From July 9 to 13, the 2025 European Esports Championship in Counter-Strike 2, a major offline tournament for national teams, was held in Pristina, Kosovo. The event took place at the 1 Tetori Sports Center and brought together 16 teams from different European countries. The tournament was organized by the European Esports Federation and Federata Esports Kosova, with a total prize pool of €25,000.

This year, the representatives of Lithuania proved to be the best, winning all their matches in the playoffs and becoming champions. In the final, they defeated the Ukrainian team 2-0, while third place went to Germany , which defeated Denmark in the bronze final.

How the tournament went
The European Esports Championship 2025 consisted of two main stages: the group stage and the playoffs. At the beginning, all 16 teams were divided into four groups of four teams each. The group matches were played in a BO3 format, with each team playing two games. The top two teams from each group advanced to the playoffs.

The playoff stage also used the BO3 format. Starting with the quarterfinals, teams played in a single-elimination format. There was also a match for third place between the teams that lost in the semifinals.

Confident performance by Ukraine
The Ukrainian team went through the group stage without a single defeat. In Group C, it won both matches — against Slovakia and Latvia — and finished in first place, with the best round difference among all teams (+34). In the quarterfinals, the Ukrainians easily defeated Bulgaria (2:0), and in the semifinals, they defeated Denmark, also with a clean sheet — 2:0.

In the final, the Ukrainians faced a real test — Lithuania , which had also shown an extremely high level of play throughout the tournament. Despite their efforts, the Ukrainians lost two maps — 13:16 and 9:13. Nevertheless, this second place is a significant result for a team that played without big stars and relied primarily on teamwork.

Lithuania — a team with no weak spots
The Lithuanian national team had a flawless tournament. In the group stage, they lost only once — against the Netherlands — but that did not prevent them from taking second place in the group and advancing to the playoffs. There, the team impressed everyone with its stability and aggressive style of play.

In the quarterfinals, Lithuania easily defeated Kosovo (2-0), then beat Germany 2-1 in the semifinals, and finally confidently defeated Ukraine in the final. The Lithuanians became the champions of the tournament and took the largest share of the prize fund — almost $15,000.

The battle for bronze
The German team also had a strong tournament. They confidently advanced from Group B, where they defeated Bulgaria and Hungary . In the quarterfinals, they left Latvia no chance (2:0), but in the semifinals, they lost to Lithuania 1:2. In the match for third place, Germany proved its superiority over Denmark, winning 2:0.

Prize fund and results
1st place — Lithuania : $14,728
2nd place — Ukraine: $8,837
3rd place — Germany : $5,891

This tournament proved once again that national teams without big-name brands can put on a spectacular show. Lithuania is the new European champion, Ukraine is a worthy finalist, and Germany is a stable force. Even more excitement is coming next season.