FlameZ on Fort Worth and Atlanta: "We Haven't Given up on Those Trophies, but I Think There Is a Priority...
French CS:GO organization Vitality, fresh off winning the ESL Grand Slam, faced a surprising loss to FUT on Dust2 despite a dominant early lead. Israeli rifler flameZ blamed travel‑induced fatigue, missed communication and rusted utility execution for the slip‑up, noting the team’s grueling schedule across Europe and the Americas. He emphasized that while the squad still chases the remaining trophies in the block, conserving energy ahead of the upcoming Major has become a priority. The interview also highlighted a temporary coaching swap, with coolio stepping in for lauNX, and the players’ plans for a low‑key hike in the U.S. between events.
G2 Outclass Astralis in BLAST Rivals
G2 secured a 2‑0 sweep of Astralis in the BLAST Rivals Season 1 playoffs, winning Dust2 13‑5 and Overpass 13‑9. The victory advances G2 to an upper‑bracket clash with Team Vitality, with the winner earning a semifinal berth. Astralis drops to...
Vitality Squeeze Past lauNX-Less FUT in Fort Worth
Vitality’s BLAST Rivals Season 1 campaign got off to a winning start in Fort Worth, edging FUT 2‑1 at the Dickies Arena. The French organization secured a playoff spot regardless of the result of its next group match, thanks to the...
BetBoom CEO: Cologne Roster Open Question "Until All Players Receive Their Visas"
BetBoom’s roster for the IEM Cologne Major remains unsettled as the team awaits visa approvals for its CIS players. AWPer Aleksandr “zorte” Zagodyrenko has taken over the role from Artem “ArtFr0st” Kharitonov, while both Daniil “d1Ledez” Kustov and VP loanee...
Molodoy: "I Can only Try to Help FalleN Win More Tournaments in His Last Year"
Danil “molodoy” Golubenko of FURIA told BLAST Rivals 2026 media day that the team is reshaping its approach after veteran captain Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo announced he will retire at year‑end. Molodoy says he is shifting from an individual‑focused style to a...
![Stavn: "The Plan After Kicking cadiaN [in HEROIC] Was for Me to Go Into IGLing or AWPing"](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://img-cdn.hltv.org/gallerypicture/tKLq9lLyd1Ehxn1M5bGYiE.jpg?auto=compress&ixlib=java-2.1.0&m=%2Fm.png&mw=107&mx=20&my=473&q=75&w=800&s=8934569352ee1dc55288a41de7d53fe6)
Stavn: "The Plan After Kicking cadiaN [in HEROIC] Was for Me to Go Into IGLing or AWPing"
Martin “stavn” Lund returned to the CS:GO stage this month, signing with Ninjas in Pyjamas and taking on the team’s primary AWP role. After a turbulent exit from Heroic and a brief flirtation with Astralis, the 24‑year‑old Danish rifler made...
HLTV Confirmed with Stavn: Return to Action, AWPing, and NIP
HLTV Confirmed hosted a special episode featuring Martin “stavn” Lund, who has just signed with Ninjas in Pyjamas (NIP) to assume his first full‑time AWP role. The panel discussed his recent break, his LAN debut in the new CS2 environment,...
Legacy Win BetBoom RUSH B Summit S3
Legacy captured the BetBoom RUSH B Summit Season 3 championship, securing the $30,000 prize after a five‑map, best‑of‑five final against 9z. The Brazilian squad advanced through ALZON, Keyd Stars and 9z without dropping a map, taking a 3‑2 series win highlighted...
Short News: Week 17
HLTV’s Week 17 short news roundup spotlights a new fragmovie that revisits the best moments from the recent Cache tournament. The highlight reel, posted on YouTube, compiles top plays and clutch rounds for quick fan consumption. The article also links back...
Coolio to Stand in for lauNX at BLAST Rivals
FUT announced that head coach András “coolio” Fercsák will stand in for rifler Laurențiu “lauNX” Țârlea at BLAST Rivals 2026 Season 1 after the Romanian player withdrew for health reasons. The Hungarian coach will join FUT’s roster for their Group A opener...
Sdy Joins Passion UA on Loan
Ukrainian rifler Viktor “sdy” Orudzhev has joined Passion UA on loan, filling the spot left by Azbayar “Senzu” Munkhbold. sdy spent over two years with ENCE, posting a 1.04 rating across 1,963 maps and helping the team win Elisa Masters Espoo 2024....
