The esports scene is buzzing with excitement in 2024 as a new generation of rookie players begin to shine across various competitive gaming titles. These rising stars are not only impressing fans with their talent, but also driving viewership growth on livestream platforms like Twitch and YouTube. With esports expanding globally, the influx of fresh talent brings new excitement to games like Valorant, League of Legends, Dota 2, and Counter-Strike 2.
The increased exposure of these rookies is not just due to their gameplay, but also thanks to the growing popularity of esports viewership. Livestreaming platforms report record-breaking engagement, where esports fans follow these rookies in action, sparking online conversations and community interactions. As these rookies establish themselves, the esports scene is set for a year of thrilling competition and fresh storylines.
Esports Charts presents a ranking of some of the strongest rookie and breakout player performances of 2024. Some of these players have been competing for years, but finally made the break to the top-level of competition in 2024, whereas others only started competing just before the turn of the year. Whether it’s Valorant rookies challenging veterans or new League of Legends stars pushing their teams to victory, 2024 saw both young talents finally break through the competition, and young prodigies fly to the top of esports.
Counter-Strike 2
Senzu’s entry to tier-one with The MongolZ
Azbayar “Senzu” Munkhbold is a rising star in the Counter-Strike 2 scene. Hailing from Mongolia, Senzu has showcased impressive skills with his current team, The MongolZ, with whom he has made his first steps into top-level Counter-Strike. Since stepping onto the international stage, he has contributed significantly to the team’s success, including their victories in high-profile tournaments such as the YaLLa Compass 2042 and Thunderpick World Championship 2024.
At only 18 years of age, Senzu’s debut to top-level Counter-Strike with The MongolZ has been electric. He has been competing in regional events for a few years, but joining the premiere Mongolian team was a massive step forward. Although still relatively young, Senzu has amassed over $200,000 in career earnings and continues to make a name for himself in tournaments with large audiences, including the prestigious PGL Major Copenhagen 2024 and the on-going Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 in which The MongolZ secured a top eight finish. With his career on an upward trajectory, Senzu remains a player to watch in the coming years.
Donk and zont1x move up from Team Spirit Academy
In the latter half of 2023, Team Spirit promoted Danil "donk" Kryshkovets and Myroslav "zont1x" Plakhotja from their Academy team to their premiere Counter-Strike roster. The two have made a massive impact on the Counter-Strike community in their short time with the team and have already appeared numerous times on international stages.
Donk is one of the youngest rising stars in professional Counter-Strike 2. Born in 2007, donk began his esports journey at a very young age, entering the professional scene through Spirit Academy in 2021. By mid-2023, his skill earned him a spot on the main roster of Team Spirit. Known for his exceptional accuracy and aggressive playstyle, donk helped Spirit secure several high-profile wins, including the victory at BLAST Premier Spring Final 2024 and top-8 finishes at the Esports World Cup 2024 and PGL Major Copenhagen 2024.
In addition to his team success, donk has made a name for himself as a standout individual, earning multiple MVP awards and breaking records. Zont1x is a rising Ukrainian talent. Similar to donk, he joined the Team Spirit Academy early in his career and developed as a player alongside donk for a couple of years. Since joining the main roster, zont1x has been a crucial part of the team’s success. The young 19-year-old has already earned over $370K in prize money in his career and received over 1.85M Peak Viewers during the PGL Major Copenhagen 2024.
Malbsmd jumps to the top with G2 Esports
Mario "malbsMd" Samayoa is a Guatemalan rifler making waves in the Counter-Strike scene. He began his professional career in 2018, hopping around local regional teams while making a name for himself. In early 2022, he joined 00NATION alongside Coldzera on-loan but was eventually released to his former organization. He gained larger recognition with M80 Esports in 2023, helping the team secure victories in the second-tier North American scene.
In mid-2024, malbsMd was scouted by the powerhouse G2 Esports, where he has become a critical component of their roster, playing alongside stars like NiKo and m0NESY. In his short time in the roster, malbsMd has helped G2 to win the BLAST Premier World Final 2024, and they are currently competing in the playoffs stage of the Shanghai Major 2024. malbsMd is cementing his reputation as one of the most promising talents in the game, with even G2 Esports’ CEO saying the Guatemalan could replace star player NiKo’s role once the player leaves after the Major.
