Ninjas in Pyjamas (NIP) and Team Liquid are among the top teams to compete at the upcoming Birch Cup 2025 LAN event, a Counter-Strike 2 tournament in Gdansk, Poland, from September 26th to 28th. The event is crucial, giving teams one of their final chances to collect Valve Regional Standings (VRS) points before the StarLadder Budapest Major cut-off.

Joining NIP and Team Liquid are some of the biggest names, including Fnatic, ENCE, and OG Esports. In total, 16 teams will compete for a $15,000 prize pool and points that could determine who makes the top 32 for the next Major.

Although the Birch Cup is classed as a Tier 2 event, its position on the tournament calendar has boosted its significance. With LAN results carrying more weight in the VRS, teams have prioritised this tournament, hoping to use it as a springboard into Major contention.

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NAVI has officially opened applications for its Junior Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) roster. It offers a pathway for young players aged 15 to 17 to develop their skills under the guidance of an experienced coach. Applicants must meet specific criteria, including a FACEIT ELO rating of at least 3,400 and proficiency in English.

This announcement comes after NAVI sold its past junior Counter-Strike team to Turkish organisation FUT Esports on August 1st, 2025, continuing their careers elsewhere. The NAVI Junior project is known for some top players like Drin ‘Makazze�?Shaqiri, who was promoted to the main roster and debuted at IEM Cologne 2025.

In 2025, NAVI strengthened its status as a top esports organisation, promoting its junior Dota 2 roster after success at PGL Wallachia Season 5. Their biggest move this year came in June, when the group joined the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC), hoping they would reach the World Championship.

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Oleksandr ‘s1mple�?Kostyliev, BC.Game Esports�?recruit has played his debut game on August 10th at the start of The Proving Grounds Season 3. This tournament features a �?5,000 prize pool. BC.Game Esports defeated their first opponent, CYBERSHOKE, with a score of 2:1. 

Counter-Strike player s1mple left his long-time team, NAVI (Natus Vincere), on July 28. His transfer was just in time to prepare for The Proving Grounds Season 3.

BC.Game Esports�?current lineup consists of multiple top-tier players, and with their recent success, more victories are expected. The team’s current player roster is: 

• CacaNito
• pr1metapz
• nexa
• s1mple
• aNdu.

They are currently on top of the Group Stage with their 45-41 score, only a few points ahead of Apogee Esports with 39-33. 

Fans and analysts will be watching to see if this is the moment he reignites his career and delivers the kind of world-class performance he��s known for.

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Speculations over another buyout by Team Falcons began swirling again in June 2025. The catalyst was the recent signing of Maksim ‘Kyousuke�?Lukin, replacing Emil ‘Magisk�?Reif as rifler. There is no official disclosure of how much the Saudi Arabian team has spent, but it is speculated to be up to $2 million, which the Falcons deny. 

Signs of buyout that started the rumour in 2024

What prompted the rumours to start swirling in the first place? Most CS2 esports fans attribute it to the team’s past actions, particularly in the previous buyout spree. The most controversial was Nikola ‘NiKo�?Kovač for around $1 million in January this year. This time, Kyousuke is the centre of attention because his signing shows similar signs to NiKo’s case.

Those signs include sudden roster shakeups and increased organisational expenses. Kyousuke’s transfer is a big surprise, especially when the team has fresh arrivals along with NiKo, René ‘TeSeS�?Madsen, Damjan ‘kyxsan�?Stoikovski, and Ilya ‘m0NESY�?Osipov. This move put Falcons�?veteran Magisk on the bench. 

The other sign is major investments as an organisation. Team Falcons has increased expenses across its esports franchises, including the aforementioned CS2 roster shakeup. Another notable investment was signing the former Team BDS roster in Rainbow Six Siege (R6) esports in March 2025. 

Elaborate: What does ‘buyout�?mean in this context?

A ‘buyout�?is the payment a team makes to terminate a pro player’s existing contract so the player can join a different team. It’s a standard practice in professional sports and esports, but it can leave a negative impression depending on the context. 

For example, Kyousuke’s signing is rumoured to be a controversial buyout because he showed no prior plans of transferring out, but suddenly he joined a new team. CS2 fans speculated that he was paid a hefty sum of up to $2 million, which Team Falcons denied. 

