Aurora Make EPL Semis over Legacy
Aurora defeated Legacy 2‑1 in a Pro League series to clinch a spot in the EPL semifinals. The Turks rode a 19‑round winning streak on Dust2 and Overpass before Legacy rallied with a 12‑round run to force a decider on Inferno. Aurora sealed the match with a six‑round surge, ending the series 13‑6 on the final map. Individual standouts included MAJ3R’s 83 ADR and 1.37 rating, while Legacy rose to 15th in the VRS rankings despite the loss.
G2 and Liquid Swap malbsMd and NertZ
G2 and Team Liquid have completed a player swap, sending Mario “malbsMd” Samayoa to Liquid and Guy “NertZ” Iluz to G2. The move re‑establishes Liquid as an American‑core roster, restoring its eligibility for the Americas VRS slot ahead of the...
G2 Bids Farewell to malbsMd
G2 announced that Mario “malbsMd” Samayoa is being removed from its active roster following a string of group‑stage eliminations at PGL Cluj‑Napoca and EPL Season 23. His performance metrics have slipped, with a 2025 rating of 1.05 and a 2026 rating of 1.02,...
Makazze Shines as NAVI Advance to ESL Pro League Semi-Finals over The MongolZ
Natus Vincere secured a 2‑0 victory over The MongolZ to book a spot in the ESL Pro League Season 23 semi‑finals. Makazze delivered a dominant performance, posting 43 kills, a 1.87 rating and a decisive quad‑kill on Ancient. The MongolZ competed...
Official: BESTIA Recall Timo, Buda Transitions to IGL, and shaRpy Takes over as Coach
BESTIA announced a major roster reshuffle, benching veteran IGL Noktse and promoting Nicolás “buda” Kramer to in‑game leader. The team recalled Cristhian “timo” Perez from Isurus to fill the vacant slot and elevated assistant Afonso “shaRpy” Bastos to head coach. The...
HLTV Confirmed: FaZe & Liquid Concerns, EPL Recap, and TO Battle
HLTV Confirmed hosted a post‑EPL groups podcast where former pros Spunj, Striker and Professeur dissected the online results and highlighted growing concerns for FaZe and Liquid ahead of the upcoming Major. The discussion covered the latest Inferno map update, the...
ESL Pro League S23 Finals Playoff Bracket Set
ESL Pro League Season 23 Finals bracket is set, featuring eight teams that survived the online Swiss stage. The LAN finals will take place at the Annexet in Stockholm from March 13‑15, with Spirit and MOUZ entering from opposite sides...
BOROS Joins Alter Ego
Jordanian rifler Mohammad “BOROS” Malhas has officially joined the Alter Ego CS:GO roster after a month on the sidelines and a brief stint with JiJieHao. The team, already in the CS Asia Championship closed qualifier, advanced to the upper‑bracket semi‑final...
PGL Announce Astana Invites*
PGL has released the invite list for its May 9‑17 Astana tournament in Kazakhstan. While most top‑ten CS:GO teams have accepted, several marquee squads—including Vitality, Natus Vincere, Astralis, FaZe, GamerLegion, and NRG—have declined. FUT accepted the Astana invite despite also competing...
Poiii Hypercarry Not Enough as AM Eliminate 100 Thieves From PCC S2
100 Thieves were eliminated from the Parken Challenger Championship Season 2 after a lower‑bracket loss to Team AM on Dust2 and Anubis. Despite a stellar 1.99 rating and 119 ADR from Alex “poiii” Nyholm Sundgren, the squad could not capitalize on his...
JL to Play for Liquid at Roman Imperium Cup VI
Natus Vincere bench player Justinas “jL” Lekavicius will serve as a stand‑in for Team Liquid at the Roman Imperium Cup VI, filling in for absent AWPer Guy “NertZ” Iluz. jL, who has been on a competitive break since July and worked as...
The MongolZ Earn Playoff Berth over 3DMAX
The MongolZ clinched an ESL Pro League playoff berth by defeating 3DMAX 2‑1, taking Dust2 (13‑10) and Inferno (13‑10) while dropping Ancient (4‑13). 3DMAX rallied on Ancient but faltered on the decisive Inferno map, squandering low‑buy rounds and a critical...
