HLTV Prospects Season 2: February 2026 — Detailed Rewritten Report

HLTV Prospects Season 2: February 2026 — Detailed Rewritten Report

The HLTV Prospects project has reached its second official season in 2026, introducing an updated and evolving system to spotlight the most promising young talents in competitive Counter-Strike 2. Building on the foundations laid in January, this report again presents the Top 50 Prospects based on objective performance data over the preceding six months. The aim remains clear: to highlight emerging players under the age of 21 who are rapidly improving and beginning to make their mark on the professional scene. 

The February 2026 Prospects list was released on February 12, 2026, with several significant movements and breakout performances since the last update. The ranking methodology is fully automated this season and driven by recent match data, giving audiences an analytical lens to track prospect stock movements month by month. 

Key Highlights From the February Prospects

At the top of the list stands Kacper “xKacpersky” Gabara, who has continued to impress and secure the number one spot among the young players shaping the future of Counter-Strike. Following him are several other rising stars from across Europe and beyond:

• Dmytro “dem0n” Myroshnychenko (Ukraine) — continues to climb thanks to strong individual performances and FUT’s recent results.

• Vladislav “xiELO” Lysov (Russia) — remains highly rated for consistent contributions.

• Džiugas “dziugss” Steponavičius (Lithuania) — earned Prospect of the Month honors for February after making one of the most impressive jumps into the top five.

• David “Dawy” Bibik (Ukraine) and Klimentii “kl1m” Krivosheev (Russia) also feature prominently, reflecting their impactful seasons so far.

The full Top 50 list includes young players from a wide range of organizations and regions: Denmark, Sweden, Kazakhstan, Brazil, Belarus, the United States, China and Mongolia, to name a few — underlining the truly global nature of CS2 talent development. 

Notable Movers and Rising Stars

A number of players saw notable improvements in their ranking compared to January:

• Emil “nota” Moskvitin climbed into the top ten following his strong performances in BLAST Bounty.

• Ilya “flouzer” Selifonov rose more than ten places due to his solid start to the year with Nuclear TigeRES.

• Daniel “syph0” Ageyev, a Spirit Academy alumnus, made a significant jump into the top 15 after an impressive early 2026 showing with Nemiga.

Conversely, several names from the previous rankings saw their positions slip or fell out of the Top 50 entirely due to changing performance metrics, illustrating the competitive and fluid nature of the prospects list. 

Criteria and Methodology

To be eligible for Prospects Season 2, players must be under 21 and satisfy specific criteria related to map count and experience at high tiers of competition (e.g., limited maps at Big Events or maps against top 20 teams). This ensures that the list focuses on genuine up-and-coming talent instead of those who have already fully broken into the elite scene. 

The automated nature of the ranking process this season, introduced in January, enables HLTV.org to systematically track swings in a player’s impact — capturing both upward momentum and declines. This aligns with HLTV’s broader push to quantifiably measure prospect development as careers begin. 

Context Within the Broader CS2 Landscape

The February Prospects list coincides with a jam-packed era in competitive Counter-Strike, with teams across the world competing at events like IEM Krakow 2026 and various regional LANs. Rising stars identified through the Prospects ranking are increasingly participating in these major tournaments, blending their youth with real high-level experience. 

In addition, recent roster changes and transfers — such as Monte’s signing of Aleks “Rainwaker” Petrov — highlight an active player market where young talents are regularly reshaping rosters and earning opportunities on larger stages. 

Conclusion

Overall, the February 2026 HLTV Prospects Season 2 ranking not only showcases the next generation of CS2 stars, but also offers a data-driven framework for tracking the evolution of talent across competitive tiers. With prospects like dziugss, dem0n, xKacpersky and others ascending rapidly, the list projects a deeper view into how the future competitive landscape of Counter-Strike 2 might unfold.