Vitality may have walked away with the HLTV Team of the Year award, but 2025 was defined by far more than just one dominant dynasty. From dramatic roster overhauls to late-season surges and Major-defining runs, this was a year packed with storylines that reshaped the CS2 hierarchy.
Using the HLTV World Ranking as the foundation — factoring in total points earned and average points per event — and evaluating stable three-player cores rather than organizations, here’s how the top 10 teams of 2025 truly stacked up.
10. FaZe
FaZe’s 2025 was nothing short of chaotic. The departure of Robin “ropz” Kool and the arrival of Jonathan “EliGE” Jablonowski forced a stylistic reset that never quite clicked early on. Playoff appearances were rare, and deep runs only came at lower-stakes PGL events.
A desperate mid-season gamble saw Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev briefly return to relevance, pushing FaZe into the playoffs of the BLAST.tv Austin Major. But inconsistency remained, leading to further changes — including the introduction of Jakub “jcobbb” Pietruszewski and a dramatic return of Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken.
Written off heading into the StarLadder Budapest Major, FaZe instead produced one of the runs of the year, battling all the way to the grand final before falling to Vitality. That Major performance alone cemented their place inside the top 10.
Source: HLTV. Edited photo
9. G2
Life after NiKo was never going to be easy. G2 entered 2025 on top of the rankings but quickly felt the loss of their talismanic star. Despite flashes of promise — including a PGL Bucharest final — the team struggled to find consistency, especially after the departure of Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov.
The arrival of coach Eetu “sAw” Saha and bold role changes reignited G2’s ceiling. A dominant run at BLAST Open London, powered by Nikita “HeavyGod” Martynenko, reminded everyone of their potential. While that level proved difficult to sustain, London alone was enough to earn G2 ninth.
Source: HLTV. Edited photo
8. Aurora
Aurora entered 2025 with momentum and spent much of the year inside the world’s top five. Consistent playoff appearances and a runner-up finish at BLAST Bounty Season 1 showed they could challenge anyone.
However, Major disappointment struck twice. Failing to make playoffs at BLAST.tv Austin Major and missing Stage 3 in Budapest dented their case. Still, victories at PGL Masters Bucharest and a deep Esports World Cup run ensured Aurora remained among the elite.
Source: HLTV. Edited photo
7. Natus Vincere
NAVI couldn’t quite replicate their 2024 heroics, but their first half of 2025 remained rock solid. Top-four finishes at IEM Katowice and BLAST Bounty reinforced their elite status.
Roster turbulence mid-year disrupted their rhythm, but the emergence of academy prospect Drin “makazze” Shaqiri offered hope. A strong top-four showing at StarLadder Budapest Major ultimately nudged NAVI ahead of Aurora in a razor-thin battle.
Source: HLTV. Edited photo
6. Falcons
Falcons’ long-term project finally began to pay off in 2025. Early silverware at PGL Bucharest hinted at progress, but everything changed with the arrival of m0NESY.
From that moment on, Falcons were a consistent top-four machine, stacking nine deep finishes across the year and proving they could hang with the best. While a Major breakthrough still eluded them, their trajectory was undeniable.
Source: HLTV. Edited photo
5. FURIA
Few teams experienced a bigger transformation than FURIA. A disastrous start led to bold, widely questioned roster changes — including switching to English comms and benching long-time staples.
The gamble paid off spectacularly. FURIA surged to the top of the rankings with four titles in five events, peaking around IEM Chengdu. A quarter-final exit at Budapest couldn’t overshadow one of the strongest late-year runs in CS2 history.
Source: HLTV. Edited photo
4. The MongolZ
2025 was the year The MongolZ truly arrived. From Katowice to Austin, they consistently went deep and finally claimed silverware at the Esports World Cup.
Their second-place finish at BLAST.tv Austin Major was the ultimate statement. Even late-season roster disruption couldn’t derail a campaign defined by fearlessness, aggression, and historic success for Mongolian Counter-Strike.
Source: HLTV. Edited photo
3. MOUZ
Consistency defined MOUZ’s year. After early instability, they settled into one of the most reliable top-four teams in the world, stacking finals and semifinals across nearly every major event.
Their IEM Cologne runner-up finish — including a victory over Vitality — highlighted just how close they came to true dominance. Even without a Major run to the final stages, MOUZ were relentlessly elite.
Source: HLTV. Edited photo
2. Spirit
Spirit entered 2025 as Major champions and largely lived up to expectations. Four trophies, including IEM Cologne, reinforced their place at the very top of the scene.
Roster changes brought short-term turbulence, but Spirit always rebounded when it mattered most. Another Major semi-final capped a year that firmly secured them as the second-best team of 2025.
Source: HLTV. Edited photo
1. Vitality
There was never any doubt.
Vitality’s 2025 stands as the greatest single season in Counter-Strike history. Nine tournament wins, two Major trophies, a 30-match win streak, and record-shattering MVP achievements from Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut defined an era.
Even brief mid-year slowdowns couldn’t stop them. Their dominant StarLadder Budapest Major run sealed back-to-back Majors — a feat not seen since Astralis. Across 16 Big Events, Vitality finished outside the top four just once.
Team of the Year. No debate.
Source: HLTV. Edited photo