PGL Pledges $22 Million for 2027-2028 Circuit
PGL unveiled its “PGL CS2 Tier 1 Program” for 2027‑2028, committing $22 million in incentives. The plan guarantees at least $11 million per year to teams, up from $5 million in 2025‑2026, with $6 million allocated to prize pools ($3 million each for players and organizations)...
FURIA Keep EPL Playoff Hopes Alive as Day Three of Stage 2 Ends
FURIA defeated HEROIC 2‑1 on day three of ESL Pro League Season 23 Stage 2, moving into the 1‑2 pool and keeping their playoff hopes alive. The Brazilian side showed strength on Dust 2 but struggled on Overpass, a map that has exposed...
Spirit Book Annexet Arena Ticket over G2
Spirit defeated G2 2‑0, securing a perfect 3‑0 record in Stage 2 and advancing to the ESL Pro League playoffs. The victory highlighted Danil “donk” Kryshkovets’s dominant 1.89 rating on Ancient, while tN1R’s performance dipped to a 0.85 rating, sparking concerns...
Sources: BESTIA Set to Recall Timo From Isurus Loan
BESTIA, the Argentine CS:GO organization, is overhauling its roster after a disappointing start that left the team 11th in the Americas VRS. Veteran in‑game leader Noktse will be benched and the IGL role will shift to 23‑year‑old buda. The loaned rookie timo is...
FaZe Eliminate Monte to Stay Alive in ESL Pro League Season 23
FaZe defeated Monte 2‑0 on Dust2 and Overpass in an ESL Pro League Season 23 Stage 2 elimination match, keeping their tournament hopes alive. After a 0‑2 start in the Swiss group, the Danish roster needed two more wins to advance to...
OG Add Bodyy on Loan to Replace FL4MUS
OG announced the loan of French rifler Alexandre “bodyy” Pianaro from 3DMAX, replacing Timur “FL4MUS” Marev on its active CS:GO roster. The move marks OG’s first roster change of 2026 as the Danish organization slides from a #49 debut ranking...
Pigeons Part Ways with wieenN
Esports organization Pigeons has released Georgian rifler Narmina “wieenN” Gasanova, ending her tenure that began with the former Imperial Valkyries lineup in July 2025. WieenN helped the squad capture the JB Pro League Female Season 1 title, posting a 1.29 rating across...
Relog Relocates $30,000 Cyprus LAN to Belgrade Amidst Security Concerns
Relog Media has moved its $30,000 LAN tournament from Limassol, Cyprus to Belgrade, Serbia after recent attacks on a Cypriot military base prompted an airspace shutdown. The event will still run April 3‑5 with the same format: 16 teams, round‑robin groups...
Birdfromsky and B0RUP Leave kONO over Unpaid Wages
Professional Counter-Strike players Thomas “birdfromsky” Due‑Frederiksen and Johannes “b0RUP” Borup announced they are parting ways with Ukrainian organization kONO after the team failed to pay four months of salary. Their X posts detail that kONO halted the roster, offered half‑pay,...
Wildcard Confirm nEMANHA Signing
Wildcard esports has completed the signing of Serbian in‑game leader Nemanja “nEMANHA” Đukić, filling the IGL vacancy left by Peter “stanislaw” Jarguz’s benching and Anthony “CLASIA” Kearney’s departure. nEMANHA arrives after a strong stint with illwill, where he helped the...
FalleN to Miss ESL Pro League Playoffs
Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo announced he will miss the ESL Pro League playoffs if FURIA qualifies, citing a personal commitment in Brazil. Head coach Sid “sidde” Macedo will step in as the in‑game leader for the duration. FURIA, currently ranked #2...
Inferno's Graveyard Barred and Balcony Extended in New CS Update
Valve released a Counter‑Strike 2 patch that reshapes Inferno’s A site. The Graveyard area is now blocked, while the Balcony has been extended, altering sightlines and choke points. Additional tweaks let players equip market‑listed items without removal and set a maximum...
Rain on Adjusting to Calling: "Freezetime Would Start and I Wouldn't Remember that I Was the IGL"
Håvard “rain” Nygaard has taken over as in‑game leader for 100 Thieves, guiding the newly formed roster to a win over Ninjas in Pyjamas and a second‑place finish at DraculaN Season 5, propelling the squad into the top‑40 of the VRS. In...
