HLTV Awards 2025: All finalists announced

During the winter holidays, 35 HLTV experts concluded the voting for the HLTV Awards 2025 in order to determine the three finalists in seven categories. Based on their choices, a symbolic team of the year will be assembled, and the awards themselves, supported by 1xBET, will be handed out on January 10.

The panel consisted of twenty team representatives (players and coaches), ten broadcast commentators and analysts, and five HLTV staff members. Voting began on December 22: the experts selected the best from a short list prepared by the site's editorial team. Of the 35 invitees, 34 responded — the The MongolZ team did not manage to submit the form in time and as a result their spot on the panel was taken by Ninjas in Pyjamas.

AWPer of the Year

In the Best AWP sniper category, three familiar names are once again in contention. The Russian sniper Ilya "m0NESY" Osipov, who already claimed this award in 2024, makes the top 3 for the third year in a row. He finished 2025 with a 1.25 rating, two MVPs, and an average of 0.81 kills per round.

His rival Dmitry "sh1ro" Sokolov is back in the final — after 2022 and 2024. He maintained his status as one of the most reliable players in the world: a 1.20 rating, 0.38 AWP kills per round, and a record survival rate — he is killed in fewer than half of all rounds.

The third finalist is the French player Mathieu "ZywOo" Herbaut. His individual form carried Vitality to record-breaking heights: a 1.32 rating for the year, eight MVPs, and first place in the Round Swing metric, that is, impact on round swings.

IGL of the Year

The best in-game leaders of the year represent three different leadership styles. Dan "apEX" Madesclaire, the 2023 winner, is back in the trio after a season in which Vitality claimed eight trophies and won two Majors in a row, maintaining roughly a 57% win rate on the T side.

The Mongolian captain Garidmagnai "bLitz" Byambasuren led The MongolZ to a historic rise: the team briefly became the number one side in the world rankings and, in a first for Asia, won a major Big Event — Esports World Cup.

Rounding out the trio is the legendary Brazilian Gabriel "FalleN" Toledo. His FURIA started the year in ninth place in the rankings and had slipped to 20th by May, but then produced a dramatic turnaround: four titles in a row and standout victories in Chengdu and Hong Kong.

Opener of the Year

The award for the best entry fraggers has also produced a contrasting trio. The 18-year-old Russian Danil "donk" Kryshkovets continued to rack up records: his MVP performance at IEM Cologne was the peak of his year, with a 1.42 rating, 1.26 kills in rounds won, and 0.18 opening kills per round.

The Israeli Vitality player Shahar "flameZ" Shushan fills a more traditional "battering ram" role: 36% of his deaths are immediately traded by teammates, and the team wins over 77% of the rounds in which he gets a kill.

The Latvian Mareks "YEKINDAR" Gaļinskis, who in 2022 fell just three points short of the Opener of the Year title, returns to the final once again. His aggression and leadership on the CT side in FURIA provided high impact: a 1.17 rating in grand finals and 1.13 against top-5 teams.

Closer of the Year

In the battle for the title of best "clutcher", three riflers stood out. David "frozen" Čerňanský spent most of the year without major team titles, but individually had a powerful season: a 1.17 average rating, 1.20 against top-5 opposition, and 1.19 in playoffs, capped off by a run to the grand final of the tournament in Budapest.

The Brazilian Kaike "KSCERATO" Cerato is remembered for the first MVP of his career at Thunderpick World Championship and a 1.20 rating over the year. For the first time since 2022, he returns to the top 3 specifically as one of the strongest clutch players.

The Estonian Robin "ropz" Kool swapped FaZe for Vitality after waiting out his contract and became one of the symbols of the French organization's new era. In 2025 he collected eight EVPs and averaged a 1.24 rating across four super-elite tournaments.

Anchor of the Year

The best defensive "anchors" are also well known to fans. The reigning title holder Valeriy "b1t" Vakhovskiy from Natus Vincere was not satisfied with the team's poor season, but personally delivered at the highest level: two EVPs at super-elite tournaments and more than 37% of maps with a rating above 1.30.

The Ukrainian Nikita "HeavyGod" Martynenko joined G2 to replace Nikola "NiKo" Kovač and immediately took on the role of a full-time anchor on the CT side. He edged out the competition for the MVP at BLAST Open London and finished the year with a 1.15 rating.

The Brit William "mezii" Merriman responded to criticism in 2024 with strong performances at both Majors, where he posted a 1.18 rating. Even after being moved into a few more comfortable positions, he continued to lock down difficult sites such as B on Mirage and Monster on Overpass, remaining a cornerstone player for Vitality.

Coach of the Year

Three architects of the current scene will battle for the Coach of the Year title. Sergey "hally" Shavaev from Spirit remained among the top three, adding an IEM Cologne title to his trophy collection.

The The MongolZ coach Erdenedalai "maaRaa" Bayanbat cemented his status as the region's premier "talent scout": his discoveries took the Mongolian squad to the top spot in the world rankings, and a late substitution — using Unudelger "controlez" Baasanjargal instead of Azbayar "Senzu" Munkhbold — showed that the system works even without its star rifler.

The Frenchman Rémy "XTQZZZ" Quoniam made the final trio for the first time. His behind-the-scenes work together with captain apEX turned Vitality into the true empire of 2025.

Highlight of the Year

In the Highlight of the Year category, viewers will see three already-legendary plays. donk is nominated for his 1v5 clutch against Vitality. ropz made the list thanks to a two-second ace against 3DMAX. And Russel "Twistzz" Van Dulken is recognized for a 4k 1v3 with a Deagle in a match against Natus Vincere.

The winners in all seven categories will be announced on January 10 during the HLTV Awards 2025 ceremony. Only then will it become clear who exactly will make the symbolic team of the year and which 2025 storylines the experts consider the most important for the Counter-Strike scene.