A buyout can be seen negatively if the organisation is known to have a large budget and uses it to aggressively acquire top talent from other teams. For example, getting Kyousuke is seen by some as a harmful buyout because it significantly affects Team Spirit Academy’s popularity with the Chinese fanbase. Losing Kyousuke’s star power can hurt their viewership in future matches. 

Team Falcons buyout: Fact or mere speculation?

Team Falcons denies all claims of a big-budget buyout. Chairman Musaed ‘Msdossary�?Al-Dossary stated that the cost was big, but not close to the rumoured $2 million. Kyousuke’s contract figures are still kept private. If true, the 17-year-old’s contract could carry one of the highest price tags in esports.

There are no formal confirmations, and if the rumours are true, Team Falcons is still unlikely to have breached any rules. Their aggressive market behaviour is under scrutiny, but it could simply be a sign of strong competitive ambition in esports. The CS2 community is closely watching this news, demonstrating their commitment to fair play in professional esports. 

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Lynn Vision’s bold run at the BLAST.tv Austin Major has come to a close. The team fell 2-1 to Legacy in a tense match that kept fans on edge. They came out hot on Dust2, with Zhang ‘z4kr�?Sike dropping 16 T-side kills to build a 13-2 lead. A key last-second defuse from z4kr helped them close the map 13-3.

Legacy came back strong on Inferno, where they crushed Lynn Vision 13-3 to even the score. In the last map, Mirage, Legacy’s stronghold proved too much. Lynn Vision fought hard, but Legacy stayed sharp and locked in the win with a 13-5 score.

The loss ends Lynn Vision’s dream of reaching the next stage. Still, their sharp plays and strong start made waves in the CS2 scene. Legacy now moves on, still in the hunt for a spot at the Moody Center.

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Esports has not been around for as long as traditional sports, but it has already delivered some unforgettable moments across various games. Some of these are considered landmark moments that have helped draw more attention to competitive gaming. 

Before diving into these moments, find out what makes a moment iconic.

What makes a moment iconic in esports?

Not every highlight goes down in history even though esports games are usually packed with exciting moments. For a play to be significant enough, it needs to be impactful to remain part of the ongoing conversation around the game. When fans discuss the game, that moment should be the first to come to mind.

One thing that makes a moment iconic is when it sparks a strong reaction from fans, as it captures the essence of what makes it exciting. It should be one of the standout examples everyone recalls when the game comes up in a conversation.

The Na’Vi Fountain Hook (Dota 2)

One of the most unforgettable and controversial moments in esports happened at The International 3 in a match between Natus Vincere and TongFu. This involved the Fountain Hook, an exploit that made use of Pudge’s Meat Hook and Chen’s Recall abilities.

Recall is designed to teleport allies back to the fountain, while the Meat Hook has a certain range where Pudge can hook enemies to him. With the Recall bringing Pudge to the fountain, it drags the enemy along to the fountain where enemies cannot escape from due to the fountain damage.

Na’Vi was on the verge of losing this match, but after using this tactic, they were able to turn the game around and win. That propelled them to reach the Grand Final where they would play the infamous series against fierce rivals, Alliance. However, this moment is not without its issues as many players around the TI player base argued it was unfair, but Valve allowed it to happen.

Daigo’s Evo Moment #37 (Street Fighter - FGC)

This is one of the most iconic moments that comes to mind when fighting games are discussed. At the most popular fighting game event in the world, Evo, Daigo Umehara pulled off one of the most impressive and jaw-dropping plays you would ever see. 

Down to a sliver of health, Daigo parried 15 hits from Justin Wong’s Chun-Li Super Art, which required frame-perfect precision and reaction speed. After the final parry, Daigo hit back with a combo to take the round and then the match. Wong could not do anything at the time, though he looks back now and laughs about it.

It is a moment remembered by many because of the incredible skills to pull it off, but also for the powerful emotions it can elicit from the audience. The fighting game community is one of the most passionate in esports, and that moment encapsulates what it means to be part of the FGC because raw talent, hype, and respect are part of that moment.

Coldzera’s jumping AWP play (Counter-Strike)

Brazil was a powerhouse nation during the Counter-Strike 1.6 days, but in the Global Offensive, they were lacking that star power. That all changed in 2015 and 2016 when Luminosity Gaming broke out as one of the best teams. It was further stamped during MLG Columbus 2016 when they had a moment that defined their dominance during that year.

