Best Young CS2 Players to Watch For 2026

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 2026 season now underway, it’s time to take a look at the best young CS2 players to watch for the rest of the year.

Dawy (Inner Circle)

• Rating (2025): 1.13

David “Dawy” Bibik goes completely under the radar as one of the best young CS2 players on the scene right now. Part of this is due to the fact that he plays for Inner Circle, a team we’ve rarely seen in Tier 1 as of yet. But when we have seen them, Dawy is the standout star. So far, he has mustered an impressive 1.15 rating against top-five opponents, with a decent sample size of 10 maps. The 18-year-old Ukrainian rifler is doing this as a round opener, showing he’s levels above his peers mechanically. If Inner Circle don’t quickly find more Tier 1 invites, expect Dawy to be given the chance to shine elsewhere.

poiii (100 Thieves)

• Rating (2025): 1.12

Alex “poiii” Nyholm Sundgren is one of the most exciting pieces plucked from obscurity to play for the new 100 Thieves roster. He spent his 2025 across both EYEBALLERS and Alliance, where he caught the eye with an impressive 1.12 rating over the course of the year. The Swede is considered to be one of the best young CS2 players to emerge from the region for a long time, and in rain and dev1ce, he has two excellent mentors who will be able to help take his game to another level. Although poiii faces the daunting prospect of having to take 100 Thieves from nothing to the top, it will be a true test of where the 19-year-old is at right now.

lauNX (FUT)

• Rating (2025): 1.15

When you look at the exciting young FUT roster, it’s usually dem0n and dziugss who take the headlines. However, I’m going to highlight Laurențiu “lauNX” Țârlea as the real one to watch throughout 2026. At 20, he’s a couple of years older than the headline-grabbers on FUT, but he already has a wealth of experience on teams like Falcons, Sprout, BLEED, and Nexus that really make lauNX one of the best young CS2 players you should be paying attention to this year. I’ve been very impressed with his consistency, retaining a very solid level regardless of the opponent.

nota (PARIVISION)

• Rating (2025): 1.06

Emil “nota” Moskvitin took his time coming into his own on PARIVISION, but now, he’s here to play. An explosive performance to carry his team to victory in the Final of BLAST Bounty Season 1 2026 has thrust nota into the spotlight, and his early-season form in 2026 suggests he’s going to stick around. An opener by trade, he has been essential in establishing PARIVISION as one of the teams to beat so far this year. Let’s see if the 18-year-old can keep it up, or if we’re simply witnessing an excellent purple patch from the youngster.

MaiL09 (Alliance)

• Rating (2025): 1.11

It’s pretty incredible that despite only being 16 years old, Liam “MaiL09” Tügel has been playing professional Counter-Strike for over two years now. He’s played for teams like GODSENT, Johnny Speeds, Metizport, and now Alliance, and is seen as one of the great hopes of Swedish CS going forward. MaiL09 has found the jump from FACEIT pugs to pro CS tough, and hasn’t immediately made the leap to the big leagues. But at his age, he deserves a ton of leeway, as there’s clearly an excellent player to be found there. He’s one of the best young CS2 players to watch this year, and we’re all keen to see if he can make some big steps forward in his development as a player.