StarLadder Budapest Major Stream Taken Down Again over TOS violation

The StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 experienced a broadcasting disruption again when one of its official YouTube channels was taken down for violating the platform’s Terms of Service. The incident occurred during the second day of the playoff stage, interrupting coverage of a high-stakes elimination match.

The takedown happened without warning during the 3-0 bracket match between FURIA Esports and G2 Esports, displaying YouTube’s standard violation notice to viewers attempting to access the stream. The disruption occurred during the closing rounds of Inferno, the match’s opening map, forcing viewers to scramble for alternative streams mid-game.

This incident wasn’t the first take down on YouTube, with other incidents also occuring during Stage 2 of the tournament.

StarLadder has not disclosed the specific cause of the takedowns. YouTube has not issued a public statement on the matter, leaving the esports community without official explanation for the enforcement action.

The affected stream, Stream A, remained offline for several minutes during active gameplay. StarLadder responded by quickly establishing a replacement YouTube channel to restore coverage. Meanwhile, Stream B continued broadcasting without interruption, and streams on platforms including Twitch remained fully operational throughout the incident.

The timing proved particularly disruptive given the match’s significance in the tournament. Both teams were competing in the 3-0 advancement round, where victory would secure their progression to the next playoffs of the tournament.

Fans speculate about potential causes of the disruption

In the absence of official explanation, viewers took to online forums and the restored stream’s YouTube chat to discuss potential causes. Copyright detection emerged as a leading theory among community members. Several viewers pointed to an advertisement from tournament sponsor Xplay.gg that features music bearing strong resemblance to the SpongeBob SquarePants theme song. YouTube’s automated Content ID system routinely flags such content for potential copyright infringement, even in cases where parody or fair use provisions might apply.

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Other community members suggested the issue could stem from the tournament’s complex sponsorship arrangements. Major esports events typically broadcast simultaneously across multiple platforms, each with distinct content policies and advertising restrictions. Managing sponsor visibility and promotional content across these various services requires careful coordination to avoid policy violations on any single platform.

The Budapest Major represents StarLadder’s return to organizing Counter-Strike Major tournaments after a six-year absence. The organization last hosted a Major in 2019, before the game’s transition to Counter-Strike 2. The current event features the world’s top teams competing for championship status in the game’s most prestigious tournament circuit.

Following the stream disruption, the tournament proceeded according to its published schedule. StarLadder has not announced any changes to its broadcasting setup or provided updates on the status of the original Stream A channel.