Turkish esports star İsmailcan “XANTARES” Dörtkardeş has once again secured a spot in HLTV.org’s annual list of the world’s best players.

CS2 fans spotted a hidden hint about Cache. Valve briefly used a radiation symbol in “2026,” fueling speculation about major map pool changes next year.

Mareks “YEKINDAR” Gaļinskis places 15th in HLTV’s Top 20 of 2025, showcasing elite form and helping FURIA reach new heights on the global stage.

Astralis announce dev1ce and Magisk’s exit as the team enters a rebuilding phase, while exploring the possibility of forming an international roster for the future.

MOUZ rifler xertioN ranks 16th in HLTV’s Top 20 Players of 2025, following a 14th-place finish in 2024 and reinforcing his status as one of the team’s core stars.

torzsi secures 17th place in HLTV’s Top 20 Players of 2025, solidifying his role as MOUZ’s AWPer and one of the most consistent CS2 players worldwide.

Team Falcons star NiKo placed 18th in HLTV’s Top 20 Players of 2025, marking his worst career ranking but extending his decade-long streak among Counter-Strike’s elite.

Romanian rifler Mihai “iM” Ivan has claimed 19th place in the HLTV Top 20 Players of 2025 ranking.

Ukrainian CS2 player Valerii “b1t” Vakhovskyi has secured 20th place in the prestigious HLTV Top 20 Players of 2025 ranking.

XotiC departs NRG after a five-month stint, while oSee steps into the active roster as the North American team prepares for a new season and key qualifiers.

M80 officially announce the signing of young American player Joshua “JBa” Barutt as a replacement for HexT in their CS lineup.

Swedish organization NIP Impact have announced that they are parting ways with their roster after the conclusion of the ESL Impact circuit.

North American organization M80 have officially announced the departure of Jadan “HexT” Postma, as the 24-year-old rifler’s contract has expired and will not be extended.

European esports organization GamerLegion has officially announced the signing of Polish Counter-Strike legend Janusz “Snax” Pogorzelski.

IEM Rio 2026 will be held in April in Rio de Janeiro with 16 teams competing for a $300,000 prize pool, with ticket sales starting on December 15.

Valve has introduced a significant update to its tournament regulations, officially banning the promotion of skin-gambling platforms, case-opening services, and similar websites across all

ashhh temporarily leaves his GamerLegion coaching role after revealing serious emotional burnout caused by nonstop workload, travel and declining health.

PGL has officially revealed that it will host the second Counter-Strike Major of 2026 in Singapore. The event is scheduled for November 25–December 13 and will feature a $1,250,000 prize pool.