In CS2, more teenagers are playing on top teams than ever before, but who are the youngest CS2 players in tier 1?
A few years ago it was extremely rare to see a teenager thrive on an elite Counter-Strike squad. Nowadays it seems normal, with pretty much every other team investing in young talents from academy teams or FPL.
Credit: PGL
Mzinho is currently the youngest from all CS2 players in tier 1, being just 16 years old at the time of writing. TheMongolz’s roster as a whole is a prime example that betting on youth and forgoing experienced veterans could be a viable strategy. The team’s average age sits below 20 years old, making them the youngest team in the top 20.
The 16-year-old struggled at the beginning of his career in TheMongolz, more often than not finishing tournaments with a negative K/D. However, he’s been slowly improving and since the tail end of 2023, has been holding his own, even against the best CS2 teams in the world at ESL Pro League Season 19.
Credit: Joao Ferreira | © PGL
There aren’t enough superlatives to explain how incredible donk’s career has been so far and he’s only 17 years old. The Russian phenomenon earned the tournament MVP medal in his first tier-one LAN at BetBoom Dacha Dubai 2023.
Donk didn’t stop there. In his record-breaking performance at IEM Katowice, he averaged a staggering 1.70 rating over the course of the tournament, with Spirit claiming the trophy over FaZe Clan (who they demolished in the Grand Final).
Despite Spirit’s disappointing quarter-final exit at the PGL CS2 Major Copenhagen, they are bound to bounce back and continue contending for trophies in every event they attend. If donk somehow manages to keep up the inhuman level of performance he’s been putting up so far, there is virtually nothing that can stop him from becoming the best CS2 player for years to come.
Credit: MOUZ
Much like TheMongolz, MOUZ has banked on young talent in recent years and it’s safe to say it’s paying off. The team is in great shape off the back of their ESL Pro League Season 19 victory. While the whole squad is doing a brilliant job, the 17-year-old Jimpphat has been lighting up the server with cerebral anchoring skills and numerous multi-kill rounds.
The Finn took to tier-one Counter-Strike like a duck to water, instantly fitting in with his teammates and considerably raising MOUZ’s floor. Right now he’s probably the best player in the world in his position, which is a testament to his talent and natural ability.
The only thing Jimpphat and MOUZ need to work on is their performances on the stage in high-pressure environments. They’ve already shown that in the LAN studio they are virtually unbeatable, but you can’t become the best team in the world without delivering in big event playoffs.
Thankfully for all of these players, their careers have just started and they have more than a decade to iron out their flaws and become the best versions of themselves on the server as well as off the server.
It will be fascinating to see how they progress and develop in the coming years.
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