Every year the respected HLTV portal sums up the results and picks the twenty best professional players in Counter-Strike 2. The CS.MONEY Blog explains what this ranking is, why it matters, and who is the best player of 2025.
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What is HLTV Top 20?
At the end of every year since 2010, HLTV selects twenty players and publishes the list. Over time, this tradition grew from a simple ranking into a full event with a ceremony, awards, predictions, and even fan activities. For a pro player, making it into HLTV’s Top 20 is like winning an Oscar or lifting the Ballon d’Or in football.
The ranking also works as a kind of history book for CS. A quick look at the best players shows which teams, countries, and playstyles dominated at different times. For example, the rise of European teams, Brazil’s takeover, then Astralis returning to the throne. HLTV’s Top 20 is one of the biggest things in CS2 esports.
How is the ranking calculated?
If you take HLTV stats for the year and simply sort players by rating… the result will almost never match the final list. Why? Because HLTV doesn’t just use math — it’s a full evaluation by their experts.
Here’s what they look at:
- Individual performance. A good player must perform well. Sounds simple, but not all matches have the same weight. A strong showing in a group stage match is one thing, but doing the same in the IEM Katowice final matters way more.
- Team achievements. A star in a weak team probably won’t make the Top 20. On the other hand, if a team wins two Majors in a year, usually the whole roster appears in the ranking — just like Astralis players in 2018–2019.
- Consistency. A couple of good tournaments aren’t enough. HLTV values players who deliver throughout the year: more playoff matches, more positive ratings, more impact in victories. The more consistent a player is, the higher they will rank.
- Details and subjective factors. HLTV experts also consider extra points when comparing players. It’s not a secret: each player in the Top 20 gets a full article on HLTV explaining why they placed 9th instead of 13th, for example.
Another part of the ranking is Bold Prediction. HLTV asks the Top 20 players to name a young talent who they think will break into the rankings in the coming years and explain their choice. These predictions often come true — and sometimes super fast. In 2019, Ethan predicted Brollan from Fnatic, and the very next day Brollan appeared in 19th place on the list.
Who appeared in HLTV Top 20 list the most?
Over the years, about 50 different players made the list, but only two did it almost every time: Nikola “NiKo” Kovač and Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz. Both entered the Top 20 nine times — a record that probably won’t be broken soon. Players like ZywOo and ropz are still a few appearances behind, though NiKo could extend his streak this year too.
Who ranked number one the most?
Two players share the record for first place: Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev and Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut. Each was named player of the year three times.
Usually, the number one spot goes to the same player more than once. Marcelo “coldzera” David and Christopher “GeT_RiGhT” Alesund both got it twice. Olof “olofmeister” Kajbjer and Danil “donk” Kryshkovets won it once each — though donk could win his second title this year. The big HLTV Top 20 storyline in 2025 is the battle between donk and ZywOo.
Which countries appeared in the ranking the most?
Since the start, European players dominated the HLTV Top 20 — about two-thirds of all spots. Next are North America and South America. Asia had only a few players, and Africa none at all.
The top five countries with the most appearances are:
- Denmark, 42 times
- Sweden, 30 times
- France, 24 times
- Russia, 19 times
- Brazil, 16 times
Meanwhile, only one player ever represented countries like Lithuania, Guatemala, Romania, Hungary, Spain, Germany, and Bulgaria. Until recently, Turkey was also on this list, but XANTARES finally made it into the Top 20 last year, becoming only the second Turkish player ever.
This year HLTV will reveal the Top 20 around New Year’s Eve, right after the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 ends. The biggest intrigue: who will take first place, ZywOo or donk? Their stats are almost tied, so the Major in Bucharest will likely decide the #1 spot.
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