FaZe Clan Stay Alive at the CS2 StarLadder Budapest Major After Close Call

FaZe Clan entered the StarLadder Budapest Major as one of the event’s biggest favorites, especially after a clean 13–5 victory over Lynn Vision on day one. But what looked like a routine start quickly turned into a tense elimination battle, forcing FaZe to claw their way back from a 1–2 record to avoid an embarrassing early exit. Their matchup with RED Canids pushed the team to the brink—requiring a reverse sweep and a double-overtime thriller to stay alive.

🎯 Map 1: RED Canids Shock FaZe on Mirage

FaZe opened the series on their own map pick, Mirage, but immediately struggled to gain control.

Key points:

• RED Canids dominated the first half, jumping to a 3–9 lead on T-side.

• FaZe briefly stabilized with a pistol round win, but momentum never shifted.

• RED closed the map 13–7, with history leading the scoreboard:

  • 8 AWP kills

  • 1.47 rating

Dropping Mirage put FaZe at risk of falling out of the tournament far earlier than expected.

🔥 Map 2: A Double-Overtime Battle on Nuke

The pressure rose dramatically as FaZe entered Nuke—a must-win to stay in the series.

Early highlights included:

• A strong 6–3 lead fueled by frozen’s consistent impact.

• RED Canids rallying to tie the half 6–6, gaining confidence late in the map.

• Clutch rounds from chayJESUS and drop pushing FaZe into dangerous territory at 7–10.

FaZe finally regained control with:

• A last-second defuse by karrigan to force overtime.

• Three saved match points after RED surged ahead 15–12.

• Back-to-back triple kills from frozen to keep FaZe alive.

FaZe ultimately closed out Nuke 19–17 in double OT, largely thanks to frozen’s monstrous performance:

• 39 kills

• 11 opening kills

• 112.2 ADR

• 1.96 rating

The win kept FaZe alive and completely shifted the momentum of the series.

💥 Map 3: FaZe Dominate Inferno to Complete the Reverse Sweep

Inferno was the turning point where FaZe finally looked like themselves again.

Highlights:

• FaZe capitalized on missed AWP shots from history.

• A confident defensive side shut down RED’s early aggression.

• A decisive 13–5 victory sealed the reverse sweep.

Although history posted strong numbers—15 kills, 4 first kills, and 8 AWP kills—RED Canids crumbled in key moments, ultimately leading to their elimination.

🏆 Final Thoughts

FaZe Clan’s early struggles at the StarLadder Budapest Major nearly cost them their tournament run, but a resilient comeback led by frozen pushed them through to the next stage. With RED Canids now eliminated, FaZe move forward with renewed momentum and a chance to stabilize heading into Stage 2.

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