Nifee Handed Four-Year Ban by ESIC for Match Manipulation and Betting-Related Corruption
The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) has imposed a four‑year ban on Inner Circle rifler Dmytro “nifee” Tediashvili for match manipulation and betting‑related corruption. The investigation uncovered repeated deaths to molotovs and incendiary grenades in ESL Pro League Season 22 that aligned with spikes in prop‑betting volume from newly created high‑value accounts. nifee initially denied wrongdoing but later admitted the conduct and assisted investigators, resulting in a reduced sanction from five to four years. He will be barred from all ESIC‑member events from 21 October 2025 to 20 October 2029.
ENCE Promote Academy Squad as Interim Roster
ENCE announced that its Academy squad will serve as the interim main roster while the organization evaluates further roster changes. The promotion includes bringing former academy player Henri “HENU” Ylilehto onto the lineup, replacing Matti “Matz” Alatalo, who enters free...
FaZe to Attend HLC Belgrade PRO*
FaZe Clan announced they will compete at the HLC Belgrade PRO tournament in Serbia from April 3‑5, a $30,000 LAN event that serves as a final qualifier for the IEM Cologne Major. The move follows an early exit from DraculaN Season 6,...
FaZe's Major Hopes Collapse After DraculaN Elimination by Fnatic
FaZe Clan was knocked out of Digital Crusade DraculaN Season 6 after back‑to‑back losses to Passion UA and fnatic, ending any realistic chance of qualifying for the IEM Cologne Major. The team would have needed to skip the upcoming PGL Bucharest event...
BetBoom Gain Crucial Ground Toward Cologne Major with Roman Imperium Cup VII Trophy
BetBoom captured the Roman Imperium Cup VII trophy, defeating BESTIA 2‑0 in the grand final and securing vital VRS points toward a Cologne Major berth. The team navigated a grueling playoff run, including a comeback win over G2, despite fielding...
FaZe, Liquid, and Passion UA Pick up Wins in First Round of DraculaN S6 Playoffs
The opening round of the DraculaN Season 6 playoffs saw all marquee teams survive except fnatic, who dropped to the lower bracket after a 1‑2 loss to Sashi. Liquid, Alliance, Monte and Passion UA each secured 2‑0 victories, while FaZe comfortably beat...
Voca Keep Major Dream Alive with Fragadelphia York Win
Voca captured the Fragadelphia York 2026 trophy, defeating Fisher College 3‑1 and pocketing an $8,250 grand prize. The win propelled the American squad four places up the VRS, placing them in the Cologne Major invite range according to HLTV. Voca’s...
Short News: Week 13
Aurora announced that head coach Sezgin "Fabre" Kalaycı will miss the upcoming DraculaN Season 6 tournament due to family reasons. The Turkish organization confirmed the team will enter the competition from the double‑elimination playoffs bracket without Fabre’s on‑site guidance. Aurora...
M80 Replace Liquid at Gamers Assembly Amidst Tight Battle for Americas Invite to Cologne
M80 has replaced Liquid at the $17,379 Gamers Assembly LAN in France on April 4‑5, opting to skip the overlapping PGL Bucharest. The move aims to boost M80’s chances for one of the final Americas invites to the IEM Cologne Major...
Pristine Playoffs Takes Ropz to BLAST Open Rotterdam MVP
Robin “ropz” Kool captured the BLAST Open Rotterdam MVP, becoming the first Vitality player other than ZywOo to earn the honor. After sitting on the bench for the group stage, he entered the playoffs with a 1.54 rating and a...
Porto to Stage BLAST Open 2026 Season 2 Playoffs
BLAST announced that the Season 2 playoffs of its 2026 Open event will be staged in Porto’s Super Bock Arena from September 4‑6. This marks the organization’s fourth visit to Portugal after Lisbon shows in 2018, 2022 and 2025. The competition kicks...
Chopper on the Future of His Career: "I'm Contemplating What to Do"
Leonid “chopper” Vishnyakov, longtime in‑game leader, announced a break from professional Counter‑Strike until the summer after being benched by Spirit. He explained on the Russian Smol Talk podcast that the grind no longer sparks the same passion, prompting him to...
FaNg to Stand in for Senzu at IEM Rio
Passion UA cannot field Mongolian rifler Azbayar “Senzu” Munkhbold at IEM Rio due to ESL regulations requiring a regional player plurality. To retain their North America VRS invitation, the team has named Canadian rifler Justin “FaNg” Coakley as a stand‑in....
