Short intro

The second season of the HLTV Prospects project has reached its conclusion, officially graduating one of the strongest classes of young Counter-Strike talents in recent years. Leading the list are Ninjas in Pyjamas prospect Kacper "xKacpersky" Gabara, the rising FUT core featuring Džiugas "dziugss" Steponavičius, Dmytro "dem0n" Myroshnychenko, Aulon "Krabeni" Fazlija, Nikita "cmtry" Samolotov, alongside PARIVISION's Vladislav "xiELO" Lysov, Emil "nota" Moskvitin, and The MongolZ newcomer Anarbileg "cobrazera" Uuganbayar.

Rather than simply recognizing strong statistics, the graduates represent players who have successfully transitioned from promising prospects into established competitors capable of influencing tier-one Counter-Strike. 

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Quick summary

Item	Details
Announcement	HLTV Prospects Season 2 graduation class
Status	Official
Main organizations	Ninjas in Pyjamas, FUT, PARIVISION, The MongolZ
Headline graduate	Kacper "xKacpersky" Gabara
Top-ranked graduate	Džiugas "dziugss" Steponavičius finished Season 2 as No.1 prospect
Significance	Marks players leaving Prospect eligibility after proving themselves at higher competition levels
Source	HLTV

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HLTV Prospects Season 2 graduates officially announced

HLTV's Prospect Ranking was created to identify the most promising young Counter-Strike players before they become established stars.

Season 2 concludes with a graduation class that reflects how quickly several young players accelerated their careers throughout 2026. Many of them have already appeared at elite LAN events, earned trophies, or become key contributors on teams competing near the top of the world rankings. 

Among the biggest names graduating are:

• Kacper "xKacpersky" Gabara (Ninjas in Pyjamas)

• Džiugas "dziugss" Steponavičius (FUT)

• Dmytro "dem0n" Myroshnychenko (FUT)

• Aulon "Krabeni" Fazlija (FUT)

• Nikita "cmtry" Samolotov (FUT)

• Vladislav "xiELO" Lysov (PARIVISION)

• Emil "nota" Moskvitin

• Anarbileg "cobrazera" Uuganbayar (The MongolZ)

Each player reached the point where HLTV no longer considers them developing prospects, but established young professionals ready to compete against the world's best.

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Why xKacpersky became one of Season 2's biggest names

Although dziugss ultimately finished as the No.1 ranked prospect before graduation, xKacpersky was one of the defining stories throughout the season.

The Polish rifler opened 2026 as HLTV's top-ranked prospect after impressing with strong LAN performances, difficult opposition, and rapid development inside the Ninjas in Pyjamas system. HLTV highlighted his aggressive style, high-impact entries and ability to perform against top competition despite his young age. 

His journey illustrates exactly what the Prospect Ranking aims to recognize: talented academy players evolving into reliable tier-one professionals.

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FUT's remarkable development pipeline

Perhaps the biggest winner of Season 2 was FUT.

Throughout the year, HLTV consistently ranked multiple FUT players among the world's best prospects.

The graduating FUT group includes:

Player	Notable storyline
Džiugas "dziugss" Steponavičius	Finished Season 2 as No.1 prospect
Dmytro "dem0n" Myroshnychenko	Consistent top-three prospect throughout the year
Aulon "Krabeni" Fazlija	Young IGL praised for combining leadership with strong fragging
Nikita "cmtry" Samolotov	Recovered from an early-season drop before climbing back into contention

HLTV repeatedly pointed to FUT's rapid rise as evidence that its young roster was already competing well beyond the level typically associated with prospect teams. 

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Other graduates worth watching

Vladislav "xiELO" Lysov (PARIVISION)

xiELO continued establishing himself among Eastern Europe's strongest young riflers and remained a regular presence near the top of the Prospect rankings before graduating. 

Emil "nota" Moskvitin

nota's breakthrough performances early in 2026 pushed him into the Prospect top ten, confirming his status as one of the most exciting developing players in the CIS region. 

