16-Year-Old Swede MaiL09 Ends donk’s Reign to Win FACEIT Season 6

16-Year-Old Swede MaiL09 Ends donk’s Reign to Win FACEIT Season 6

16-year-old Swedish CS2 prodigy Liam “MaiL09” Tügel has won the sixth seasonal FACEIT Elo race, finishing first on the global leaderboard and breaking Danil “donk” Kryshkovets’ streak of five consecutive season titles.

According to FACEIT’s Season 6 rules, the rating race ran from July 22 to November 16. Throughout this period, MaiL09 climbed to 5,382 Elo, securing the top spot worldwide. Behind him were Virtus.pro AWPer Vladimir “b1st” Krasikov and former AMKAL Esports player Evgeny “topo-” Ivanov, who placed second and third.

For the first five FACEIT CS2 seasons, donk dominated the competition, winning every rating race since Season 1 and holding the platform’s previous Elo record. Season 6 marks the first time a new name appears at the top — and it’s a 16-year-old from Sweden.

From Elo Record to Seasonal Champion

MaiL09’s seasonal victory comes shortly after he achieved the highest Elo ever recorded in FACEIT CS2 history. On November 4, FACEIT announced a new all-time peak of 5,415 Elo, reached by the young Metizport rifler. This surpassed donk’s previous record of 5,350 Elo, set in July 2025.

FACEIT’s announcement highlighted the milestone:
“The highest Elo recorded in FACEIT CS2 history now belongs to 16-year-old @MaiL09cs.”

Before claiming the Season 6 title, MaiL09 had already been in the spotlight. In early September, he reached 4,860 Elo and climbed to #1 on the global leaderboard, putting him on track to become the youngest seasonal FACEIT champion — a prediction that ended up coming true.

Who Is MaiL09?

Name: Liam Tügel

Nickname: MaiL09

Country: Sweden

Age: 16

Team: Metizport (joined July 2025)

HLTV lists him as a rifler with several hundred official maps played and a stable 1.05 rating over the past three months.

A Long-Standing Prodigy

In 2023, at just 13 years old, he received an invite to the FACEIT Pro League (FPL) — earlier than m0NESY — already holding around 4,300 Elo with a 57% win rate.

Swedish outlet Fragbite has repeatedly called him “one of Sweden’s biggest CS talents,” charting his progress through GODSENT and Johnny Speeds before signing with Metizport.

In March 2025, he became #1 in Sweden on FACEIT, reaching 4,438 Elo at age 15.

Metizport has described him as one of their most valuable signings, noting that he quickly became the highest-ranked player in Europe on FACEIT. He was later included in HLTV’s “Top 50 Prospects of Season One 2025”, ranked as the most promising 16-year-old player.

Work Ethic and Mindset

Several stories highlight his dedication and discipline:

During a Swedish offline event, broadcasters noted that he was the only player who stayed late to continue practicing:
“Only one player stayed behind to keep practicing. His name is MaiL09.”

In an interview series with Metizport, he shared his personal philosophy:
“Surround yourself with decent people, not people that push you down.”

Soon after joining Metizport, he surged to the top of the European FACEIT ladder, cementing his status as one of the most talked-about rising stars.

Fragbite also highlighted his earlier achievements, noting that he became the world’s highest-ranked FACEIT player and showcased a memorable 1v4 clutch against donk, which gained him significant international attention.

How This Fits Into FACEIT’s CS2 History

FACEIT’s seasonal Elo races have grown into a major storyline within the CS2 community:

donk won the first five CS2 seasons, finishing Season 5 at approximately 5,283 Elo and holding the all-time record before MaiL09 surpassed it.

With 5,415 Elo, MaiL09 now holds both the Season 6 title and the highest Elo ever achieved on FACEIT CS2.

Analysts from several esports outlets emphasized that maintaining an Elo rating above 5,000 is a feat historically reserved for only the most elite players — typically those already competing at the top level or on the verge of breaking through.

Related Developments

FACEIT’s announcement of the 5,415 Elo world record spread across esports media, marking the first time a CS2 player had ever reached such a rating.

Esports Insider noted in September that he was on pace to become the youngest seasonal champion — a prediction that has now been confirmed.

Reports from HLTV and other sources highlighted Metizport’s summer rebuild, including the signings of Jackinho and MaiL09.

His rapid rise from GODSENT Academy to FPL-C at 13, then to FPL and Metizport, has been documented across multiple news outlets and FACEIT’s own posts.

Summary

MaiL09 has won FACEIT Season 6, ending donk’s five-season dominance.

He set a new FACEIT CS2 Elo world record at 5,415, finishing the season at 5,382 Elo.

At just 16 years old, he is now recognized as one of the most promising young riflers in CS2 — and the first player ever to dethrone donk in a FACEIT seasonal race.