That’s not all: the top 5 most spectacular comebacks at CS2 Majors

In the nearly three years since its official release, CS2 has already built up its own history of tournaments, and this competitive chronicle includes dozens of matches that were on the brink of collapse and triumphant comebacks. We took a trip down memory lane and compiled a list of the top most memorable comebacks at CS2 Majors.

The top spot rightfully goes to the BIG team, which pulled off a nearly impossible comeback in Cologne from a crushing 0-12 deficit—a first in the history of Counter-Strike 2 Majors. This happened on the decisive map of the series, Mirage, where Jon “JDC” de Castro’s squad was just one round away from being eliminated from the main tournament of the year, but triumphantly overpowered their opponent and took the match against NRG into overtime, winning sixteen rounds in a row. With this victory, BIG secured their spot in the second stage of the IEM Cologne Major 2026 and left an indelible mark on the history of the professional scene.

Josef “faveN” Baumann deserves a special mention for racking up 26 kills on the desider.

Speaking of spectacular comebacks, one cannot fail to mention the roster that the entire community rightly considers unbeatable. We’re talking about Team Vitality and their performance in the semifinals of the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 against Team Spirit. Dan “apEX” Madeskler’s team trailed the “Dragons” 6-12 on the first map and was just one step away from losing Mirage, but the “Bees” managed to force overtime. The final score was 19-17 in favor of Team Vitality, securing their spot in the Major final, followed by lifting the tournament trophy.

FaZe Clan also deserves a special mention on this list, as they tenaciously climbed to the top of the bracket from the first stage in Budapest, when no one believed in them. The entire journey of Finn “karrigan” Andersen’s squad can be described as one big comeback, considering that the team was teetering on the brink of elimination as early as the first stage. But FaZe Clan redeemed itself in the match to advance to the third stage against Ninjas in Pyjamas: trailing 3-9 on Inferno, the team fought back and forced overtime, which ended in a 16-12 victory. Having avoided a disastrous collapse, a fired-up Finn Andersen managed to reach the grand final.

The Budapest Major was full of spectacular comebacks from situations where defeat seemed imminent. It also marked PARIVISION’s debut, where the team had its first opportunity to make a name for itself. In the first stage against GamerLegion, Jame Ali’s team came back from a 3-9 deficit on Overpass and ultimately closed out the match with a 16-14 victory. The match ended with their opponent’s early elimination from the tournament. This victory, among others, led PARIVISION to the Major’s playoff qualifier stage, where such an outcome for tournament debutants is more than just a respectable result—even despite their eventual elimination.

The final example of a memorable comeback in our top list is the match between MOUZ and Legacy in Austin. The score on the decider map after the first half was 3-9. The match is notable because of the overall context: MOUZ were on the verge of being sent home, but everything changed abruptly, and they managed to snatch a victory that was so crucial for them. It was this win that gave MOUZ the opportunity to face Team Spirit in the quarterfinals.

Diving into the history of CS2 Majors, one can’t help but think about their unpredictability. Over the past three years, it has become increasingly common to see favorites exit the tournament after a couple of poor matches, only to be replaced by teams that previously had no shot at winning. But amidst this competitive routine, there is always room for spectacular comebacks from seemingly hopeless situations. Team BIG has set a new standard, as coming back from a 0-12 deficit previously seemed impossible. The history of Majors has never seen such results, and, to be perfectly honest, is unlikely to see them again anytime soon.

Photo — ESL.