Anarbileg "cobrazera" Uuganbayar (The MongolZ)

One of Season 2's biggest risers, cobrazera climbed rapidly after replacing Senzu in The MongolZ, adapting well to international competition and establishing himself as one of Asia's premier young talents. 

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Background: What is HLTV Prospects?

HLTV Prospects is an ongoing talent-identification project that evaluates emerging players using a weighted model rather than raw statistics alone.

Eligibility includes factors such as:

• Age

• Experience limits

• Performance against stronger opposition

• LAN results

• Playoff performances

• Career progression

Throughout Season 2, HLTV also refined its methodology by incorporating additional weighting for opponent strength, LAN experience, recent form and other contextual metrics to better identify future stars. 

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Why this graduation matters

Graduation is not an award.

Instead, it signals that these players have progressed beyond the "prospect" stage.

Several graduates already:

• compete regularly against tier-one opposition;

• play at Majors or other elite LANs;

• contribute to teams ranked among the world's strongest;

• are viewed as long-term cornerstones for their organizations. 

For scouts, organizations and fans, the graduation list often serves as a preview of players likely to shape the professional scene over the next several years.

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Timeline

Date	Event
January 2026	xKacpersky opens the year as HLTV's No.1 prospect
February 2026	dziugss spotlighted as FUT's breakout talent
March 2026	cobrazera surges after joining The MongolZ
April 2026	dziugss overtakes xKacpersky for No.1
May 2026	FUT's young core continues climbing
July 2026	Final Season 2 rankings published
After July rankings	Official Season 2 graduation class announced

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Key details

Category	Information
Event	HLTV Prospects Season 2 Graduation
Status	Official
Main storyline	End of Season 2 Prospect eligibility
Featured organizations	Ninjas in Pyjamas, FUT, PARIVISION, The MongolZ
Final No.1 prospect	Džiugas "dziugss" Steponavičius
Early-season No.1	Kacper "xKacpersky" Gabara

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Impact analysis

The graduating class highlights several broader trends across competitive Counter-Strike:

• Academy systems continue producing elite-ready players.

• Younger rosters are reaching tier-one competition earlier.

• Organizations investing in long-term development are increasingly rewarded.

• Regional diversity continues improving, with Europe and Asia both strongly represented.

While graduation itself changes no roster or transfer status, it removes these players from future Prospect rankings and shifts attention toward the next generation of emerging talent.

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What changes now

Following graduation:

• These players become ineligible for future HLTV Prospect rankings.

• Season 3 will introduce a new generation of eligible talents.

• Organizations will increasingly evaluate the next wave of academy prospects.

• Graduates will now be judged primarily by their performances at the highest competitive level.

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What to watch next

The next major storylines include:

• Announcement of the first Season 3 Prospect rankings.

• Continued development of FUT's young core.

• xKacpersky's progress with Ninjas in Pyjamas.

• cobrazera's long-term integration into The MongolZ.

• Whether xiELO and nota establish themselves among tier-one regulars.

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Related teams, players and events

Teams

• Ninjas in Pyjamas

• FUT

• PARIVISION

• The MongolZ

Players

• Kacper "xKacpersky" Gabara

• Džiugas "dziugss" Steponavičius

• Dmytro "dem0n" Myroshnychenko

• Aulon "Krabeni" Fazlija

• Nikita "cmtry" Samolotov

• Vladislav "xiELO" Lysov

• Emil "nota" Moskvitin

• Anarbileg "cobrazera" Uuganbayar

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FAQ

What is the HLTV Prospects project?

It is HLTV's long-term ranking designed to identify the best young Counter-Strike players before they become established professionals. 

Why did these players graduate?

Graduation means they have exceeded Prospect eligibility and are now considered established competitors rather than developing talents. 

Who finished Season 2 as the No.1 prospect?

Džiugas "dziugss" Steponavičius concluded Season 2 at the top of the rankings before graduation. 

Which organization had the strongest representation?

FUT was the standout organization, with multiple players graduating from the Prospect system. 

Does graduation affect team rosters?

No. Graduation only affects eligibility for the HLTV Prospect rankings and does not represent a roster change or transfer.