Dota 2
Malr1ne enjoys dominant year with Team Falcons
Stanislav "Malr1ne" Potorak is some fresh blood for the Dota 2 scene, currently playing for Team Falcons. A native of Russia, Malr1ne has quickly become known for his exceptional mechanical skill and strategic gameplay. He achieved the remarkable milestone of 15,000 MMR, becoming the second player to reach such a high MMR. Throughout 2024, he played a pivotal role in Team Falcons' dominance in three Dreamleague seasons and ESL One Birmingham 2024.
Before joining Team Falcons, Malr1ne played for Creepwave as his debut team in 2021. He competed with various teams throughout lower levels of Dota 2 competition, before making a name for himself on the second-tier stage with Nemiga Gaming in 2022 and 2023. Eventually, he was picked out by Team Falcons, who were planning to put together a new top-level team for Dota 2. Of his total $691.4K prize money won, over 90% of this has been with Team Falcons.
Since joining Team Falcons in late 2023, Malr1ne and Falcons have quickly established themselves as some of the top competitors for Dota 2. In 2024, Mal1rne achieved impressive international results, and was named as the Esports Breakthrough Player of the year by the Esports Industry Awards 2024. 2025 will likely bring more Team Falcons domination, and strong performances from the young Russian professional.
League of Legends
Sniper makes LCS debut
Rayan "Sniper" Shoura is a standout talent in League of Legends, recognized as one of the youngest prodigies in the North American competitive scene. A Canadian player, Sniper started making waves by being signed by Cloud9 at only 14 years old, but had to be released from his contract due to franchising rules about underage players. His early promise ld to his signing with 100 Thieves in 2021, where he began his journey with 100 Thieves Next, the organisation’s amateur team, and later advanced to 100 Thieves Challengers.
In 2024, Sniper became the top laner for 100 Thieves in the LCS. Sniper continues to impress in both domestic competitions and international events. At only 12 years old, Sniper achieved the Challenger rank in League of Legends. Today, he is one of the youngest and promising North American professionals in the MOBA scene. His rise reflects a mixture of dedication and natural skill, which has made him a key figure in shaping the future of North American League of Legends esports.
Massu moved to FlyQuest’s first roster
Fahad "Massu" Abdulmalek is a young Canadian/Iraqi pro, currently playing as the bot laner for FlyQuest. Massu started his career in 2022, quickly joining the Fly Challengers team to compete in the second-tier level. After a year-stint with the Challengers team, FlyQuest moved him to the top roster. Known for his precision and strategic prowess, Massu has been a key contributor to his team's performances in high-stakes tournaments like the LCS Summer 2024, FlyQuest’s first ever LCS title.
Massu's adaptability in champion selection and clutch plays have solidified his reputation as a rising star in North American esports. His raw ability and talent have made him a worthy competitor for other North American prodigies like Sniper.
Valorant
Karon secured his Gen.G trial through Ranked
Kim "Karon" Won-tae made a spectacular debut with Gen.G Esports in Valorant during the 2024 VCT Pacific season, quickly establishing himself as one of the top rookies in the scene. As a controller player, Karon's impact was immediately felt during the VCT 2024 Pacific Kickoff event, where he was named tournament MVP. His performance was pivotal in Gen.G's 3-1 victory over reigning Pacific champions Paper Rex in the Grand Finals.
Throughout 2024, Karon continued to shine, contributing to Gen.G’s success in VCT Pacific Stage 2, where the team secured another title after a nail-biting 3-1 series against DRX, marked by multiple overtime victories. His anchoring skills and clutch plays earned him a reputation as a defensive powerhouse, solidifying Gen.G's dominance in the Pacific region. His largest triumph with the team in 2024 was emerging victorious from the VCT 2024: Masters Shanghai event, after defeating Team Heretics 3-2.
