XANTARES Ranked No. 14 in HLTV Top 20 Players of 2025: Veteran Star Makes History After Turning 30

HLTV has officially ranked XANTARES as the No. 14 best player of 2025, marking one of the most remarkable achievements in modern Counter-Strike history. At 30 years old, XANTARES became the first player over 30 to ever appear on HLTV’s Top 20 list, doing so for the second consecutive year.

The ranking highlights not only elite individual performance, but also XANTARES’ role as the driving force behind Aurora’s rise into consistent title contention during the 2025 CS2 season.

XANTARES’ 2025 Stats: Top-10 Impact Across Multiple Metrics

According to HLTV’s statistical breakdown, XANTARES delivered one of the most efficient and consistent seasons of any rifler in 2025:

1.16 overall rating (Top 10 globally)

0.75 kills per round (Top 7)

85.2 ADR (Top 3)

19.7% multi-kill rounds (Top 6)

Strong impact versus elite teams:

1.09 rating vs top-5

1.11 rating vs top-10

HLTV emphasized that while XANTARES didn’t dominate arena playoffs as often as players ranked above him, his baseline performance remained elite across the entire calendar year, especially in group stages and deep LAN runs.

PGL Masters Bucharest: Career-Defining LAN Victory and MVP

The centerpiece of XANTARES’ No. 14 ranking was PGL Masters Bucharest, where Aurora secured their first major LAN trophy — and XANTARES earned his first-ever LAN MVP award.

Despite the historic milestone, the Turkish star remained characteristically grounded:

“Winning the tournament and earning the MVP award in my team’s first major LAN victory was something I’m really proud of… but on paper, it was a tournament we were expected to win.”

He also openly acknowledged Aurora’s ongoing struggles under pressure:

“We sometimes choke so badly, and we need to work on this for sure.”

Aurora’s 2025 Journey: From Shock Roster Move to Global Relevance

Aurora’s season was shaped by one of 2025’s biggest roster moves, when the organization signed the entire Eternal Fire lineup in April. From that point on, Aurora became a regular top-tier playoff contender, reaching:

PGL Masters Bucharest — Champions

Esports World Cup Final

Multiple deep runs at BLAST and IEM events

HLTV ultimately described Aurora’s year as successful but inconsistent, largely due to disappointing Major results and missed opportunities at elite-level events.

Major Performances Held XANTARES Back from Higher Ranking

Despite his strong individual numbers, HLTV cited Major underperformance as the key reason XANTARES didn’t place higher in the Top 20:

BLAST.tv Austin Major

Aurora failed to reach playoffs, with XANTARES pointing to external and internal factors:

“A combination of the bracket, some bad luck, and not being able to fully execute our game plan.”

StarLadder Budapest Major

Fresh off their Bucharest victory, Aurora exited early with a 1–3 Stage 2 record, including losses to FaZe, PARIVISION, and Astralis.

“If we had managed to win against Astralis, we could have advanced to Stage 3.”

Longevity in CS2: XANTARES on Competing After 30

XANTARES’ ranking also reopens the debate around age in professional Counter-Strike:

“I don’t see age as a limiting factor at all. As long as I stay healthy and motivated, my name can continue to appear on this list.”

His presence at No. 14 reinforces a growing trend in CS2, where experience, positioning, and decision-making increasingly rival raw reaction time.

Bold Prediction: XANTARES Backs 16-Year-Old MaiL09

As part of HLTV’s Top 20 feature, XANTARES named MaiL09 as his bold prediction for the future — a 16-year-old prodigy who topped FACEIT Europe Season 6 and ended donk’s multi-season ELO dominance.

“There is something different about MaiL that caught my attention.”

Final Verdict: Why No. 14 Makes Sense

HLTV’s ranking positions XANTARES exactly where 2025 places him:

• Elite consistency

• One major LAN MVP

• Strong but imperfect year at Majors

• Historic longevity achievement

For Aurora, his performance cements the team as a long-term CS2 contender.
For Counter-Strike, it proves that age is no longer a ceiling — only performance is.