The 2025 Tier 1 Counter-Strike season has officially come to an end. With the conclusion of the StarLadder Budapest Major, there are no top-level events left on the calendar, making this the final statistical snapshot of the year.
The Major delivered a fitting finale. Vitality lifted the trophy after a dominant playoff run, while Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut was named MVP of the event. Despite that, Danil “donk” Kryshkovets once again finished the tournament as the highest-rated player overall, cementing his place at the very top of the 2025 rating leaderboard.
What remains now is the broader discussion around end of year awards. While donk leads the raw numbers, ZywOo’s collection of titles and MVP medals across the season leaves him as the clear favorite to be named HLTV’s No. 1 player of 2025.
The list below includes players with a minimum of 50 maps played against top 20 opponents and reflects all matches played throughout the year, including the Budapest Major playoffs.
Highest rated players vs top 20 teams in 2025
(Filter: minimum 50 maps played)
| Player | Teams | Maps | Rounds | K D Diff | K D | Rating 3.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| donk | Spirit | 142 | 3224 | +789 | 1.37 | 1.39 |
| ZywOo | Vitality | 189 | 4102 | +977 | 1.40 | 1.32 |
| m0NESY | Falcons, G2 | 167 | 3672 | +789 | 1.36 | 1.24 |
| KSCERATO | FURIA | 180 | 3929 | +392 | 1.16 | 1.19 |
| sh1ro | Spirit | 142 | 3224 | +758 | 1.43 | 1.19 |
| Twistzz | FaZe, Liquid | 146 | 3139 | +228 | 1.11 | 1.16 |
| ropz | Vitality | 189 | 4102 | +569 | 1.23 | 1.16 |
| frozen | FaZe | 161 | 3538 | +298 | 1.13 | 1.16 |
| kyousuke | Falcons | 73 | 1588 | +138 | 1.12 | 1.16 |
| XANTARES | Aurora, Eternal Fire | 171 | 3861 | +316 | 1.12 | 1.14 |
| HeavyGod | G2 | 149 | 3237 | +213 | 1.11 | 1.13 |
| molodoy | FURIA | 138 | 2991 | +502 | 1.29 | 1.12 |
| NiKo | Falcons | 182 | 4018 | +233 | 1.09 | 1.12 |
| Senzu | The MongolZ | 168 | 3778 | +297 | 1.12 | 1.12 |
| tN1R | Spirit, HEROIC | 92 | 2039 | +98 | 1.07 | 1.12 |
| latto | Legacy | 84 | 1794 | +107 | 1.09 | 1.11 |
| PR | GamerLegion | 132 | 2817 | +65 | 1.03 | 1.11 |
| flameZ | Vitality | 189 | 4102 | +54 | 1.02 | 1.11 |
| Spinx | MOUZ | 174 | 3879 | +302 | 1.12 | 1.11 |
| JamYoung | TYLOO | 51 | 1107 | +49 | 1.06 | 1.11 |
donk ends 2025 as the statistical leader
For the second year in a row, donk finishes a year as the highest-rated player. A 1.39 rating against top 20 teams across 142 maps is a historic level of consistency, especially considering the strength of opposition Spirit faced throughout the year.
sh1ro’s presence just behind him further underlines Spirit’s dominance in high-pressure matches, even if the Major trophy ultimately slipped away in Budapest.
ZywOo’s case for HLTV No. 1
While donk leads the raw statistics, ZywOo’s season profile remains unmatched. Vitality won the StarLadder Budapest Major, and ZywOo was named MVP after delivering yet another elite playoff run. Across 2025, Vitality collected multiple trophies, with ZywOo consistently topping event ratings and securing MVP medals.
That combination of team success, individual accolades, and long-term consistency makes ZywOo the overwhelming favorite to be crowned HLTV’s No. 1 player of 2025, even if he finishes second in the final rating table.
