The annual cycle of anticipation for Counter-Strike`s most prestigious individual and team accolades has officially begun. HLTV.org, widely regarded as the authoritative voice for professional CS2 statistics and news, has provided the community with a glimpse into the potential contenders for the HLTV Awards 2025 by releasing preliminary nominee lists.
The Early Picture: Familiar Faces and Notable Absences
Published initially across their social media channels, these lists are expressly derived from player and team performance data compiled throughout the first half of the 2024 competitive season. Consider them the mid-season standings, a snapshot of who has been excelling so far.
Interestingly, analysis accompanying the lists notes a significant overlap between these early potential nominees and the actual winners and top placements from the HLTV Awards 2024. It appears consistency remains a key factor in reaching the top tiers of CS2 performance, or perhaps the meta and individual dominance haven`t seen a complete revolution just yet.
However, the preliminary nature of these rankings means they are not final, and some names one might expect are currently not featured. For example, Natus Vincere`s highly-regarded coach, Andrey `B1ad3` Gorodenskiy, is not yet listed among the top coaching candidates. Similarly, Justinas `jL` Lekavicius does not appear in the preliminary list for best lurkers. This underscores that the second half of the year still holds immense potential for players and teams to shift the landscape and secure a spot among the final nominees.
Setting the Stage: Belgrade Awaits
While the race for nominations continues on the servers, the location and date for the grand reveal are set. The HLTV Awards 2025 ceremony is scheduled to take place on January 10, 2026. The host city will be Belgrade, Serbia, with the event held at the Sava Centar, a large venue capable of accommodating up to 4,000 attendees.
The ceremony is poised to celebrate excellence across various critical roles and achievements within the competitive scene. Awards will be presented for the coveted Player of the Year, the Best Team, the Best Female Player, and top performers in specific in-game roles such as AWPer, rifler (entry, support, anchor), and lurker, alongside the best coach.
The Race Continues
With several months of high-stakes competition remaining in 2024, these preliminary lists are merely an early indicator. The performance in upcoming major tournaments and league play will be crucial in determining who ultimately makes the final cut for nominations and who takes home the prestigious awards in January. The path to being recognized among the best in CS2 for 2025 is still being forged on the server.