SINNERS Clinch Victory at LORGAR RANKINGS S1
SINNERS captured the LORGAR Rankings Season 1 title in Barcelona, defeating Gentle Mates 2‑1 after a dramatic comeback on Mirage and Nuke. The win secured a Stage 1 spot for the IEM Cologne Major and marked the Czech team’s second trophy of...
Monte Beat HEROIC 3-1 to Win CCT Global Finals
Monte secured the CCT Global Finals 2026 title, beating HEROIC 3‑1 in the $75,000 grand final. The Ukrainian organization’s victory follows an undefeated upper‑bracket run at DraculaN Season 6 and a recent loss to M80 in that event’s final. The win...
BCG Masters Championship 2 to Be Held in Vila Nova De Gaia
The BC Game Masters Championship returns for its second edition, moving from Bucharest to the SAW Esports Arena in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal. Scheduled for May 21‑24, the tier‑2 LAN will feature sixteen open slots, drawing teams from across...
Parken Challenger Championship Announce Circuit Expansion
Parken Challenger Championship announced an expansion of its open LAN circuit to eight additional events, increasing the field from 18 to 24 teams. Twenty teams will compete in the open group stage while four high‑seeded squads receive direct entry into...
RED Canids Bench Roster
Brazilian CS:GO organization RED Canids has benched its entire roster after failing to qualify for the Cologne Major. The move follows a mixed 2025 season that included a StarLadder Budapest Major Stage 1 appearance but no major titles. Early 2026 signings...
Valve Tease Cache Addition: "What Are You Doing Next Week?"
Valve has teased the long‑awaited return of the classic Counter‑Strike map Cache with a short X video titled “What are you doing next week?”. The tease follows FACEIT’s recent addition of Cache to its matchmaking, which caused unprecedented queue spikes....
Ash Parts Ways with GamerLegion
British coach Ashley “ash” Battye has left GamerLegion after more than five years at the helm. He joined mid‑2020, helped lift the team to a 25th world ranking and guided them to the BLAST.tv Paris Major final in 2023. Ongoing...
HLTV Prospects: April 2026
HLTV released its April 2026 Prospects ranking, promoting Lithuanian rookie Džiugas “dziugss” Steponavičius to the top spot after a standout showing at PGL Bucharest, while veteran Nikita “cmtry” Samolotov entered the top ten and Swedish talent Liam “MaiL09” Tügel posted a...
ESIC Suspends NOMERCY Amid Integrity Breach Probe
The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) has provisionally suspended the CS:GO team NOMERCY and all its players amid an investigation into suspected integrity breaches. The probe centers on matches at the Roman Imperium Cup VII, where the squad suffered heavy defeats...
ESIC Bans Quartet for Cheating and Match Manipulation
The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) has imposed bans ranging from five years to a lifetime on four Russian players—Egor “zLy” Polyakov, Dmitriy “propleh” Senigov, Aleksandr “Ruler” Maximov and Petr “timeagento” Markheev—for using cheating software and manipulating matches. zLy received a...
Maden Announces Free Agency
Pavle “Maden” Bošković announced his departure from fnatic, entering free agency after being benched for the newly signed Ukrainian rifler Viktor “Br4tkO” Kondratets. Maden’s recent stint with fnatic was marked by a .92 rating and role clashes, following productive years at...
Full Stake Ranked Circuit Revealed
Stake and StarLadder unveiled the full 2026 Stake Ranked circuit, adding five LAN events to the schedule after G2 clinched the inaugural title on April 4. Episode 2, slated for May 27‑30, will host a $100,000 prize pool and feature six pre‑invited elite...
K27 Sign Fame on Short-Term Loan
K27 has secured Russian CS:GO star Petr “fame” Bolyshev on a short‑term loan from Virtus.pro, running through the end of May with no purchase option. The move replaces Karim “relaxxie” Miftakhov, who departed the roster earlier this week. K27 aims to leverage...
Vitality Announce Academy Team
Team Vitality announced its first esports academy, Vitality Academy, fielding the Project H roster for Counter‑Strike: Global Offensive. The squad is led by 16‑year‑old French AWPer Thiebault “Katkame” Ulysse, a prospect highlighted by ZywOo’s 2025 breakout prediction. Former data analyst Pablo “VdaK1NG” Escobar...
HLTV Confirmed: Karrigan to Falcons, MOUZ Future, and Vitality's Second Grand Slam
HLTV Confirmed revealed that veteran captain Finn “karrigan” Andersen has joined the FaZe‑Falcons, bolstering their Danish core. MOUZ unveiled a revamped roster, adding Hungarian rookie xelex and retaining key veterans amid recent benchings. Meanwhile, Brazilian legend Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo announced...
