HLTV announces nominees for the best CS2 player title of 2025 in each role

HLTV.org has announced the list of esports athletes competing for the title of the best Counter-Strike 2 player of 2025 in each role. Ten nominees have been submitted for the following categories: Opener, Closer, IGL, AWPer, Anchor and Coach. The jury will also select the Highlight of the Year in 2025.

On December 28, HLTV will reveal three finalists for each of these categories, while the winners in each category will be announced on January 10, 2026, during the HLTV Awards 2025 ceremony. They will be chosen by a specially selected jury featuring representatives of the pro Counter-Strike 2 scene, analysts, casters, and members of the HLTV.org editorial team. A list of all jury members can be found via the link.

Nominees for AWPer of the Year:

Nominees for Opener of the Year:

Nominees for Closer of the Year:

Nominees for Anchor of the Year:

Nominees for IGL of the Year:

Nominees for Coach of the Year:

Nominees for Highlight of the Year:

Danil "⁠donk⁠" Kryshkovets 1v4 vs Astralis
Danil "⁠donk⁠" Kryshkovets 1v5 vs Vitality
Yi "⁠JamYoung⁠" Yang Deagle 4k vs MIBR
Bryan "⁠Maka⁠" Canda 1 Taps vs NAVI
Robin "⁠ropz⁠" Kool 2 second Ace vs 3DMAX
Russel "⁠Twistzz⁠" Van Dulken 4K (1v3) vs NAVI
Ihor "⁠w0nderful⁠" Zhdanov 1v4 vs The MongolZ
Kacper "⁠xKacpersky⁠" Gabara 4K vs NAVI
Sike "⁠z4kr⁠" Zhang 1v5 vs paIN
Ivan "⁠zweih⁠" Gogin Ace vs Falcons