Although some veterans stick around for years on end, Counter-Strike is often a young man’s game. Every year, talents come and go, the hype train building up and tearing down players in equal measure. At any given time, there are plenty of exciting young talents in CS, and following their progress can be one of the most interesting things about the esports scene. With the 2025 season set to get underway, it’s time to take a look at the best young CS2 players to watch for the rest of the year.
PR (GamerLegion)
- Rating (2025): 1.09
Oldřich “PR” Nový is the latest youngster to emerge from the seemingly endless GamerLegion talent factory. A MOUZ NXT alumni, too, PR has enjoyed his first year in Tier 1 in 2025, putting up a 1.09 rating across the year while playing largely CS2 anchor positions. Considering he’s still just 17 years old, PR’s rookie year couldn’t have gone better, and he’s one of the best young CS2 players to watch in the rest of 2025. No doubt, once the year is done, the big dogs will be sniffing around PR to level up their lineups.
kyousuke (Falcons)
- Rating (2025): 1.30
Maksim “kyousuke” Lukin is the low-hanging fruit to put on this list. He’s arguably the most exciting Counter-Strike talent in many years, a status amplified by his multiple similarities to donk. But rather than making the jump from Spirit Academy to Team Spirit, kyousuke has chosen a different path, instead choosing to join up with mega-money Falcons for his Tier 1 debut. His 1.30 may look impressive, but he has yet to face a top 30 VRS team this year, and he’ll be expected to help Falcons compete for the top trophies from day one. Can he live up to the hype, or will kyousuke be just another player when he makes the step up? That’s what makes him one of the best young CS2 players to watch for the rest of 2025.
zweih (Team Spirit)
- Rating (2025): 1.12
Ivan “zweih” Gogin is taking a leap in level after his CS2 roster change from Nemiga to Team Spirit. He’ll get to play with donk, and be expected to offer a firepower upgrade over the outgoing magixx. Throughout 2025, 17-year-old zweih has impressed from tough spots, amassing a 1.12 total rating while playing with Nemiga at numerous Tier 1 events. There are some definite question marks over this one, but that’s a great reason why he’s one of the best young CS2 players to watch over the course of this year.
gr1ks (HEROIC)
- Rating (2025): 1.18
Gleb “gr1ks” Gazin has the potential to move the needle for HEROIC. After selling SunPayus to G2, they’ve gone with a more unknown quantity, picking up the Belarusian AWPer from the ex-Aurora roster. He’s been an absolute monster in Tier 2, with a strong 1.18 rating so far in 2025. However, AWPers typically have the hardest jump to the top level, and the coming months will be the true test of gr1ks’ ceiling. At 19, he has time to adapt, but a team like HEROIC will be expecting moderate success from the off.
npl (B8)
- Rating (2025): 1.16
It seems like an eternity ago that Andrij “npl” Kukharsjkyj was struggling on NAVI’s main lineup alongside electroNic and s1mple. In his two-year loan stint at B8, npl has come on leaps and bounds as a player and finally seems ready to establish himself in Tier 1. Despite his experience, he’s still just 19, yet has already taken up the in-game leader mantle and performed admirably. His 1.16 rating for 2025 is incredible given his role, and it’s not like he’s just farming Tier 2, either. B8 and npl have played their fair share of Tier 1 events, but he’s keeping up much better than he was two years ago on NAVI. It may not be the flashy pick, but npl has to be among the best young CS2 players to watch throughout the rest of 2025.
