boost your rewards, no matter how your predictions go.
You’ll find this feature in a dedicated block on the page — once the final design is done, we’ll add a screenshot to show how it looks.
Where to watch the CS2 Major?
Twitch — the main platform for Major broadcasts, with official streams in English, Russian, Portuguese, and more.
YouTube — a great alternative if you prefer watching live streams or VODs at your own pace.
Steam / CS2 — you can follow the matches directly inside Counter-Strike 2 through GOTV, switching between player perspectives and watching the game from the inside.
HLTV.org — the biggest CS portal, offering detailed match stats, schedules, and links to every official stream.
StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 is shaping up to be one of the most intense tournaments of the year — so now’s the perfect moment to make your predictions and compete for skins.
Head over to the pick’em page, lock in your picks, and join the race for rewards!