We often hear that there is no future in esports after 25/27/30 years, and that only young and hungry players can perform at the top level. Today, the CS.MONEY Blog tells the story of the five oldest players at the Budapest Major.
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Karrigan (FaZe Clan, 35 years old)
A Counter-Strike legend who keeps breaking stereotypes. Karrigan is the only player at the Budapest Major who made it into the HLTV Top 20 of the year back in the era of Counter-Strike 1.6! His experience helps him get the maximum out of his talented teammates, and the Danish captain himself still shows very solid numbers. It’s no surprise that he is often named as one of the main candidates for the greatest IGL of all time.
Snappi (NiP, 35 years old)
Compared to Karrigan, Snappi’s career may look less flashy. Still, Marco has earned almost half a million dollars in prize money. Considering that he never really played for true tier-1 teams (the most famous being Heroic, ENCE, and the early Team Falcons roster), this is a very strong result.
MAJ3R (Aurora, 34 years old)
When people say “Captain Turkey,” they mean MAJ3R. For almost the last ten years, he has been part of the best Turkish lineup. It doesn’t matter which tag the top Turkish players used: Space Soldiers, Eternal Fire, or now Aurora Gaming — MAJ3R leads them forward. And the win at PGL Masters Bucharest 2025 proves that you can still be at the top at 34.
FalleN (FURIA, 34 years old)
The godfather of Brazilian Counter-Strike. This short description would be enough, but Gabriel is not ready to stop. The story of FURIA, a team that reinvented itself and reached the top of the world rankings, is truly impressive. At the same time, FalleN is still playing at a high level, and it’s very possible we will see him lifting big trophies again.
apEX (Team Vitality, 32 years old)
This man knows how to play the villain and how to make any tournament more exciting. But it’s not just about the gestures he uses to hype up the crowd. apEX is the captain of the best team of 2025, and it doesn’t look like he plans to leave esports anytime soon. Dupreeh has won five Majors, and the French captain seems serious about beating that record.
Bonus: Marek (Rare Atom, 32 years old)
All the players above are legends who have stayed at the top for many years. But at the Budapest Major, there is a player who is making his Valve tournament debut at the age of 32. During his career, he played for Chinese giants like EHOME and iG, worked as a coach, and then got another chance as a player. He didn’t repeat the story of Ceb from Dota 2. Still, even qualifying for the main winter tournament is enough for Marek to inspire many players.
The world of Counter-Strike is very diverse, and we keep telling stories about all its different sides. Follow our social media to stay up to date with everything interesting!