Gentle Mates Bench deLonge
Gentle Mates announced that head coach Eloy “deLonge” Suárez has been moved to the bench, ending his eight‑month tenure leading the CS:GO squad. DeLonge’s involvement with the core dates back to January 2024, when he coached the players as Iberian Soul...
Zyphon Returns to Sashi Active Roster
Denmark’s Rasmus “Zyphon” Nordfoss rejoined Sashi’s active roster after a two‑month bench stint. Zyphon, the team’s second‑highest rated player in 2026 with a 1.02 rating, replaces Emil “Mol011” Sall Würtz, who posted a 0.86 rating and has been demoted to...
MAUschine Given Lifetime Ban by ESIC for On-Stage Assault
The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) has imposed a lifetime ban on Maurizio “MAUschine” Weber, prohibiting him from all ESIC‑sanctioned events. The decision follows a physical assault he committed on stage at the CAGGTUS Leipzig LAN party, adding to a prior...
Falcons Confirm Karrigan Signing
Falcons have announced the signing of Danish in‑game leader Finn “karrigan” Andersen from FaZe, replacing Damjan “kyxsan” Stoilkovski after the team’s third‑place finish at IEM Rio. The move reunites karrigan with former FaZe teammate Nikola “NiKo” Kovač and re‑links him...
FaZe Confirm Karrigan Departure
FaZe Clan confirmed that veteran in‑game leader Finn "karrigan" Andersen is leaving the organization after a five‑year tenure that delivered the 2022 Antwerp Major and the 2023 Intel Grand Slam. Reports link karrigan to a move to the Falcons, where...
Short News: Week 16
BC.Game announced roster adjustments ahead of IEM Atlanta and the CS Asia Championships, benching veterans António “aragornN” Barbosa and Christopher “MUTiRiS” Fernandes and promoting FPL prospect Maidar “nocries” Baldanov as the substitute. The team now fields three players for the...
![ZywOo: "We Won Four Trophies Already [This Year] and We Just Feel Like We Cannot Stop"](https://hixhlmpcokxhartfkpyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/images/thumbnails/fd7c57db5a9993db6bbbd063affb55d6.webp)
ZywOo: "We Won Four Trophies Already [This Year] and We Just Feel Like We Cannot Stop"
French CS:GO star Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut captured his 31st MVP award at IEM Rio 2026, leading Team Vitality to a flawless 7‑0 run across three matches. After missing the MVP in Rotterdam to teammate Robin “ropz” Kool, ZywOo said the...
NiKo: "We're Just Not Good Enough in Playoffs Right Now"
Falcons captured the IEM Rio bronze medal with a 2‑0 win over FURIA, but captain NiKo admitted the Saudi‑backed squad still struggles in playoff environments. He highlighted recurring micro‑decision errors that cost rounds and emphasized that the issue does not...
Falcons Win Two 13-11 Maps to Secure Third Place in Rio
Falcons secured third place at IEM Rio by defeating FURIA 13‑11 on both Dust2 and Mirage. The Brazilian side rallied early on each map, but Falcons’ m0NESY and NiKo seized control in the latter halves, delivering clutch plays that sealed...
![Magixx: "We're Playing Pretty Good, so I'm Really Looking Forward to [Vitality] because, Maybe, We Can Win a Map"](https://hixhlmpcokxhartfkpyi.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/images/thumbnails/3bedf69fbd87fd134d759bd3fca9f0b7.webp)
Magixx: "We're Playing Pretty Good, so I'm Really Looking Forward to [Vitality] because, Maybe, We Can Win a Map"
Team Spirit clinched a 2‑0 semi‑final victory over the Falcons to book their first IEM Rio grand final since August 2025, now set to face Vitality in a best‑of‑five showdown. The win comes after captain Boris “magixx” Vorobiev took over...
Vitality Stifle FURIA to Book Rio Grand Final Spot
Team Vitality advanced to the IEM Rio grand final with a clean 2‑0 sweep over Brazil's FURIA, winning both Overpass and Ancient 13‑10. The series featured an unusual veto where both teams allowed Ancient, a map they usually ban, to...
