HLTV has confirmed that 31 players will leave its Counter-Strike 2 Prospects ranking ahead of the third season. The group includes several young competitors who developed into established professionals during the previous campaign.
Džiugas “dziugss” Steponavičius finishes Season 2 as the highest-ranked prospect following FUT’s breakout year. Other notable graduates include xKacpersky, xiELO, dem0n and cobrazera.
Leaving the ranking does not necessarily mean that a player has completed their development. Prospects are removed when they turn 21 or exceed specific experience limits based on matches played against leading opposition.
How the HLTV Prospects Criteria Work
The Prospects ranking tracks young players who have not yet accumulated extensive experience at the highest levels of competitive Counter-Strike.
Eligibility is reviewed after each Major. Players must be under 21 and remain below several map thresholds covering Big Events and matches involving teams inside the global top 20, top 30 or top 50.
The main Season 2 requirements were:
- Players had to be younger than 21
- Fewer than 50 maps played at Big Events
- Fewer than 50 maps in top-20 versus top-20 matches
- Fewer than 100 maps with a top-30 team against top-30 opposition
- Fewer than 300 maps with a top-50 team against top-50 opposition
- Fewer than 1,000 career maps overall
A player only needs to exceed one relevant threshold to graduate. This means some names leave because they successfully established themselves at major tournaments, while others become ineligible due to age.
Graduation is often evidence of progress rather than a judgement that a player has stopped being a prospect in the wider CS2 scene.
dziugss Finishes the Season at Number One
xKacpersky began the year as the highest-ranked prospect and held first place through March. dziugss moved ahead in April after FUT won PGL Bucharest and remained at the top until the end of the season.
The 17-year-old now graduates after exceeding the limit of 50 maps at Big Events. Several FUT teammates leave for the same reason, underlining how quickly the team’s successful international run accelerated their careers.
| Player | Best ranking | Reason for graduation |
|---|---|---|
| dziugss | 1st | Big Event map limit |
| dem0n | 2nd | Big Event map limit |
| xiELO | 3rd | Big Event map limit |
| cobrazera | 4th | Big Event map limit |
| Krabeni | 6th | Big Event map limit |
| nota | 7th | Big Event map limit |
FUT’s dem0n peaked at second, Krabeni reached sixth and cmtry climbed to eighth. Their collective graduation reflects the team’s transition from an emerging project into a roster competing regularly against stronger international opposition.
xKacpersky and xiELO Leave After Breakout Runs
xKacpersky graduates after passing the top-30 match threshold. The Polish rifler became a central part of Ninjas in Pyjamas and opened Season 2 at the top of the ranking.
PARIVISION’s xiELO also exits after exceeding the Big Event limit. He peaked at third early in the year as his team established itself as a serious international contender.
His former teammate nota reached seventh during PARIVISION’s strong opening months. Although the player was later moved to the bench, his earlier appearances were enough to take him beyond the ranking’s experience criteria.
Other highly ranked graduates include:
- koala, tenzy and adamb, who aged out after turning 21
- sirah, who exceeded the top-50 match limit with 100 Thieves
- s1zzi, who quickly gained top-level experience with B8
- jackasmo, who passed the top-50 threshold after years in Tier 2
These players leave the list under very different circumstances. Some are already competing for established international organisations, while others still face uncertain roster situations.
cobrazera Graduates With His Future Unclear
cobrazera reached fourth place and spent the season with an average ranking of 18th. He graduates after playing more than 50 maps at Big Events.
However, his immediate future is uncertain after being moved to The MongolZ bench. His experience now places him outside the prospect criteria, but he still needs a new competitive opportunity to continue his development.
That contrast highlights a limitation of any eligibility-based system. Exceeding an experience threshold confirms exposure to high-level play, but it does not guarantee a stable place on a Tier 1 roster.
Several of the lower-ranked graduates face a similar challenge. Players from Asia, the Americas and Europe leave after turning 21 despite still competing mainly outside the top level.
Season 3 Opens Space for a New Group
Of the 31 graduates, 12 reached the top ten during Season 2. Nine more peaked between 11th and 30th, while ten appeared in the bottom 20 positions.
Their departure creates significant room for new names when the first Season 3 ranking is published. Existing prospects who remain eligible can also rise quickly now that many established competitors have been removed.
The updated list should provide another snapshot of the global CS2 talent pipeline. Academy teams, regional organisations and Tier 2 events remain essential because they give young players enough official matches to attract attention before reaching larger tournaments.
Assessment
The Season 2 graduates show that the CS2 development system continues to produce players capable of reaching major events at a young age. dziugss, xKacpersky and xiELO moved beyond prospect status through competitive progress rather than age alone.
FUT’s presence is particularly notable. Multiple players crossed the experience thresholds after the organisation’s breakthrough results, demonstrating how one successful season can rapidly change the status of an entire roster.
Graduation does not guarantee continued success. Some players already hold important positions on leading teams, while others must secure new opportunities or prove themselves after roster changes.
The next Prospects season will shift attention toward a younger and less established group. Its strongest names will aim to follow the same path: climb the ranking, reach major tournaments and eventually become too experienced to remain on the list.
