Passion UA sneak into Stage 3 at StarLadder Budapest Major

Passion UA rallied for a 2-1 win over M80 on Tuesday to earn one of the last three Stage 3 berths at the StarLadder Budapest Major event in Hungary.

In the other Round 5 matches in Stage 2, Team Liquid swept Astralis 2-0 and 3DMAX got past Ninjas in Pyjamas 2-0.

Thirty-two teams began play in the $1.25 million Counter-Strike: Global Offensive event, which features three consecutive Swiss System stages ahead of the playoffs. Sixteen teams compete in each stage. Eight invited teams started in Stage 2, which ended Tuesday, and eight more got a bye into Stage 3 (Thursday through Sunday). The top eight teams in each stage move on.

In each Swiss System stage, elimination and advancement matches are best-of-three and all others are best-of-one.

The tournament concludes with a single-elimination playoff stage Dec. 11-14. All matches are best-of-three until the grand final, which is best-of-five. The winner will take home $500,000.

On Tuesday, M80 opened with a 13-11 win on Mirage before Passion UA captured Inferno 13-5 and Train 13-7. The United States' Michael "Grim" Wince paced with a 55-44 kill-death ratio and a 1.40 rating. Another U.S. player, Mason "Lake" Sanderson, led M80 with a 48-49 K-D ratio and a 1.10 rating.

Team Liquid downed Astralis 13-7 on Nuke and 13-9 on Mirage behind a 39-20 K-D ratio and a 1.54 rating from Poland's Roland "ultimate" Tomkowiak. Victor "Staehr" Staehr wound up at 31-31 and 1.05 for all-Danish Astralis.

3DMAX trounced Ninjas in Pyjamas 13-3 on Ancient and 13-8 on Train. Bryan "Maka" Canda powered all-French 3DMAX with a 33-18 K-D ratio and a 1.70 rating. Ukraine's Artem "r1nkle" Moroz led Ninjas in Pyjamas at 26-25 and 1.03.

Stage 3 gets underway on Thursday with eight matches:

--MOUZ vs. PARIVISION

--The MongolZ vs. Imperial Esports

--Team Spirit vs. Team Liquid

--G2 Esports vs. Passion UA

--Team Vitality vs. FaZe Clan

--paiN Gaming vs. 3DMAX

--FURIA vs. Natus Vincere

--Team Falcons vs. B8

StarLadder Budapest Major final Stage 2 standings

(Team W-L, round difference, Buchholz score)

1. Natus Vincere, 3-0, +26, 1

2. FaZe Clan, 3-0, +14, -2

3. B8, 3-1, -5, 1

4. Imperial Esports, 3-1, +1, -2

5. PARIVISION, 3-1, +11, -4

6. Team Liquid, 3-2, +10, -2

7. Passion UA, 3-2, +10, -2

8. 3DMAX, 3-2, +35, -3

9. Ninjas in Pyjamas, 2-3, -22, 3

10. M80, 2-3, -7, -2

11. Astralis, 2-3, 0, -6

12. Aurora Gaming, 1-3, -3, 5

13. Fnatic, 1-3, -6, 4

14. TYLOO, 1-3, -6, 2

15. FlyQuest, 0-3, -27, 3

16. MIBR, 0-3, -21, 2

StarLadder Budapest Major prize pool

1. $500,000

2. $170,000

3-4. $80,000

5-8. $45,000

9-11. $20,000

12-14. $20,000

15-16. $20,000

17-19. $10,000 -- Ninjas in Pyjamas, M80, Astralis

20-22. $10,000 -- Fnatic, Aurora Gaming, TYLOO

23-24. $10,000 -- MIBR, FlyQuest

25-27. No money -- Legacy, Fluxo, NRG

28-30. No money -- RED Canids, The Huns Esports, GamerLegion

31-32. No money -- Lynn Vision Gaming, Rare Atom

--Field Level Media