Liquid Survive in EPL with Labored Win over SemperFi
Team Liquid kept their ESL Pro League Season 23 campaign alive by edging SemperFi 2‑1, taking Dust2 and Inferno but dropping Mirage. EliGE delivered the standout performance with a 1.40 rating, while the rest of the roster showed patchy output. The...
Legacy Advance to Stage 2 After Beating PARIVISION in arT's Debut Event
Legacy defeated PARIVISION 2‑0 (Inferno 13‑11, Dust2 13‑10) to qualify for ESL Pro League Season 23 Stage 2 with a perfect 3‑0 record. The Russian squad showed resilience in tight maps, overcoming PARIVISION’s late‑round lapses. The win also reinforces the league’s growing...
FISSURE Cancels Three Events
FISSURE announced the cancellation of three upcoming tournaments – an April event in Shenzhen, China, and two July events slated for 2026 and 2027. The Chinese tournament conflicted with the IEM Rio kickoff, while the July dates fell during the...
Short News: Week 9
The Urban Riga Open #3, a Counter‑Strike: Global Offensive LAN, will launch on March 23 with a $10,000 prize pool and has confirmed three of its participating squads: M80, 3DMAX, and FOKUS. The event showcases a diverse roster of European...
Snappi as NIP Go 0-2 at EPL: "We Are 2 Different Teams in Practice and Official"
Snappi’s Ninjas in Pyjamas (NIP) opened ESL Pro League Season 23 with two straight losses, falling 0‑2 to Legacy and M80. The team’s recent roster change—replacing Michel “ewjerkz” Pinto with Artem “cairne” Mushynskyi—has not halted a slide to 34th in the...
Freed From the Shackles of an Academy, FUT Have Broken Through
Former NAVI Junior squad FUT has shed its academy label, competing as an independent roster in the CS:GO tier‑one circuit in early 2026. Under coach András “coolio” Fercsák, the team adopted a full‑time grind, dropping school to practice intensively and...
HEROIC Win DraculaN Season 5
HEROIC captured the DraculaN Season 5 title, winning five consecutive matches without losing a map, despite missing AWPer Alimzhan “Alkaren” Bitimbay. The Danish‑Swedish roster defeated INFINITE, ASTRAL, CYBERSHOKE, FlyQuest and edged 100 Thieves 2‑1 in the grand final. Their victory propelled HEROIC...
PARIVISION Fans Come Here Ft. Mauisnake
PARIVISION kicked off 2026 with a BLAST Bounty Finals trophy and advanced to the PGL Cluj‑Napoca final, one of the year’s most competitive events. The team's recent form sparked a "Come Here" podcast featuring Danish "Nohte" Allana, Harry "NER0" Richards,...
StarLadder Announce Tier-2 VRS LAN for April
StarLadder announced a tier‑2 VRS LAN event in partnership with LORGAR, scheduled for April 25‑26. The single‑elimination BO3 final will be held in a studio within the Schengen Area and offers a $50,000 prize pool. Four European VRS teams locked in...
NAF Returns to Liquid Lineup
Keith "NAF" Markovic has rejoined Team Liquid's starting lineup after missing IEM Krakow due to urgent family matters. The 28‑year‑old will debut in ESL Pro League Season 23 Stage 1, opening against Passion UA on March 1. Liquid faces intense pressure, as current projections...
Hall of Fame: Olofmeister
Swedish CS:GO star Olof "olofmeister" Kajbjer has been inducted into the Hall of Fame as the first player whose career began in Counter‑Strike 1.6. He amassed two Major titles, a Major MVP, and was 2015 Player of the Year, contributing 18...
PLAYzone Announce Four LANs with ~$96,000
PLAYzone unveiled its 2026 tournament roadmap, featuring four LAN events with a combined prize pool of roughly $96,000. The schedule includes the May Conquest of Prague LAN ($35,000), two open‑cup LANs in August and September ($13,000 each), and the November...
Sashi Bench Zyphon
Sashi announced the benching of 22‑year‑old rifler Rasmus “Zyphon” Nordfoss after a 14‑month stint on the starting roster, replacing him with 19‑year‑old Emil “Mol011” Sall Würtz on a trial basis. Zyphon was the team’s second‑highest overall rating in 2026 (1.02) and...
