CS2 Rising Stars: Which Players Will Shine in 2026?

Every year, the end of the Counter-Strike season is not only a time for summaries and awards, but also a moment when the scene looks toward the future. While compiling the Top 20 players of 2025, the best CS2 players shared their own “bold predictions,” naming young talents who, in their opinion, could make a breakthrough on the big stage in the near future. In this article, we have gathered all the players whom the elite of the scene consider potential stars of 2026.

Future Stars of the Professional CS2 Scene

Alongside already established Counter-Strike stars, the professional scene always keeps a close eye on young players who could become new leaders in the coming years. These are the players who eventually change teams, playstyles, and the balance of power at tournaments. Predictions from the Top 20 players of 2025 reflect the opinions of people who compete at the highest level every day and truly understand who has real potential. This section features the names of young talents worth following right now, according to the stars of the scene.

Dmytro “r0se” Pankiv

Our list opens with 14-year-old Ukrainian player Dmytro “ r0se ” Pankiv, who plays for B8 Academy. He does not yet have his own profile on HLTV.org or Liquipedia, but he has already attracted the attention of one of the best players on the professional CS2 scene.

r0se joined B8 Academy in October 2025 and has already competed in ESEA Advanced Season 55, finishing in 17–22nd place. In addition, he placed 8th in FACEIT Season 7 with 4,354 ELO. When asked why he chose r0se in his bold prediction, b1t responded that r0se will tell his own story when the time comes. Simple yet powerful words, suggesting that in the near future we may see this young talent at prestigious tournaments.

David “fnl” Mușuroiu

Next on the list is young Romanian professional player fnl, chosen by his compatriot Mihai “iM” Ivan. fnl is known for his performances with Monte Gen, where he recorded a number of wins on the tier-2 and tier-3 scene. In 2025, as part of HEROIC Academy, he secured first place at Gamebox Masters 2025. His average rating over the last three months stands at 1.02. iM notes that he often plays FACEIT with fnl and highlights his desire to learn and his resilience when things do not go his way.

Liam “MaiL09” Tügel

The young Swedish player, only 16 years old, appeared multiple times in the predictions of several players. He was selected by NiKo, XANTARES, Spinx, frozen, flameZ, and ropz, which speaks volumes about the respect he commands among the elite of the scene. MaiL09 is known for his time with Johnny Speeds and Metizport, where he spent just six months before being benched. Previously, Liam also announced that he decided to leave school to fully dedicate himself to esports, a decision supported by his parents. From topping FACEIT leaderboards to playing in European teams, MaiL09 has shown remarkable progress and drawn the attention of the very best, giving him every chance for rapid growth in his professional career.

Adrian “xelex” Vincze

Adrian “ xelex ” Vincze was a bold prediction from his compatriot torzsi. xelex plays for MOUZ NXT and has several victories on the tier-3 scene. He also competed at Intel Extreme Masters Katowice 2025 with MOUZ as a stand-in, finishing the tournament in 13–16th place. With an average rating of 1.13 for MOUZ NXT, torzsi emphasizes that he already picked xelex back in 2024 and notes his continuous improvement in the academy.

Klimentii “kl1m” Krivosheev

Another MOUZ player in the Top 20, xertioN, made his bold prediction by mentioning kl1m, who plays for MIBR. The 20-year-old has a 1.28 rating with MIBR, and although he has sometimes struggled in international competitions, he dominated Brazilian opponents when MIBR won ESL Challenger League Season 50 SA Cup 2, FERJEE Rush, and Circuit X South America Season 1 after his arrival. xertioN adds that joining a Brazilian team and immediately delivering strong individual performances without full team and organizational support is not easy, but kl1m is clearly moving in the right direction.

Vladislav “xiELO” Lysov

One of FURIA’s players, YEKINDAR, made his prediction for PARIVISION player xiELO, who has already proven himself. At the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, xiELO and his team finished in 15–16th place, one of their best results on the tier-1 scene. The FURIA player describes xiELO as part of the “new generation” and notes his rapid individual growth.

Anarbileg “cobrazera” Uuganbayar

Former The MongolZ player Senzu made his prediction for cobrazera, who replaced him in October 2025. With cobrazera, The MongolZ delivered a strong performance at the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, finishing 5–8th. cobrazera spent nearly two years with The Huns Esports and recorded an impressive 61% headshot rate. At the end of 2025, The MongolZ signed the young player to their active roster, and Senzu stated that he has the potential to break into the Top 20 players in the future.

Alex “poiii” Nyholm Sundgren

poiii became a bold prediction for two players: mezii and Twistzz. He has already made a name for himself on the tier-2 and tier-3 scene, winning several tournaments. At the beginning of the year, he joined 100 Thieves, where under the leadership of gla1ve he is starting a new chapter of his career alongside renowned players such as dev1ce and rain. Twistzz and mezii are confident that poiii has everything it takes to become a top-level player.

Gustavo “gtw” Porfirio

The first mention of the 15-year-old RED Canids Academy player came from KSCERATO. gtw has achieved modest success within the RED Canids academy, including wins on the tier-3 scene. KSCERATO notes that he follows gtw on social media and believes he has the potential to become a great player, but stresses the importance of being open to learning and protecting oneself from bad influences, which, according to the FURIA player, are plentiful in Brazilian CS.

Assanali “her1tage” Serikkali

Despite having only 45 maps played on HLTV, her1tage has already caught attention. According to molodoy, who made a bold prediction for him, they have known each other for a long time, dating back to playing in internet cafés. He describes her1tage as a talented and hardworking player who dreams of competing on the tier-1 scene. Ultimately, everything depends on the player himself, but molodoy believes that one day he will succeed and that we will hear his name at top-tier events.

Aleksey “xeedo” Mikulich

xeedo caught the attention of Team Spirit AWPer sh1ro, who mentioned him in his bold prediction. xeedo had a productive 2025, winning three consecutive local LAN tournaments with K27. sh1ro also mentioned that he played FACEIT with him several times and hopes that xeedo will achieve success.

Ulysse “Katkame” Thiebaul

The best player and AWPer of the year, ZywOo, mentioned his compatriot Ulysse “Katkame” Thiebault in his prediction. The 16-year-old sniper had 3,400 ELO on FACEIT at the time the Top 20 players of 2025 were announced. ZywOo calls him the most promising French player with huge potential. There were also rumors that Katkame could join the Vitality academy, which is currently being formed. It is possible that we will see the young sniper at official tournaments in the near future.

Names to Remember

Predictions from the Top 20 players of 2025 once again demonstrate how deep and diverse the pool of young talent in CS2 truly is. Most of these players are just starting their journey, competing in academies or on the tier-2 and tier-3 scene, yet they are already attracting the attention of world-class stars. Whether they can take the next step—establishing themselves in top teams and handling the pressure of the big stage—remains to be seen. One thing is clear, however: these are the names worth following in 2026, as each of them has the potential to become the next big star of professional Counter-Strike.