Ropz: "We Want to Play NAVI. I'm Sure They Think They Can Beat Us; We're Going to Show They Can't"
Team Vitality stormed through the BLAST Open Rotterdam group stage without dropping a map, dispatching Parivision and The MongolZ before a 13‑5 semi‑final sweep of Aurora. Star AWPer ropz acknowledged lingering communication issues in the Parivision match but praised the...
BLAST Unveils Final Two 2028 Events with Another Potential Clash
BLAST announced the final two windows for its 2028 circuit, scheduling tournaments from August 14‑28 and September 11‑18. The August slot may conflict with a PGL event that remains uncertain after the Romanian organizer trimmed its calendar to six dates. The September...
M80's Major Hopes Take a Hit After Loss to HEROIC Academy at ROG JOURNEY
M80 was eliminated by HEROIC Academy in the quarter‑finals of ROG Journey Spring, a tournament that feeds into the Americas Major rankings. The upset, against a VRS‑ranked 115 team, knocked M80 three places in the ranking and removed potential points...
MaiL09: "If I Don't Make This Major I Will Probably Make the Next One, or the One After"
Liam “MaiL09” Tügel, the 16‑year‑old Alliance rifler who was six‑time Bold Prediction pick and ranked #33 in the latest prospect list, helped his team defeat GamerLegion at the ROG Journey Spring LAN to stay alive in the Major race. He discussed...
Thomas Retires: "It's Time to Channel Everything I've Learned Into the Next Chapter: Coaching"
British in‑game leader Thomas "Thomas" Utting announced his retirement after nearly a decade competing in CS:GO and CS2. He highlighted his biggest achievement—a quarter‑final finish at the BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023 with ITB—and cited diminishing enjoyment as a player. At...
Aurora Break Losing Streak Against The MongolZ to Reach Rotterdam Semis
Aurora snapped a five‑game losing streak against The MongolZ, winning the BLAST Open Rotterdam quarter‑final 2‑0 on Inferno and Mirage. The Turkish side dominated the first map with a 13‑6 victory, propelled by multi‑kill rounds from XANTARES, woxic and Wicadia....
![Mzinho: "I Was so Happy that I Stepped up [vs Spirit]"](https://hixhlmpcokxhartfkpyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/render/image/public/images/thumbnails/9408cb7f21afc85525115a3055ec247d.webp?width=1200&resize=contain&quality=75)
Mzinho: "I Was so Happy that I Stepped up [vs Spirit]"
Ayush “mzinho” Batbold delivered a man‑of‑the‑match performance, posting a 1.85 rating as MongolZ defeated Spirit 2‑0 to secure a playoff spot at BLAST Open Rotterdam. The 18‑year‑old also led the group stage with a team‑high 1.16 rating, highlighting his rapid...
MAJ3R on XANTARES' Hand Injury: "Sometimes He Feels Pain"
In a pre‑playoff interview, Aurora’s in‑game leader Engin “MAJ3R” Küpeli discussed the team’s strong group‑stage showing—wins over FaZe and FURIA and a loss to Natus Vincere—while previewing their quarter‑final against The MongolZ at the BLAST Open Rotterdam. He revealed that star...
Wildcard Replace The Huns at PGL Bucharest
Wildcard has been added to the PGL Bucharest roster, replacing The Huns, who withdrew due to a scheduling conflict with the XSE GangKui Cup Season 2 Finals in Shanghai (April 1‑5). The North American qualifier runners‑up earned the invitation and will debut...
SAw: "We Just Have to Play These Tournaments and Learn as We Go"
G2 executed a last‑minute swap, bringing rifler Guy “NertZ” in for Mario “malbsMd” just before the VRS Major cutoff. The new lineup debuted at the BC Game Masters Championships, falling in the quarter‑finals to SINNERS. Coach Eetu “sAw” Saha acknowledged...
G2, Monte, and Gentle Mates Eliminated on BC Game Masters Day Two
Day two of the BC Game Masters Championship Season 1 wrapped up with the quarter‑finals, sending BetBoom, HOTU, BIG and SINNERS into the semi‑finals. G2 suffered a surprise 1‑2 defeat to SINNERS in their debut, while Monte’s loss to BetBoom ended...
![OverDrive: "Chopper Needed Two Years to Become a Good Captain, I Think This Is [How] It's Going to Work...](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://img-cdn.hltv.org/gallerypicture/F8Un-6nXoPd_F7Lvgvimns.jpg?auto=compress&ixlib=java-2.1.0&m=%2Fm.png&mw=107&mx=20&my=473&q=75&w=800&s=222f5df7662ae74f3ac8635a5450405f)
OverDrive: "Chopper Needed Two Years to Become a Good Captain, I Think This Is [How] It's Going to Work...