Passion UA Move Grim to the Bench
Passion UA has benched veteran AWPer Michael “Grim” Wince after the North American organization NRG expressed interest, prompting a rapid roster overhaul. The team secured Azbayar “Senzu” Munkhbold on loan to fill the AWPer slot, with Senzu’s debut slated for the...
ESL Announce Opening Matchups for Pro League Season 23 Stage 1
ESL announced the opening matchups for Pro League Season 23 Stage 1, a five‑day online event running March 1‑5 using a Swiss format. Top seed Parivision will face bottom‑ranked SemperFi, while headline games include Ninjas in Pyjamas vs Legacy, Liquid vs Passion UA, and...
DraculaN Season 5 Reaches Playoffs
The Digital Crusade DraculaN Season 5 group stage wrapped up, sending eight teams into a double‑elimination playoff bracket. North America’s 100 Thieves topped Group B and can jump from VRS #132 to #101 with a win over ENCE, while Nexus earned a quarter‑final...
Nafany's TDK Win ECL Season 51 Europe Cup 1
TDK captured the ESL Challenger League Season 51 Europe Cup 1 title, beating Alliance 2‑1 in the grand final and pocketing a $12,000 prize. The victory secures a spot at the Season 51 Europe Finals and adds 149 VRS points, propelling the squad...
HLTV Confirmed: Surprises and Disappointments of PGL Cluj-Napoca
HLTV Confirmed dissected the PGL Cluj‑Napoca results, highlighting Vitality’s second 2026 trophy and ZywOo’s 30th MVP award. The French squad leveraged Robin “ropz” Kool’s impact to dominate the finals, while underdogs PARIVISION shocked the field by eliminating both MOUZ and Falcons...
Imperial Bench Skullz
Imperial has benched 23‑year‑old Felipe “skullz” Medeiros after a six‑month stint, during which he posted a 1.01 rating over 110 maps. The Brazilian roster reached Stage 3 in Budapest but failed to secure an invite to larger events. Dust2.com.br reports interest...
BC.Game Out of Parken Challenger Championship Season 1 After Losses to ECSTATIC and Illwill
BC.Game’s run at the inaugural Parken Challenger Championship Season 1 ended abruptly in the double‑elimination playoffs after back‑to‑back losses to ECSTATIC and illwill. Despite entering as the second‑highest seeded team, the squad managed only a single notable group‑stage victory over 9INE...
IEM Cologne Major to Use No BO1s in Stage 3
ESL announced that Stage 3 of the IEM Cologne Major will feature only best‑of‑three (BO3) matches, removing best‑of‑one (BO1) games entirely. To accommodate the longer format, the stage has been extended by one day, running from June 11‑15, with extra tickets made...
Media: 3DMAX to Swap Bodyy for Misutaaa, NBK- to Join as Assistant Coach
French CS:GO franchise 3DMAX announced a major roster overhaul, swapping rifler Alexandre "bodyy" Pianaro for Kévin "misutaaa" Rabier and promoting former coach Damien "wasiNk" Dufour to head coach. Veteran Nathan "NBK-" Schmitt will join as the team's first assistant coach....
HOTU Win Roman Imperium Cup V
HOTU captured the Roman Imperium Cup V title, earning a $5,929 first‑place prize and climbing to 21st on the global Valve standings. The team swept Betclic and fnatic before defeating Gentle Mates in the final, despite a 13‑0 loss on...
ZywOo Takes a Historic 30th MVP at PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026
Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut captured his 30th HLTV × 1XBET MVP award at PGL Cluj‑Napoca 2026, extending his lead over s1mple by nine medals. He posted a 1.39 overall rating and a 1.44 median map rating while Vitality swept all six matches against top‑11 ranked...
Vitality's Excellence on Display as They Beat The MongolZ to Make Cluj Final
Vitality advanced to the PGL Cluj‑Napoca grand final after a clean 2‑0 sweep of The MongolZ, taking the Mirage map 16‑13 and dominating Dust2 13‑3. The Estonian star ropz posted a 2.37 rating with a 43‑24 kill‑death line, reinforcing Vitality’s...