StarLadder has announced a new partnership with gaming hardware brand ZOWIE for the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 — the next official Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) Major of the year.

Under the agreement, ZOWIE will serve as the official monitor partner of the Valve-sanctioned event, providing its ZOWIE XL2586X+ monitors for every stage and playoff match. According to ZOWIE, 88% of professional players currently use its monitors across online and LAN tournaments.

Running from November 24th to December 14th, 2025, the Budapest Major will feature the world’s top 32 CS2 teams battling for a $1.25 million (~£953,937) prize pool and the chance to become Major champions.

ZOWIE and StarLadder Reunite After 2019 Berlin Major

This partnership marks a renewed collaboration between StarLadder and ZOWIE, following their successful cooperation during the Berlin Major 2019. The deal underscores ZOWIE’s continued commitment to professional esports, ensuring players experience consistent performance across all stages of competition.

With this announcement, ZOWIE becomes the second official partner of the Budapest Major, joining Esports Charts, which was named the tournament’s official analytics partner earlier in 2025.

ZOWIE’s Ongoing Support for CS2 Esports

Over the past decade, ZOWIE has been a mainstay in the Counter-Strike ecosystem, supporting numerous Tier-1 events worldwide. Earlier this year, the brand also partnered with the ESL FACEIT Group as the monitor partner for IEM Chengdu 2025 — the final major CS2 tournament before teams head to Hungary.

Budapest Major 2025: Format and Teams

The StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 is shaping up to be one of the most competitive CS2 tournaments ever. The opening Stage 1 matchups kick off on November 24th, featuring top-tier squads such as FaZe Clan and Fnatic as they look to begin their Major campaigns in style.

In a historic move, the Budapest Major will become the first-ever Counter-Strike Major to feature a best-of-five Grand Final, adding a new layer of endurance and excitement to the tournament’s final showdown.

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