Sh1ro on Why Spirit Struggle Vs. Falcons: "Right Now, I Can Genuinely Say I Have No Fucking Idea"
Spirit advanced to the IEM Rio semi‑finals by beating MOUZ 2‑1, setting up a rematch with the historically dominant Falcons. The Russian roster highlighted recent improvements in fundamentals after stand‑in coach S0tF1k joined, noting better micro‑play and reduced robotic tendencies....
BLAST Rivals S1 Talent Revealed
BLAST announced the on‑air talent for its Rivals Season 1 event in Fort Worth, scheduled for April 29 through May 3. The nine‑person crew features arena host Mike “DarfMike” Winnick, desk host Eefje “sjokz” Depoortere, show host Iain Chambers, analysts Alex “Mauisnake” Ellenberg and Dustin...
TN1R Tops the Board as Spirit Cruise Into Rio Semis over MOUZ
Spirit breezed past MOUZ 2‑0 in the IEM Rio quarter‑final, winning 13‑5 on Dust2 and 13‑8 on Mirage. The victory moves the team into a semifinal clash with Falcons. Belarusian tN1R posted a 1.86 rating, the highest on Spirit after...
Gaimin Gladiators Terminate Felps' Contract
Gaimin Gladiators announced the abrupt termination of João “felps” Vasconcellos’ contract, ending his six‑month tenure. The Brazilian rifler had helped the squad win the ECL South America Finals and secure a spot at the IEM Cologne Major. The organization named...
Zonic: "Vitality Win a Lot of Games by People Already Being Scared and Thinking that They Can't Win. You Have...
Falcons shocked the CS:GO world by defeating Team Vitality, snapping the French squad's 18‑game winning streak at IEM Rio. Coach Danny “zonic” Sørensen emphasized a mindset of disrespecting opponents, taking risks, and confronting star player ZywOo head‑on. The team also...
IEM Rio Playoff Bracket Set
The Intel Extreme Masters Rio 2026 playoff bracket has been announced, featuring six elite CS:GO teams in a condensed knockout format. Quarter‑final matchups pit MOUZ against Spirit and Natus Vincere against Vitality, the latter seeking revenge for a 3‑0 loss in...
FURIA Through to Semis in Rio
FURIA secured a 2‑0 victory over MOUZ to claim the second direct semifinal berth at IEM Rio. The Brazilian squad dominated on Mirage and Dust2, with Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo’s in‑game leadership proving decisive. FURIA’s top‑rated player, Danil “molodoy” Golubenko, posted...
NAVI Best Aurora to Bag Rio Quarter-Final Spot
NAVI clinched a spot in the IEM Rio 2026 playoffs by beating Aurora 2‑1. The Russian‑Ukrainian roster dominated Inferno (13‑4) and Dust2 (13‑4) while dropping a close Mirage (11‑13). The victory completes the tournament’s six‑team playoff bracket. NAVI now faces...
Media: Gaimin Gladiators to Play Cologne Major with Fer
Brazilian CS:GO organization Gaimin Gladiators announced that veteran rifler Fernando “fer” Alvarenga will replace João “felps” Vasconcellos on their roster for the IEM Cologne Major. Fer, 34, returns to tier‑one competition after a three‑and‑a‑half‑year break, having last played a major...
Eternal Fire Complete Team with MisteM
Eternal Fire announced the signing of South African in‑game leader Gareth “MisteM” Ries, completing a sweeping roster overhaul that saw former NIP captain Volodymyr “Woro2k” Veletniuk benched in favor of Romanian AWPer Iulian “regali” Harjău. The move adds a player...
Spirit Secure IEM Rio Playoffs over G2
Spirit secured the penultimate playoff berth at IEM Rio by defeating G2 in straight maps, 13‑7 on Mirage and 13‑11 on Dust2. Boris “magixx” Vorobiev highlighted the team's shaky confidence but praised their overall form, while Andrey “tN1R” posted a...
Falcons Breeze Past Spirit Into Rio Playoffs
The Falcons secured a playoff berth at IEM Rio 2026 by sweeping Spirit 2‑0, winning Anubis 13‑4 and Mirage 13‑5. Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov led the charge with a 1.87 rating, while Nikola “NiKo” Kovač added a 1.52 rating. Spirit’s Danil...
3DMAX Eliminate Liquid in Rio
At the Rio Major, 3DMAX eliminated Team Liquid after a dramatic overtime on Nuke, overturning an 11‑4 deficit. French rifler Lucas “Lucky” Chastang anchored the win with a dominant 54‑29 K/D on Ancient, securing a 1.78 rating. Liquid squandered a 4v2...