CS2 Top 20 Players of 2025: Ranks 16–20 Breakdown

The yearly top 20 list of the best players has never been just about numbers. It’s more about who showed up and was the most consistent when the pressure was at its highest. As Counter-Strike 2 continued to establish its own identity, it also reflected on its rankings. Consistency mattered even more, and so did delivering on the big stages.

Five players arrived there in very different ways, but ended up grouped together: b1t, iM, NiKo, torzsi, and xertioN.

CS2 Top 20 Player Rankings 2025: Positions 16–20

b1t (NAVI) – Top 20 CS2 Player of 2025

• Name: Valeriy Vakhovskiy
• Age: 22 years
• Country: Ukraine
• Current team: Natus Vincere

Seeing Valeriy “b1t” Vakhovskiy at #20 doesn’t really raise anyone’s eyebrows anymore, and that might be the biggest compliment you can give him. This is his fourth Top 20 appearance, built on the same qualities every time.

His numbers are not something to be easily imagined: a 1.07 rating and a 53% headshot rate at top events, but they fit his role perfectly. At IEM Katowice and IEM Cologne, he showed up when NAVI needed him, picking up EVP awards along the way. His level has barely dipped across the season.

b1t isn’t there to hard-carry games and be a star player like someone like donk. His value is most shown in tight rounds and late-game situations. That consistency that he brings is exactly why he’s back on the list.

iM (NAVI) – Top 19 CS2 Player of 2025

• Name: Mihai Ivan
• Age: 26 years
• Country: Romania
• Current team: Natus Vincere

As for Mihai “iM” Ivan, making it to the top 19 feels less like a breakthrough and more like validation. After already breaking into the Top 20 of the best players of the year before, this year was about proving it wasn’t a one-off.

Playing for NAVI comes with expectations, and 2025 didn’t make things easy. Constant role adjustments meant iM had to find a balance between being aggressive and staying disciplined. That didn’t always lead to crazy stat numbers, but it showed how often he delivered in LAN tournaments, usually when it mattered the most.

His standout moment came at the StarLadder Major in Budapest, where he picked up an EVP award and demonstrated his ability to perform against the best teams. Throughout the year, his progress was clear: more impactful multi-kill rounds than before, increased confidence on entries, and improved decision-making skills when rounds became chaotic.

NiKo (Falcons) – Top 18 CS2 Player of 2025

• Name: Nikola Kovač
• Age: 28 years
• Country: Bosnia and Herzegovina
• Current team: Falcons

NiKo at Top 18 feels strange not because it’s low, but because of the standard he’s set over the years. Even so, this placement makes it a record for the most Top 20 appearances in history, which says plenty about him on its own.

2025 was a transition year. Moving to Falcons meant adapting to a new system, playing with new teammates, and results that didn’t always follow. Still, when Falcons needed someone to step up, NiKo was the one to do so as he is the star player.

That ability to take over games hasn’t gone anywhere. His MVP performance at PGL Cluj-Napoca showed his ceiling is still as high as ever, and the win at PGL Bucharest added another trophy to a career already full of them.

Years pass, teams change, metas evolve — NiKo remains the benchmark for elite rifling. His 2025 form is only one chapter in a much bigger story. Explore NiKo’s place among the greatest riflers in CS history.

torzsi (MOUZ) – Top 17 CS2 Player of 2025

• Name: Ádám Torzsás
• Age: 23 years
• Country: Hungary
• Current team: MOUZ

torszi finishing at the top 17 feels like a natural progression rather than a surprise. In 2025, he stopped looking like just a promising AWPer and began to look like a complete top-tier player.

With MOUZ, torzsi delivered a steady level across the season. He got himself four EVP awards, including one at a major-level event, and backed that up. MOUZ were regularly in the mix late in tournaments, and torzsi played a big part in that.

He isn’t the one looking for highlight plays. His game is built on winning opening duels, holding angles properly, and staying calm when rounds get tense. That gave MOUZ a significant advantage in close matches: reliability. Even when the stats dipped against top teams, his impact remained.

xertioN (MOUZ) – Top 16 CS2 Player of 2025

• Name: Dorian Berman
• Age: 21 years
• Country: Israel
• Current team: MOUZ

xertioN finishing at Top 16 feels like the natural next step after his breakthrough year one, that confirmed his rise from promising talent to a reliable force on MOUZ’s roster.

At just 21 years old, he’s still evolving. His 1.02 rating across major events and performances against top-tier opponents underscores both his potential and the consistency that has brought him here.  The path wasn’t without its ups and downs; some dips at finals and some quieter LAN outings kept him from climbing higher, but repeatedly standing out in high-pressure situations was enough to cement his place in the Top 20.

Unlike pure fraggers whose numbers speak for themselves, xertioN was about impact across a high volume of tough matches. He picked up multiple EVPs at big events, including one at the IEM Chengdu and notable showings at BLAST Bounty and PGL Cluj-Napoca. His all-around contributions, from entries to lurks to clutch situations, helped MOUZ consistently contend late into events.

Different Paths, Same Standard: What Defined CS2’s 16–20 Ranked Players

The 2025 Top 20 wasn’t about dominance or insane stat lines. It was about timing, consistency, and adapting to a game still finding its shape. b1t stayed dependable. iM proved he belongs. NiKo showed the rarity of true longevity. torzsi kept moving forward. And xertioN confirmed his rise as a high-impact, high-volume performer.

Different routes, same result, and all five of them earned it.