The first quarter-final of the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 features a highly anticipated matchup: Spirit vs. Falcons. Two of Russia’s brightest stars, donk and m0NESY, will clash for a spot in the semi-finals.
Spirit entered the playoffs with a flawless 3-0 record, dominating their opponents throughout the Swiss stage. Falcons, on the other hand, survived elimination by the narrowest margin and now look to carry that momentum forward. The question is whether Spirit’s confidence or the Falcons’ resilience will prevail.
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Contents
Spirit vs. Falcons – Previous Encounters & Player Form
Spirit’s Momentum and Star Power
Spirit has looked stronger than ever since their recent roster adjustments. Their success continues to center around donk, who is again proving why he is considered one of the best riflers in the world. He is currently the highest-rated player at the tournament with a rating of 1.73.
Alongside him, sh1ro has also been a standout, posting a strong 1.29 rating, making the duo one of the most dangerous in the Major. Even in-game leader chopper has elevated his fragging impact, giving Spirit more depth than in previous events.
There is still the concern that Spirit relies heavily on donk’s performance, but so far, that formula has been working exceptionally well.
Falcons: Resurgence, Resilience, and Key Playmakers
Falcons’ road to the playoffs was far more turbulent, but key players stepped up when it mattered. The trio of m0NESY, kyousuke, and NiKo delivered when the team was on the brink of elimination.
- m0NESY remains one of the most consistent AWPers in the world.
- NiKo continues to be a star-level rifler, even if his performances occasionally fluctuate.
- kyousuke’s biggest issue used to be consistency, but he has shown clear improvement as the tournament progressed.
In their BLAST Rivals grand final against world No. 1 FURIA, it was actually Falcons’ in-game leader kyxsan who was their second-best performer behind NiKo – a promising sign, as his fragging impact has historically been one of the team’s weaknesses.
Falcons appear to be in strong form, but the challenge is maintaining that level on a Major playoff stage.
Falcons kyxsan is proud of his team
Spirit vs Falcons – Quarter-final Match Prediction
This match is even as it can be; the odds for this match are 50-50, and we would say that we agree with this assessment. Spirit relies on their star player, donk, but the same could be said about the Falcons, who rely on m0NESY and NiKo’s performance most of the time. Spirit didn’t win a single time against Falcons, even though the stakes were never as high as they are now. We think that Falcons will find a way to stop donk once again.
Prediction: Falcons to win the match.
Can Spirit get their revenge and take down Falcons for the first time when it matters the most, or will m0NESY keep dominating in a matchup against donk? We will have to see it this Thursday at 17:00 CET!
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