CS2: Valve Announces First BO5 Major Grand Final in Budapest
Sheep Esports presents expert insights and the latest updates in League of Legends Esports. As the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 approaches, this event stands out not just as the fourth Major in the Counter-Strike 2 era, but as a milestone with Valve’s announcement on Tuesday.
For the first time, the Counter-Strike Major grand final will be a Best-of-5 (BO5) series, a change long anticipated within the community. Previously, Valve and tournament organizers reserved Best-of-3 (BO3) matches for the championship, despite evidence from other tournaments showing that BO5 finals maintain audience engagement effectively.
Audience Engagement and Viewership Trends
Viewership statistics support this shift:
- IEM Cologne 2024, a non-Major event with a BO5 final, peaked at 1,051,810 concurrent viewers.
- IEM Katowice 2025 saw a peak of 1.29 million viewers during the Team Vitality vs Team Spirit BO5 final.
- The last CS:GO Major in Paris (2023) reached 1.53 million viewers.
- The first CS2 Major in Copenhagen attracted 1.85 million viewers.
These numbers demonstrate that longer match formats do not discourage viewers; instead, they thrive when the matches are high-stakes and feature top-tier teams.
Context of the Budapest 2025 Major
The timing aligns with CS2’s transition to MR12, making the adoption of a BO5 grand final a logical progression in the competitive format.
Valve stated that moving to a BO5 final enhances competitive integrity and viewer experience, responding to long-standing community expectations.
Author’s Summary: Valve’s introduction of a BO5 final at the Budapest 2025 Major marks a significant evolution in CS2 esports, aligning with viewer preferences and the game’s competitive growth.