Expert names the three most exciting young talents in Counter-Strike right now
Keep an eye on these prospects highlighted by analyst Neo "Ne0kai" Caine.
The Counter-Strike scene in 2024 is more competitive than ever.
Event after event, we witness the brilliance of names such as Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut, Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov, and Danil “donk” Kryshkovets. But behind the established profiles, fresh talent is emerging, ready to rise in the ranks and bring new dynamics to the game.
So, who are the next players in line to break through in the top tiers of Counter-Strike?
We turned to CS analyst and caster Neo "Ne0kai" Caine - a seasoned expert with extensive knowledge of the tiers below the elite - to get an answer on exactly that.
Leading Ne0kai’s list of top prospects is, unsurprisingly, Spirit's academy player Maxim “kyousuke” Lukin. Here’s his breakdown:
1. Maxim ”kyousuke” Lukin (16 years old) | Spirit Academy
Nationality:
2024 rating: 1.28
Role: Rifler
Ne0kai explains his pick: “He’s an incredible talent and is one of those players you can tell has the mechanics to play at a tier 1 level. And with Spirit’s track record of nurturing talented young riflers (i.e. donk) this kid has all the right pieces around him to become a stalwart tier 1 player.”
2. Samet “jottAAA” Köklü (22 years old) | Sangal
Nationality:
2024 rating: 1.13
Role: Rifler
Ne0kai explains his pick: “He had his time in the limelight a bit with this international Sangal lineup like at ESL Pro League and winning ESL Challenger. But I really think Eternal Fire made a mistake letting him go from the academy setup. Seriously talented player and has all the right markings to be a top-level player, either internationaly or in a top Turkish team cough cough”
3. Drin “makazze” Shaqiri (17 years old) | NAVI Junior
Nationality:
2024 rating: 1.20
Role: Rifler
Ne0kai explains his pick: “Similarly to Kyosuke, this kid is seriously talented. Navi also have their fair share of success when it comes to finding up and coming prospects and this guy is no different. Not only with the team but individually too having won FPL recently. As long as his mentality is alright, I think he is a player with serious potential.”
Ne0kai's honorable mentions:
Dmytro “jambo” Semera (20 years old) | Passion UA
“One of the most exciting AWPers in tier 2.
Kirill ”Xant3r” Kononov (20 years old) | Nemiga.
”He’s a super fun player to watch, and with Nemiga’s recent success he might attract some big teams”