Karon’s story is made only more impressive by the fact that he secured his Gen.G trial through the in-game ranked system. According to caster Paperthin, Karon was invited to try out for the team after impressing some Gen.G staff in-game. Karon has quickly become an international top-level competitor in Valorant, and he has only begun to hone his craft in the game.
MLBB
Kirk claims MPL championship in debut year
Jann "Kirk" Gutierrez is a Filipino Mobile Legends: Bang Bang player, currently playing as an EXP Laner for Fnatic ONIC PH. His journey to the top-level of Filipino MLBB esports began only in 2023, when he joined his first team. After showing strong results at a handful of lower-tier regional events, Kirk was scouted by Mineva EVOS. Known for his adaptability and willingness to learn, Kirk’s performance under pressure has positioned him as a cornerstone of Minana EVOS's team.
Following Minana Esports and EVOS Esports ending their collaboration in mid-2024, Kirk and some of his teammates were scouted by Fnatic ONIC PH. Since joining the new collaboration between Onic Esports and Fnatic, Kirk achieved an MPL Philippines championship in only his second season. As it stands, Kirk could continue his winning streak with his new team and claim multiple MPL championships as a young rookie.
Kid Bomba rockets to top of MLBB
Kid Bomba, a standout Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) player for Team Spirit, made a memorable debut on the global stage during the M5 World Championship. Kid Bomba competed in some events during 2021 and 2022, but 2023 marked more commitment from the German player. He attended more events, and eventually qualified for the M5 event with his team, Deus Vult. After his strong performance on the international stage, he was quickly scouted and signed by Team Spirit, who were building a team to enter the esports title.
Known for his high-impact gameplay and charismatic personality, Kid Bomba gained widespread recognition for his performances. The young Greek-German player is only 19, but has already cemented himself as one of ML:BB’s strongest players after the 4th place finish at the M5 World Championship. With Team Spirit, he has enjoyed some strong local results but has yet to replicate the success he enjoyed with Deus Vult. After exploding onto the MLBB stage, Kid Bomba is a player to watch out for in 2025.
Apex Legends
Koyful joins Moist Esports after a successful debut
Israel "Koyful" Lawrence is an emerging talent in Apex Legends, currently competing for Moist Esports. He began competing in Apex Legends last year, and he has already become one of the leading professionals in the world. In 2023, the American/Korean player joined Sentinels, but was quickly moved to an inactive position after a poor result at the World Championship. In 2024, Koyful found his feet and was snatched up by various esports organizations.
Firstly, Koyful joined XSET gaming for a short period, but eventually moved to Spacestation Gaming. At SSG, he achieved various strong results both internationally and locally, with the crowning achievement being a first-place result at the ALGS 2024 Split 2 Playoffs. Despite the strong result, Spacestation Gaming decided to part ways with its roster, and Koyful has now joined Moist Esports. After a turbulent 2024, Koyful will be looking to cash in on his potential in a more stable team in 2025.
Street Fighter
UMA
Wang “UMA” Yuan-hao is a new Taiwanese Street Fighter player who rose to fame in the Street Fighter 6 scene. He made a spectacular mark in 2024 by winning the Capcom Cup X, claiming the $1 million prize. UMA's victory was a major upset, as he defeated top-tier players, including Chris Wong, in the Grand Finals. UMA, a Juri specialist, was considered a dark horse in the tournament, but his aggressive playstyle and strategic mastery, particularly in dealing with the dominant Luke character, propelled him to the top.
Before this breakthrough, UMA earned only modest winnings since beginning to compete in 2017. UMA is more of a breakthrough player rather than a rookie, but his performance at Capcom Cup X cemented his place as one of the newest most notable players in the competitive Street Fighter scene.
As 2024 comes to a close, the esports rookies and breakout players of this year have not only made their mark but have also significantly contributed to shaping the competitive landscape. Their performances have sparked intense excitement among fans and boosted esports viewership across livestreaming platforms. With their continued growth and development, the future of esports looks incredibly promising. The stories of these rookies will remain integral to the industry's ongoing evolution, setting the stage for more thrilling competitions in the years to come.
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