That was when Marcelo ‘coldzera�?David was watching the apartments section of the Mirage map. When Team Liquid tried to break through his defence with his AWP, coldzera pulled off the impossible by getting four frags, two of which came in one jumping shot from his AWP. 

The AWP requires precision to deal big damage, but coldzera hits those shots without using the scope. He completely turned the tide of the series, as LG came back from 9-15 down to win Mirage. That eventually led to a series victory and them taking the tournament. Brazil would become one of the strongest countries in CS:GO, which raised the level for everyone else.

Faker’s miraculous play against Ryu (League of Legends)

Few names are as synonymous with League of Legends as Lee ‘Faker�?Sang-hyeok. While his achievements have cemented his legendary status, he was already pulling off some iconic moments early in his career. In 2013, SK Telecom T1 was playing against KT’s Ryu ‘Ryu�?Sang-wook and beat him in a flashy one-on-one play. 

In most cases, Ryu would win the matchup against Faker, but with pixel-perfect decision-making, Faker came out on top. He danced around Ryu’s abilities and punished him for extending too far from the safety zone. It was a perfect display of skill, which became more normalised with Faker through the years.

This moment played a major role in Faker’s rise in the scene, proving he deserved to be called a superstar. He went on to dominate the League of Legends scene in the following decade, eventually winning five World Championships.

The esports industry will continue to deliver big moments

In esports, there is always a fun match yet to be played—one that’s bound to capture everyone’s attention. As the industry evolves, the popular games now might be replaced by new titles in the future, which will bring their own legendary moments. It will be interesting to see many more iconic moments emerging and becoming a big part of why esports is popular in the future.

With all of these moments, it is fair to say that esports has become one of the most exciting parts of the gaming industry. From massive audiences in the stadiums and online, the enthusiasm for esports will keep growing. Esports is here to stay, and these iconic moments play a big role in that longevity.

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From April to June, the elite esports group Team Vitality held the top rank in Valve’s Counter-Strike 2 regional standings (VRS). This current ranking will decide which teams are eligible to compete in upcoming major events.

Team Vitality holds 2124 points in the standings, and the second highest is MOUZ with 1922 points. Team Spirit is third with 1,905 points, and Team Falcons are fourth with 1,888 points. So far, nobody has come close to Vitality having more than 2000 points. 

By taking the top rank, Team Vitality is guaranteed to attend the IEM Cologne, which starts on July 27. Only the top 24 teams from the VRS will be invited to the event. The winners will share a prize pool of $1m (£780,000), with $400,000 (£312,000) to be awarded to the first place team. 

Another event where Team Vitality will be invited is the Esports World Cup. Only the top 15 teams from the VRS will be eligible to join.

Team Vitality’s 2025 run is going smoothly. One of their recent achievements is placing first in the IEM 2025 Dallas and winning an ESL Grand Slam 2025 award. 

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Tournament organiser BLAST has confirmed it replaced Argentine esports team BESTIA with Brazilian squad Legacy for the upcoming BLAST.tv Austin Major after the former team failed to meet a vital visa deadline.

According to BLAST, the decision came after BESTIA did not secure visas for two players by the May 21st deadline, despite support and reminders. The move was also approved by Valve, the developer behind Counter-Strike 2.

BESTIA later responded on social media, stating they had set appointments and were sure the players would receive visas in time for the tournament. The team also claimed their requests for time were ignored.

The organisers of BLAST stood firm and stated that only confirmed visas were accepted by the deadline, not pending appointments. With this decision, Legacy will take the South America spot in the upcoming tournament. 

The BLAST.tv Austin Major begins June 3rd at the Moody Centre in Austin, Texas.

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Even the best Counter-Strike 2 esports players practice a lot at home. To play their best, they use powerful gaming gear made for esports. Their PCs are fast, smooth, and ready for anything, so have a look at the PC setups of some of the greatest CS2 legends and what makes them top of the line. 

The CS2 esports PC specs

To make sure every player has the same experience at LAN CS2 tournaments, organisers bring strong and high-performance PCs for everyone to use. Most of these PCs have powerful Intel Core i9 processors. For graphics, they used the latest NVIDIA RTX cards, the usual choice for esports events. Most CS2 tournaments 2024 used the specs listed below or something similar.

