Hall of Fame: Unveiling the 10 nominees of 2026

Ten players have been nominated to enter the HLTV Hall of Fame presented by 1xBet, with a mix of new names and players who were on the ballot in the past.

This year, four of the nominated players will make up the Class of 2026, joining the all-Swedish inaugural Class of 2024: Tommy "⁠Potti⁠" Ingemarsson, Emil "⁠HeatoN⁠" Christensen, Patrik "⁠f0rest⁠" Lindberg and Christopher "⁠GeT_RiGhT⁠" Alesund; and the Class of 2025 made up of Yegor "⁠markeloff⁠" Markelov, Olof "⁠olofmeister⁠" Kajbjer and Raphael "⁠cogu⁠" Camargo.

This year's class will be inducted into the Counter-Strike Hall of Fame at the HLTV Awards in Belgrade, Serbia, on January 9, 2027.

The inducted players will get:

Induction ceremony during HLTV Awards.
Rolex watch with Hall of Fame inscription.
Special HLTV player profile.
Commemoration on the new Hall of Fame page.
An article and video about their career.

First time on the ballot

Filip "⁠NEO⁠" Kubski

After the repeal of the eponymous 'NEO rule', the Pole is now on the ballot for the first time, as he is widely considered to have been the best, or at least in competition to have been the best, player in the pre-CS:GO era of Counter-Strike. He was voted Player of the Decade (2000s) by HLTV users, and was the first Pole to make it to HLTV's Top 20 Players of the Year list, ranked 7th in 2010 and the best player of 2011 in the pre-CS:GO era, winning WCG three times, ESWC twice, and IEM World Championship twice. In the CS:GO era, he was a two-time MVP and a Major champion with 11 Notable trophies to his name. He now has four trophies as a coach.

Ronald "⁠Rambo⁠" Kim

Rambo was one of the most respected North American players during the early years of Counter-Strike on account of his remarkable LAN consistency and strategic mind. He was a key part of the X3 and Team 3D squads that competed at the highest level during the first half of the 2000s, winning two CPL titles and two World Cyber Games gold medals. After retiring as a player, he turned to coaching and worked with MVP, compLexity and Cloud9.

Second time on the ballot

Peter "⁠dupreeh⁠" Rasmussen

dupreeh made the ballot in his first eligible year after retirement, and has been nominated once again in his second year. His accolades speak for themselves: He has 32 Notable Event victories — five of them Majors — and is the only player to have attended every single CS:GO Major (19). He is also a seven-time Top 20 Player of the Year (top 5 once), and was a constant contributor during Astralis' dynasty years from 2017 to 2019.

Ola "⁠elemeNt⁠" Moum

The original, unbelievably dominant player, elemeNt was the first to have his contract bought out in the history of CS. He won top-tier championships with multiple teams, and the teams he was on were simply the best of their time. His skill set made him stand out on a team of stars (NoA), the first international team in CS 20 years before FaZe would make it popular.

Keun-Chul "⁠solo⁠" Kang

There was a before and after solo for Asian CS. He helped put South Korea on the map in 2005 when he inspired project_kr to a runner-up finish at WEG Season 3. His skillset was on par with the world's best, and his dedication and talent were rewarded in 2010, when his WeMade FOX team won WEM.

Abdisamad "⁠SpawN⁠" Mohamed

The third musketeer with HeatoN and Potti in the legendary Ninjas in Pyjamas and SK rosters that were close to unbeatable in the early 2000s, SpawN was one of the most gifted mechanically and among the most popular CS players on the planet during his time. His impact on the zeitgeist of Counter-Strike cannot be overstated.

Jorgen "⁠XeqtR⁠" Johannessen

XeqtR was a tactical mastermind and great team player with high impact. One of the best IGLs in the early era, his primary claim to fame is how he laid the blueprint for what modern-day cerebral and tactical CS is based on. An exceedingly talented player in his early days, XeqtR was a force to be reckoned with playing alongside other Hall of Famers HeatoN and Potti.

Third time on the ballot

Danny "⁠fRoD⁠" Montaner

fRoD picked up where Kyle "⁠Ksharp⁠" Miller left off and became the beacon for North American AWPers. His dominant performance in Complexity's victory at ESWC 2005 established him as one of the finest players in the world, and he remained an elite-level competitor for several years, even after returning from the CGS.

Kenny "⁠kennyS⁠" Schrub

Renowned for his lightning-fast reflexes and aggressive playstyle, kennyS's 'Magic Stick' was a regular feature in frag movies that made people fall in love with the game. His dominance with the sniper is said to have played a part in Valve's nerf of the weapon, but the Frenchman stayed at the top of the game for a long time after that, accruing 10 MVP awards and five Top 20 Players of the Year appearances in his career.

Kyle "⁠Ksharp⁠" Miller

The first true North American star thanks to his flashy AWP and quick reflexes, Ksharp played a key role as X3 and Team 3D were consistently at the top during the franchise's early days, winning back-to-back WCG gold medals, one WCG silver and two CPL titles.

The Hall of Fame Committee is made up of:

Chad "⁠SPUNJ⁠" Burchill (Player/Talent, Oceania)
Sudhen "⁠Bleh⁠" Wahengbam (Talent, Asia)
Trevor "gfmidway" Schmidt (Industry, North America)
Jason "Jason Lake" Lake (Industry, North America)
Jason "⁠moses⁠" O'Toole (Player/Talent, North America)
Stephanie "⁠missharvey⁠" Harvey (Player/Talent, North America)
Roque "roque_mn" Marques (Journalist, South America)
Lucas "LucasAM" Aznar Miles (Journalist, Europe)
Per "⁠Nomad⁠" Lambæk (Industry, Europe)
Luis "MIRAA" Mira (Journalist, Europe)
Tommy "⁠Potti⁠" Ingemarsson (Player, Europe)
Dmitry "⁠hooch⁠" Bogdanov (Player/Talent, Europe)