HLTV CS2 Awards 2025: Top Players You Should Watch for Player of the Year

As the 2025 season heads toward its close, the HLTV CS2 Player of the Year conversation is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in recent years. The scene has been full of strong performances, breakout moments, and steady displays from experienced names.

From major titles to consistent top-tier finishes, several players have made a clear mark this year. So, as the HLTV 2025 Awards are near, Counter-Strike 2 fans are obviously curious to know which player is the top contender for this year.

HLTV CS2 Player of the Year Predictions

Here are our HLTV CS2 Player of the Year Predictions based on recent performances:

5. Dmitry "⁠sh1ro⁠" Sokolov | Team Spirit

Dmitry "⁠sh1ro⁠" Sokolov has been the perfect partner for donk on Team Spirit. He is the team's main AWPer, famous for his disciplined, patient play style. Unlike many aggressive snipers, sh1ro is known for staying alive and dealing consistent damage.

This stability is why Spirit won major tournaments like PGL Astana 2025 and BLAST Bounty Fall 2025. His K/D ratio this year is outstanding, often around 1.40 or higher, which proves his impact in every map. Sh1ro doesn't need to be flashy; he simply wins the critical duels and closes out rounds for his team.

4. Ilya "m0NESY" Osipov | Team Falcons

At the age of just 20, Ilya "m0NESY" Osipov is continuing to show why he is one of the brightest young stars in Counter-Strike. His best performance for Team Falcons was at IEM Dallas 2025, where he finished with a top-rated 1.28 KD, even though the team placed 3rd-4th.

At the Esports World Cup 2025, the following week in Riyadh, m0NESY followed up with a series of great performances, finishing in the top 10 CS2 players for the event.

3. Robin “ropz” Kool | Team Vitality

Robin “ropz” Kool from Estonia has been one of the most reliable players in Counter-Strike this year. Competing under Team Vitality for the 2025 season, ropz’s calm and methodical playstyle has been key to the team’s success in several top-tier events. He played a major role in Vitality's crucial runs at PGL Major Copenhagen 2025 and IEM Chengdu 2025, consistently delivering high-impact rounds. Not to mention, in BLAST TV Austin Major, he was among the top 3 players alongside Donk.

2. Danil “donk” Kryshkovets | Team Spirit

Danil “donk” Kryshkovets from Team Spirit has been one of the top performers this year in the HLTV CS2 Player of the Year Race. He has been consistently performing well throughout tournaments, often finishing among the best-rated players.

At IEM Cologne 2025, donk had a fantastic tournament, finishing with a 1.44 KD, and helping Spirit to win the title. He followed up the good performance at the BLAST Bounty Season 2 Finals, where he led the stats again. donk’s precise aim, quick decisions, and ease under pressure are no doubt reasons behind the success of Team Spirit in 2025. He won the HLTV Player of the Year award in 2024.

1. Mathieu "⁠ZywOo⁠" Herbaut | Team Vitality

Despite all of the new young talent on the professional scene, Mathieu "⁠ZywOo⁠" Herbaut remains one of the best players around. ZywOo's best moment this season, undoubtedly, came in BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025, where he was awarded the MVP trophy and posted an intense 1.57 HLTV rating in the tournament's first stage.

ZywOo is different from many of the other great players today because he is dominating with both the AWP and rifle, which allows him to post unlimited high-level stats at any given moment of the match.

The CS2 Player of the Year 2025 predictions are a hot topic right now. If you are someone who aspires to be a top player, such as ZywOo or d0nk then learning about the CS2 pro settings is a must. You can check that out on our website to learn more.