Spirit’s CS:GO roster stumbled at BLAST Open Rotterdam, exiting before the arena stage after a quarter‑final loss to Astralis at the ESL Pro League. The team’s new in‑game leader, Boris “magixx” Vorobiev, is still finding his footing, prompting talent scout...
Phantom Knock 3DMAX Out in Semi-Finals of Urban Riga Open
Polish squad Phantom eliminated French team 3DMAX 2‑1 in the Urban Riga Open Season 3 semi‑finals, overturning an early 5‑13 loss on Nuke with wins on Dust2 (13‑11) and Ancient (13‑10). The defeat ends 3DMAX's run and threatens their bid for...
FalleN: "I Think Everyone in the Team Is Trying to Find New Ways to Play Well"
FURIA was eliminated in the group stage of the BLAST Open Rotterdam by Falcons, ending their stop‑start 2026 campaign. Captain Gabriel "FalleN" Toledo said the loss reflects ongoing adjustments to a new team playstyle rather than a failure, emphasizing progress...
NAVI Make BLAST Semi-Finals over Aurora
Natus Vincere (NAVI) defeated Aurora 2‑0 at the BLAST Open Rotterdam, securing a semi‑final berth. The Russian squad took Anubis 13‑8 and Nuke 13‑10, displaying a more decisive edge than their recent ESL Pro League final. Key player makazze posted...
Falcons Obliterate TYLOO After Losing Close First Map to Reach Group A Lower Bracket Final
Falcons defeated TYLOO 2‑1 in the BLAST Open Rotterdam, overcoming an overtime loss on Inferno before delivering dominant performances on Ancient and Mirage. The series featured a decisive quad‑kill by JamYoung in overtime and high‑impact pistol rounds from NiKo and...
Metizport Bench Jackinho
Metizport has benched in‑game leader Jack “Jackinho” Ström Mattsson following a mutual agreement after eight months of inconsistent results. Despite guiding the squad to runner‑up finishes at Svenska Cupen, Esplay De_Airport Masters and BC.Game Masters Season 1, the team never broke...
Flashie: "We Never Got the Chance to Focus on What We Should Be Focusing on; We're Finally on the Right...
Team Liquid edged out Ninjas in Pyjamas 2‑1 at BLAST Open Rotterdam, keeping their Major hopes alive. The victory followed the recent addition of Guatemalan rifler Mario "malbsMd" Samayoa, whose strong Mirage play helped reverse a rough start on Nuke....
NRG Eliminate B8 From BLAST Open Rotterdam
NRG eliminated B8 from the BLAST Open Rotterdam lower bracket, winning both maps 13‑6 on Inferno and 13‑9 on Ancient. The U.S. roster, led by Michael “Grim” Wince (42‑27) and Josh “oSee” Ohm (37‑23), dominated early rounds and never looked...
Brollan: "It Was Just a Lot of Details; We Were Not on the Same Page"
MOUZ fell 0‑2 to The MongolZ in the lower bracket of BLAST Open Rotterdam, ending a ten‑map winning streak and exposing coordination gaps. Captain Ludvig “Brollan” Brolin cited poor defaults, missed trades, and mid‑round execution as key issues. The loss...
Vitality Crush 9z to Kick Off Rotterdam Campaign
Vitality opened the BLAST Open Rotterdam with a decisive 2‑0 victory over 9z, showcasing a dominant performance after a month‑long break following their PGL Cluj‑Napoca win. ZywOo led the charge with a 37‑15 kill‑death ratio and a 1.91 rating, while...
Hall of Fame: Cogu
Raphael “cogu” Camargo, Brazil’s seminal AWPer, was inducted into the Counter‑Strike Hall of Fame in January 2026. He helped launch Brazil’s competitive scene in the early 2000s, leading MIBR to an ESWC 2006 world title and delivering iconic plays such as...
Spirit Spoil malbsMd's Liquid Debut 2-0 in BLAST Rotterdam Opening Round
Spirit defeated Liquid 2‑0 in the BLAST Open Rotterdam opening round, marking the debut of Mario “malbsMd” Samayoa for the Czech squad. Danil “donk” Kryshkovets led Spirit with a 1.99 rating on Mirage and continued his dominance on Ancient. Liquid’s...
Short News: Week 11
Veteran CS:GO player Dan “apEX” Madesclaire announced he is renegotiating his contract with Team Vitality, hinting at a possible multi‑year extension as he plans to retire on a high note. NEO confirmed his departure from FaZe, and AM reinforced its...
Rotterdam Groups Fantasy Set to Start with Kyousuke in Question
The BLAST Open Rotterdam 2026 group stage launches its Fantasy competition, featuring two eight‑team double‑elimination brackets and BO3 matches. Team Vitality dominates the fantasy leaderboard, with apEX, ropz and ZywOo among the top five picks. A roster uncertainty surrounds Falcons'...
