B1t Ranked 9th on HLTV's List of the Best Players of 2024

On Jan 5, 2025, HLTV announced the 9th place in its ranking of the top 20 players of 2024 in Counter-Strike 2. This spot was claimed by the Ukrainian player Valeriy "b1t" Vakhovskiy. Notably, this is the third time the player has made the list, matching his previous record by securing 9th place in the ranking.

This year, the Natus Vincere core player showcased excellent statistics, reaffirming why he is considered one of the best young players in the scene. His overall rating was 1.13, KPR – 0.73, KAST – 74.5%, and impact rating – 1.12. It is worth mentioning that b1t was a key factor in NAVI's success this year, which also contributed to his position on this list.

Career Highlights and Achievements

B1t began his esports journey with NaVi Junior and, due to his exceptional gameplay, was promoted to the main roster of NAVI. Since 2020, he has been a cornerstone of Natus Vincere, improving with every tournament. In his first year, he achieved remarkable success, winning the BLAST Premier Final twice, Intel Extreme Masters XVI - Cologne, Intel Grand Slam Season 3, and PGL Major Stockholm 2021. Few players can boast such accomplishments. Additionally, he was awarded the title of Esports PC Rookie of the Year 2021 for his outstanding performance.

In 2022 and 2023, the team’s and b1t’s performance slightly declined, impacting his rankings during those years. However, in 2024, NAVI demonstrated why they are called "Born to Win." They triumphed at PGL Major Copenhagen 2024, Esports World Cup 2024, ESL Pro League Season 20, and Intel Extreme Masters Rio 2024, with B1t emerging as one of the best players in these tournaments.

2024 Recap and Bold Prediction

Natus Vincere became one of the best teams of the year, and b1t played a significant role in their success. The player maintained a rating above 1.15 in almost all S-tier tournaments, even reaching as high as 1.40 in some events. When asked about the secret to such outstanding performances, b1t shared the following insight:

"What was happening in the team? We trained a lot, had the drive and desire to win, good synergy, strong individual performances from every player, a solid psychological approach, a great coach and analyst, constructive discussions, and clear conclusions, among other things."

Regarding individual accolades in 2024, b1t earned recognition as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) at the Esports World Cup and received three EVP (Exceptionally Valuable Player) awards. These included one for NAVI's second-place finish at IEM Cologne, a Super-Elite event, and two more from title victories at ESL Pro League Season 20 and IEM Rio.

Bold prediction: Nikita "⁠jackasmo⁠" Skyba, a player from the team Passion UA, which made a sensational appearance at the Perfect World Shanghai Major this year.