NiKo named player who could blow up in 2026

Falcons' Nikola "NiKo" Kovač named young Swedish player Liam "MaiL09" Tügel of Metizport as his Bold prediction for HLTV.org.

Recently, 16-year-old Tügel won the sixth season of FACEIT Counter-Strike 2 in the European region, ending Danil "donk" Kryshkovets' five-season winstreak. "I've played a couple of FACEIT games and scrims against him, and he's really sharp. His mechanics seems to be strong. He has great potential; it's all about how he develops", NiKo explained his choice.

As part of its traditional Bold prediction series, the editorial team of the authoritative portal HLTV.org is asking esports athletes ranked in the top 20 at the end of the year to name one player they believe will excel at the highest level in Counter-Strike 2. The candidate must meet two criteria: they have not yet played for a team in the top 20 in the world ranking, and they must be under 20 years old.

Kovač ranked 18th in HLTV.org's ranking of the best players on the pro Counter-Strike 2 scene in 2025. NiKo's average rating at the end of the year amounted to 1.13.

Origin: www.hltv.org