Here are its specs as of writing:

These specs are some of the best for avoiding hiccups that would affect gameplay during LAN battles. To give you more context, here’s the pro's choice of hardware: 

Stewie2k’s training PC setup

Jacky ‘Stewie2k�?Yip is a Counter-Strike 2 rifler and entry fragger for multiple teams. He is currently a free agent, meaning any team can hire him as a stand-in player and is not on any team as of current. 

In his home, he has his own PC setup for training and other personal gaming. Have a look at his desktop specs:

This setup has lots of power, similar to the ones used in LAN esports. It’s built to handle fast-paced games like CS2 without any slowdowns. With strong parts like a high-end processor and graphics card, it gives players the speed and performance they need to compete at a professional level.

m0NESY’s powerful computer

Ilya ‘m0NESY�?Osipov is a top-of-the-line AWPer for the Team Falcons. m0NESY’s computer is a strong gaming setup that can run any modern game without problems. It gives smooth and steady frame rates in CS2, even during intense parts of a match. 

The fast processor helps stop any freezing or lag. His graphics card is also good enough to run the game well on high settings in Full HD, which is great for pro-level play. Check out his PC specs:

His setup relies on its powerful processor to bring out the full power of all the other hardware. Even if his drive is only 500GB, it can still boot up any modern game on the market. 

ZywOo’s top-notch desktop

Mathieu ‘ZywOo�?Herbaut is Team Vitality’s AWPer/sniper who is known for his speed and accuracy. Besides his skill, this can be thanks to his high-quality desktop that he uses for practising and private gaming. 

His PC is built for maximum performance, so expect lag-free gameplay due to the impressive cooling system and powerful processor. Here’s the list of his computer specs:

The combination of the i9 processor and the ROG Strix motherboard powers everything to the point of incomparably silky smooth performance. The reliable hardware makes sure nothing gets in the way during important matches.

donk’s gaming PC

Danil ‘donk�?Kryshkovets is a rifler/entry fragger of Team Spirit, well-known for his aggressive yet tactical gameplay. Because of his role, he needed hardware that could keep up with his skills and speed. 

This setup is perfect for esports tournaments and practice, giving smooth gameplay and top performance without any lag. Check out his gaming hardware:

The Intel i9 processor plus the NVIDIA video card can be considered ‘the big guns,�?enough to play modern games in high settings. Together, they make sure games run smoothly, with fast loading times, high frame rates, and no stuttering �?even during action-packed moments.

NiKo’s stutter-less gaming PC

Nikola ‘NiKo�?Kovač (formerly known as NiKolinho and nIKOLINHO) is a legendary esports player who plays for Team Falcons. The rifler/entry fragger is known for one-shot headshots and impressive recoil control. 

NiKo’s PC is a top example of a pro gamer’s setup, built with the latest high-end parts. The recent upgrades and smart cooling system keep it stable during any game. Have a peek at his setup:

The combination of the four parts makes it one of the best setups for Counter-Strike 2 and many more games. The processor alone is enough for a stutter-free performance, but the other three components make it smooth. 

Exploring the PC setup of the renowned CS2 legends

These are some of the known setups of popular CS2 esports pros. Their computers are built with a purpose—to eliminate lag, stutters, and framerate drops. Every part is chosen to help them perform at their best, whether they’re training or competing on the big stage. 

These setups show that in the world of pro CS2, having the right gear can make all the difference—a second of lag can mean victory or defeat. 

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Ultimate Gaming Championships (UGC) and Global Domination Events (GDE) are collaborating to launch a new Counter-Strike 2 esports tournament called the Global Domination: Invasion, with a prize pool of $1M that will be shared by the winners.

Everyone is invited to join the registration, so amateur and professional teams are welcome. During the release, the organisers stated that the event is open to ‘individual players and teams of any skill level.�?/p>

Matt Jackson, Founder and CEO of UGC, also sent an open invitation to all, stating, ‘To all the CS2 players and teams out there who know they have the skills to compete at the highest level, now’s your chance to prove it.�?/p>

The tournament starts on June 17th with online regional matches in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. Top teams from each region will move to the Territory Finals in July, where $100,000 is up for grabs per region. 

After that, the winners will earn a trip to Oklahoma City’s Paycom Center for the Live Championships. The event takes place from August 29th to 31st and will feature the best teams from around the world battling for the grand prize.

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