Fantastic FUT are firing on all cylinders in 2026 – underestimate them at your peril

We’re three Tier 1 CS2 events into 2026 now, and one team is standing out more than any other: FUT. A lineup of young guns foregoing experience in favor of sheer firepower. Largely lacking in experience, compensating for it with good old-fashioned mechanics.

They’ve got that youthful cockiness about them, too, frequently getting louder than their opponents on the other side of the server. FalleN has already had to call off the hordes of fans attacking FUT’s behaviour on social media, after FURIA were on the receiving end of their in-game tirades during PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026. You either really love or hate this sort of thing. Marmite stuff.

Pessoal alguns fãs aparentemente estão enviando hate para o pessoal da FUT – não seja esse cara.
Enviando mensagens de ameaças e tirando “sarro” do fato deles jogarem vibrando e comemorando.

Evite fazer com os outros o que não gostaria que fosse feito com vc, básico…

— Gabriel Toledo (@FalleNCS) February 15, 2026

The thing about FUT is that they’re backing up their antics with results on the server. They currently sit in the 2:1 pool in the Swiss group at PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026, having beaten both Astralis and Aurora, while only losing a very close match to FURIA. Going toe to toe with some of the best CS2 teams in the world, with only a small amount of LAN experience on their side. It’s no small feat, and you’d be silly to bet against them reaching the Playoffs at this point.

dem0n and dziugss: Two stars are born

Spearheading FUT’s incredible 2026 form so far are dem0n and dziugss. Despite being 18 and 17 years old respectively, their online grind during their NAVI Junior days means they’ve probably played more officials than you’ve had hot dinners. That’s a gross exaggeration, but you get my point – they’ve been on the grind in the lower tiers, honing their skills while coming through as two of the most exciting CS2 talents out there right now.

This duo has been a nightmare for their opponents this year. Neither has been playing particularly glamorous roles on paper, juggling anchor roles on CT while playing on the extremities of the T side. Despite this, the numbers paint a pretty picture for the pair. Looking at dem0n, a few things stand out. On LAN in 2026, he has had a 17.9% multi-kill round percentage, as well as a 1.11 rating vs. top five opponents so far. dziugss’ stats don’t hold up quite as well against the very best, but a 1.10 T-side rating during 2026 LAN matches so far this year are pretty absurd for the positions he plays.

Sometimes, players just pass the eye test, too. It’s not very analytical, I know, but in this case, you just have to watch them in action. Their mechanics rival the very best, which is why MAJ3R recently claimed FUT shoot as hard as Falcons, Spirit, and Vitality in a recent interview with HLTV. If you want perhaps the best illustration of this, go watch their Mirage win over Astralis during PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026. dem0n and dziugss made life a misery for Astralis, dominant over some very mechanically talented players. Make one mistake, and they’ll punish you.

ABSOLUTE CINEMA pic.twitter.com/WRmgFxo6kp

— FUT Esports (@FUTesportsgg) February 16, 2026

Mirage is a real fortress for FUT

Real FUT lovers will know that Mirage has become a total fortress for the team, even in the face of increasingly difficult opposition. A lineup of kids forged in the fires of 3AM FACEIT lobbies; of course they’re going to be great on Mirage.

Right now, they’re on a 13-match win streak on Mirage, beating Astralis (x2), FURIA (x2), Aurora, and G2 on it in that time. It’s an impressive list of scalps to take, and to be able to turn such a coin-flip map into a consistent win is a good omen for their future.

We’re already seeing their adaptability outside of Mirage, too. At IEM Krakow 2026, FUT lost to Astralis 2:1. They won Mirage, of course, before losing a tight Overpass and a dominant Nuke. When faced with the rematch at PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026, the first two maps were the same. This time, they won Mirage in even more convincing fashion, but also managed to win a strong 13:7 Overpass, showing how quickly they can learn from their mistakes.

In young teams, adaptability can be a real problem. They take too long to learn. FUT seem to be the opposite, a team of sponges ready to absorb all the wisdom that coach coolio throws at them. Again, another great omen.

The other pieces of FUT

It wouldn’t just be lazy to suggest that FUT only work because of stars dem0n and dziugss – it would be factually incorrect. Not only are the other pieces extremely strong, but they still amount to being more than the sum of their parts.

Starting with Krabeni – at just 20 years old, he is in-game leading one of the best up-and-coming CS2 teams. It’s rare you see a player take the IGL mantle at such a young age, so to do so impressively while owning a fearless brand of CS is to be celebrated. He’s hardly a bot, either – a 1.06 rating on LAN this year is nothing to scoff at as IGL, although you do see a stark dip against the top teams. Still, as the brains of the operation, Krabeni is a key piece of the puzzle.

Then you have lauNX, who replaced makazze when he was promoted to NAVI‘s main roster as the rest were sold to FUT. He is by far the most experienced player on the team, having played for Sprout and Falcons in years gone by. Once seen as the next big thing, but many had already written him off as a failed talent. So far in 2026, he’s given Tier 1 Counter-Strike a reminder of his abilities, the perfect glue piece to keep this roster ticking. He’s the guy getting loud when the going’s good, too, a much-needed injection of energy to provide an intangible edge in that LAN environment.

The only piece I’m less sure on is cmtry. The 18-year-old AWPer is the only one who looks every bit as inexperienced as he actually is, and is frequently missing opportunities to have more impact. Again, he’s not a bot vastly outmatched at this level, but you certainly want to see a little more from your AWPer if you want to remain at the top. That’s not to say he’s a write-off; he’s just a kid who needs more experience at the top. But as FUT’s ambitions continue to grow as their level becomes clear, he would stand out as the “upgradeable” piece as it stands.

There’s still some growing pains FUT must navigate to remain at the top

For all of this, it has to be mentioned that FUT aren’t perfect, obviously. They are still losing matches, as more experienced teams find ways to win despite the firepower advantage, relying on brains over aim. So they aren’t the finished article, with some silly mistakes still costing them. This great piece of analysis from YNk shows one example pretty well in their loss to FURIA.

FUT is playing some good CS but you have to be more careful going up against the top teams pic.twitter.com/UMS7o9KTaR

— Janko Paunovic (@YNk) February 15, 2026

At map and series point, just a single footstep from lauNX loses them the entire round. That’s the level of detail that matters at the very top of the game. One mistake, and even “bad” Tier 1 teams will punish you. FUT seem to be excellent at the macro – they just need to sort out the micro.

What must NAVI be thinking?

At this point, we all know the story. NAVI Junior get too good for an academy team, and start approaching event invite range where they’d have to decline invites due to the main NAVI roster being in attendance. As a compromise, NAVI promote makazze and sell the rest of the lineup to FUT. Everyone’s happy.

But looking at these teams right now, I’m not sure NAVI are any better than FUT. In a match against a random top 10 team, I’d probably favor the latter right now. You have to wonder, if given the opportunity to go back in time, would NAVI take a chance on any more of its academy players? It would be a bold move, sure, but it’s a question worth asking.

As the season continues, it will be fascinating to see how FUT continue to develop. Can they continue to make those important adjustments when faced with top opposition? Can they resolve those micro-issues? Do NAVI have a buyback clause, and would they use it? So many interesting questions, making FUT the team to watch for the rest of the CS2 season.