BC.Game Withdraw From JOURNEY Spring: "Our Full Focus Now Is to Fix Our Chemistry"
BC.Game announced its withdrawal from the ROG JOURNEY Spring tournament, forfeiting two matches at the $30,000 Stockholm LAN. The move drops the organization further in the VRS, now sitting at 41st after a string of under‑performances. Earlier in 2026 the team paid...
Karrigan on NEO Removal: "It Kind of Came as a Surprise to All of Us because We're This Close to...
FaZe Clan announced the departure of head coach Filip "NEO" after three years, citing disappointing results early in the 2024‑25 CS:GO season. The team sits at a 3‑9 record and has yet to qualify for the upcoming Major, prompting the...
NIP Re-Enter Major Invite Range with Roman Imperium Cup VI Trophy
Ninjas in Pyjamas captured the Roman Imperium Cup VI title, reverse‑sweeping OG 13‑10 on Dust2 after a shaky start. The victory awards NIP 97 VRS points, propelling them eleven spots to 17th in the global rankings. It marks the organization’s second...
Makazze: "Now that I Won a Tier-One Event, I'm Writing History"
Drin “makazze” Shaqiri’s MVP performance at the ESL Pro League S23 finals marks a watershed moment for both the player and his home country. The young rifler not only secured his first HLTV MVP award but also became the first...
Makazze Claims Career-First MVP at EPL S23 Finals
19‑year‑old Drin “makazze” Shaqiri captured the HLTV × 1xBet MVP award at the ESL Pro League Season 23 Finals in Stockholm. He led Natus Vincere to the championship, posting a 1.38 rating and a flawless 1.00+ rating on all nine maps he played. The...
HooXi on People Writing Him Off After G2: "It Feels Good to Prove some of Them Wrong"
Astralis secured a bronze medal at ESL Pro League Season 23, defeating FUT 2‑1 in overtime. In post‑match comments, IGL Rasmus “HooXi” Nielsen reflected on the team’s resilience and the significance of the podium finish for their new international roster. Nielsen...
Inner Circle Sign Headtr1ck
Inner Circle announced the signing of Ukrainian AWPer Daniil “headtr1ck” Valitov, ending his three‑month bench stint. He replaces Artem “Flierax” Khioara, who was benched earlier this month. Headtr1ck posted a 1.05 rating across 2025, though his performance slipped from 1.12...
Phzy: "You Can Feel the Swedish Support, Maybe That's Why I Had a Life Game"
Swedish AWPer phzy, who joined Astralis earlier this year, delivered a standout performance against Spirit with a 1.11 rating, nearly 100 ADR and a 1.76 rating in what he called his “life game.” The win propelled Astralis into the EPL...
FUT Secure Statement Win over MOUZ to Reach EPL Semi-Final
FUT pulled off a surprise 2‑1 victory over MOUZ in the ESL Pro League Season 23 quarter‑final, edging Dust 2 13‑11, dropping Overpass 10‑13 and clinching Mirage 13‑11. The young roster, which started the year ranked No. 50 in the VRS, has vaulted...
Tomaszin on Roster Changes: "We're Approaching the Game Differently"
BESTIA’s run at the Roman Imperium Cup VI ended in the group stage after an overtime loss to Gaimin Gladiators, despite a dominant 13‑4 win over Famalicão and a 13‑7 victory over OlyBet. The Argentine squad finished tied with Liquid for second...
![JL: "I Should Theoretically Be Back [to Playing] in the Summer if Everything Works Out"](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://img-cdn.hltv.org/gallerypicture/n71bVXXF0LeH6AXDMWgWXv.jpg?auto=compress&ixlib=java-2.1.0&m=%2Fm.png&mw=107&mx=20&my=474&q=75&w=800&s=7f2b942ec983c1571d6fef885b16d21b)
JL: "I Should Theoretically Be Back [to Playing] in the Summer if Everything Works Out"
Justinas “jL” Lekavicius returned to competitive CS2 as a stand‑in for Liquid at the Roman Imperium Cup VI after a nine‑month hiatus, filling in for Guy “NertZ” Iluz who missed the event due to travel problems. Earlier in the week, jL...
Soulfly on First Arena Win: "I Didn't Know that I Would Have so Much Emotion"
Aurora clinched a 2‑1 quarter‑final victory over Legacy at the ESL Pro League, guaranteeing at least a top‑four finish. The win marked Caner “soulfly” Kesici’s first arena triumph, a moment he described as unexpectedly emotional. He highlighted the chaotic TeamSpeak...