HLTV Awards 2025 Predictions: BanKs Says donk Will Win Two Awards as Vitality Dominate Role Categories

Renowned CS host and analyst James “BanKs” Banks has released his HLTV Awards 2025 predictions, and his shortlist instantly sparked discussion across the Counter-Strike community. According to BanKs, Danil donk Kryshkovets is set to claim two HLTV trophies, while Team Vitality are expected to sweep nearly all remaining role awards.

The HLTV Awards 2025 ceremony will be held on January 10, 2026, in Belgrade, Serbia, at the iconic Sava Centar.

BanKs’ Full HLTV Awards 2025 Predictions (Ranked)

1️⃣ Entry Fragger of the Year — donk (Team Spirit)

BanKs believes donk’s hyper-aggressive rifling and opening duel success in CS2 make him the clear favorite. His impact rounds and pace-setting style have redefined the entry role in 2025.

2️⃣ Highlight of the Year — donk’s 1v5 Ace vs Vitality

One of the most replayed moments of the year, donk’s legendary 1v5 ace against Vitality is BanKs’ pick for Highlight of the Year. The clip is officially nominated by HLTV and widely regarded as the defining play of the CS2 season.

3️⃣ AWPer of the Year — Mathieu ZywOo Herbaut (Vitality)

ZywOo’s consistency, clutch factor, and MVP-level performances across majors and tier-one events place him firmly at the top of the AWP hierarchy.

4️⃣ IGL of the Year — Dan apEX Madesclaire (Vitality)

As in-game leader, apEX orchestrated one of the most dominant seasons in modern Counter-Strike, combining tactical depth with emotional leadership.

5️⃣ Anchor of the Year — William mezii Merriman (Vitality)

mezii’s defensive consistency, site control, and late-round survivability earned him BanKs’ vote in the anchor category.

6️⃣ Closer / Lurker of the Year — Robin ropz Kool (Vitality)

ropz’s discipline, timing, and clutch conversion rate make him the standout closer of the year.

7️⃣ Coach of the Year — Rémy XTQZZZ Quoniam (Vitality)

XTQZZZ’s strategic preparation and long-term system building were central to Vitality’s dominance in CS2.

Why BanKs Thinks donk Will Win Two HLTV Awards

The analyst highlighted two key factors:

donk’s statistical dominance as an entry fragger

two separate HLTV-nominated highlights, including a 1v4 vs Astralis and the famous 1v5 vs Vitality

This makes donk one of the strongest individual candidates at HLTV Awards 2025 — even without a team-focused award.

Verified Player Quotes That Support the Narrative

• donk previously stated that in 2025 he shifted his focus toward team success rather than individual numbers, emphasizing winning rounds over chasing highlights.

• ropz publicly praised donk’s raw mechanical ceiling, calling his peak one of the highest ever seen in Counter-Strike, while still acknowledging ZywOo’s trophy-driven case for Player of the Year.

• apEX compared Vitality’s 2025 season to historic Astralis runs, highlighting their consistency across majors and international LANs.

(All quotes sourced from verified HLTV interviews, post-event press conferences, and official streams.)