The HLTV Awards 2025 have delivered a clear message: this was the year of dominance. A 35-member expert panel has selected the All-Star Team of the Year, along with individual awards across seven competitive categories, highlighting the players, coaches, and moments that defined the CS2 season.

For the fourth consecutive year since 2022, HLTV assembled a diverse voting panel consisting of on-air talent, HLTV newsroom members, and representatives from the world’s elite teams. Among the voters were notable names such as Dan “apEX” Madesclaire, Ismailcan “XANTARES” Dörtkardeş, and Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken, ensuring a balance of professional insight and competitive perspective.

Opener of the Year: donk Stands Alone

1. Danil “donk” Kryshkovets (175 points)
2. Shahar “flameZ” Shushan (59 points)
3. Mareks “YEKINDAR” Gaļinskis (26 points)

This category was effectively decided before the votes were tallied. Every single panel member placed donk at the top, crowning him the undisputed Opener of the Year. His relentless aggression, mechanical consistency, and impact rounds made him the most feared entry fragger of 2025.

flameZ secured a convincing second place, while YEKINDAR narrowly edged out XANTARES to round off the podium.

Closer of the Year: ropz in Control

1. Robin “ropz” Kool (169 points)
2. Kaike “KSCERATO” Cerato (79 points)
3. David “frozen” Čerňanský (29 points)

Few players controlled late-round scenarios like ropz in 2025. Ranked first by 32 of the 35 panel members, the Estonian star once again proved why he is considered the gold standard for closing rounds under pressure.

KSCERATO was the only other player to receive first-place votes, while frozen edged out Spinx to claim third.

Anchor of the Year: mezii’s Title-Laden Campaign

1. William “mezii” Merriman (163 points)
2. Nikita “HeavyGod” Martynenko (60 points)
3. Valeriy “b1t” Vakhovskiy (35 points)

Anchoring is often a thankless role, but mezii made it impossible to ignore. After a trophy-filled year, he dominated the Anchor of the Year vote, receiving 31 first-place rankings.

HeavyGod’s role in G2’s rebuild earned him second, while b1t followed up his 2024 win with a respectable third-place finish.

AWPer of the Year: ZywOo Reclaims His Throne

1. Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut (163 points)
2. Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov (91 points)
3. Dmitry “sh1ro” Sokolov (32 points)

ZywOo’s return to the top of the AWPer rankings felt inevitable. After finishing second last year, the French superstar reclaimed the title in dominant fashion, securing Vitality’s fourth All-Star inclusion.

m0NESY and sh1ro completed the top three, mirroring their positions from previous editions.

IGL of the Year: apEX Leads the Way

1. Dan “apEX” Madesclaire (171 points)
2. Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo (85 points)
3. Garidmagnai “bLitz” Byambasuren (20 points)

Leadership was never in question. apEX guided his team to nine trophies in 2025, including Major victories in Austin and Budapest, making his IGL of the Year win a formality.

FalleN’s successful transition into a rifling anchor role earned him second, while bLitz narrowly edged out chopper for third.

Coach of the Year: XTQZZZ Completes Vitality’s Sweep

1. Rémy “XTQZZZ” Quoniam (140 points)
2. Erdenedalai “maaRaa” Bayanbat (50 points)
3. Sergey “hally” Shavaev (35 points)

XTQZZZ’s strategic vision and structure earned him Coach of the Year, marking the fifth Vitality member in the All-Star lineup. maaRaa’s work with The MongolZ secured second place, while hally followed up his 2024 runner-up finish with third.

Highlight of the Year: donk Delivers Again

1. donk 1v5 clutch vs. Vitality (133 points)
2. Twistzz Deagle 1v3 vs. NAVI (47 points)
3. ropz two-second ace vs. 3DMAX (39 points)

For the second year in a row, donk claimed Highlight of the Year. His unforgettable 1v5 clutch against Vitality wasn’t just mechanically insane — it was a defining moment of the season.

HLTV All-Star Team of the Year 2025

Opener: Danil “donk” Kryshkovets
Closer: Robin “ropz” Kool
Anchor: William “mezii” Merriman
AWPer: Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut
IGL: Dan “apEX” Madesclaire
Coach: Rémy “XTQZZZ” Quoniam

HLTV Community Awards 2025: The Fans Have Spoken

The HLTV Community Awards 2025 once again highlighted the heartbeat of Counter-Strike. Decided entirely by user votes, the awards celebrate the personalities, events, creators, and in-game artistry that resonated most with the CS2 community throughout the year.

Unlike the expert-driven All-Star selections, the Community Awards are determined 100% by active HLTV users. Categories included Talent, Event, Streamer, Creator, and Skin of the Year — all designed to reflect what fans valued most in 2025.

Voting took place across two rounds to avoid vote splitting, with the final polls closing on December 31. Only users registered before December 9 were eligible, ensuring results driven by long-standing members of the HLTV community.

Talent of the Year: BanKs Goes Back-to-Back

1. James “BanKs” Banks (42.3%)
2. Chad “SPUNJ” Burchill (35.3%)
3. Freya “Freya” Spiers (22.4%)

For the second year in a row, BanKs was crowned Talent of the Year, cementing his status as one of Counter-Strike’s most recognizable and respected on-air figures. His sharp hosting, deep scene knowledge, and ability to elevate big moments once again resonated with fans.

SPUNJ continued his remarkable consistency with another second-place finish, while Freya secured her first-ever top-three placement — a strong sign of her growing presence within the broadcast space.

Event of the Year: Budapest Major Takes the Crown

1. StarLadder Budapest Major (37%)
2. BLAST.tv Austin Major (34.2%)
3. IEM Cologne (28.8%)

The StarLadder Budapest Major edged out fierce competition to win Event of the Year, narrowly surpassing BLAST.tv Austin and the ever-iconic IEM Cologne.

With Vitality lifting the trophy, Budapest delivered not just elite Counter-Strike, but a fitting conclusion to an already historic season — blending atmosphere, storylines, and championship-level play.

Streamer of the Year: ohnePixel’s Three-Peat

1. Mark “ohnePixel” Zimmermann (59.3%)
2. Erik “fl0m” Flom (23.3%)
3. Vadim “Evelone192” Kozakov (17.4%)

There was no doubt in this category. ohnePixel claimed his third consecutive Streamer of the Year award with a commanding majority of the votes.

Known for blending high-level CS insight with skin culture and community interaction, the German streamer continues to define what modern Counter-Strike streaming looks like. fl0m maintained his second-place position from last year, while Evelone192 entered the top three for the first time.

Creator of the Year: dima_aimbots Takes Over

1. dima_aimbots (50.9%)
2. NadeKing (30.1%)
3. Virre (19%)

dima_aimbots was voted Creator of the Year after surpassing 2024 winner NadeKing. His highly shareable, mechanically focused content struck a chord with fans, particularly those drawn to precision and raw skill.

NadeKing finished second, while Swedish filmmaker Virre repeated his third-place result with another year of cinematic Counter-Strike storytelling.

Skin of the Year: Printstream Reigns Supreme

1. JTPNZ – AWP | Printstream (50.1%)
2. Horameow – Glock-18 | Shinobu (32.9%)
3. dwern – M4A4 | Full Throttle (17%)

In the newest Community Awards category, JTPNZ’s AWP | Printstream claimed Skin of the Year, securing just over half of all votes.

The sleek, high-contrast design once again proved irresistible to the CS community. Horameow’s Glock-18 Shinobu followed in second, while dwern’s M4A4 Full Throttle completed the podium.

A Snapshot of the CS2 Community in 2025

The HLTV Community Awards continue to offer a unique insight into what fans truly value — from trusted broadcast talent and unforgettable events to creators and skins that shape Counter-Strike culture beyond the server.

As CS2 continues to evolve, one thing remains constant: the community’s voice is louder than ever.