All across esports, a new generation of players is rising and competing at the top level in various titles. These freshly promoted players and new signings are defining the play on the world stage and generating massive viewership for these tournaments across livestreaming platforms. Valorant, Counter-Strike 2, League of Legends, and many, many more games all saw fresh competition join the fray.
New blood is crucial for the esports industry; the latest players give fans novel storylines and discussion points to follow, and often, these emerging talents can clash with established legends to create exciting storylines. These moments can have a real effect on livestreaming metrics, where the clash of the two generations can add fuel to the fire for peak viewership.
Esports Charts has taken a look across the esports industry to present some of the strongest rookies and breakout players of 2025. Some of these players have competed with academy teams or in the tier-two circuits before, but this year marked their first appearances at major, international events. From Valorant rookies winning the world title in their first year to dominant Counter-Strike pros appearing out of nowhere, there was no shortage of fresh esports talent this year.
Valorant
Brawk, mada, and skuba make history with NRG debut championship
In 2025, NRG made a daring strategic shift by elevating a trio of rookies — although not all at the same time — into their VCT lineup. The trio quickly redefined the team, reshaping their competitive identity. NRG’s end-of-year highlight claiming the Champions title is proof of success for placing greater trust in Challengers-level talent and allowing emerging players a chance to shine. Instead of relying on veteran star power, NRG invested in a cohesive roster of players, still able to be molded into the team.
Adam "mada" Pampuch was the first of the trio to join NRG, signing with the team at the end of 2024. Mada built up a reputation for himself in the tier-two North American Valorant scene, where he has competed since 2021. Throughout late 2023 and 2024, mada impressed with the Moist x Shopify Rebellion team, with many pointing to him as one of the most exciting tier-two talents of the time. Although the team was unable to claim any titles themselves, mada quickly found himself a spot at the top after his time with the organization.
Following a poor performance at the VCT 2025: Americas Kickoff, NRG benched Andrew "Verno" Maust and brought in Brock "brawk" Somerhalder, a former teammate of mada’s. Later, the team’s veteran IGL Pujan "FNS" Mehta retired halfway through the year, moving in-game leading duty to the shoulders of Ethan "Ethan" Arnold. Replacing the departing veteran, Logan "skuba" Jenkins, a shining tier-two prospect who had won his fair share of events during his tier-two stint beginning in mid-2021, was brought into the team.
Together, skuba, brawk and mada fundamentally altered NRG’s competitive profile and saw the team’s luck turn around. Their synergy supported a faster, more dynamic style that blended disciplined utility with decisive aggression. After claiming an impressive second-place regionally, they went on to dominate their group at Valorant Champions 2025 and move through the playoffs stage without losing a single game.
Looking to 2026, NRG signed Georgio "keiko" Sanassy, a European talent who has already proven himself an international-level competitor in his short Valorant career, to replace the outgoing Sam "s0m" Oh. Things look promising for NRG, who could continue their run of domination into next year.
Cortezia explodes onto the scene and lands with SEN
Gabriel "cortezia" Cortez has been a Valorant competitor since 2021, but this year marked his first jump to the Valorant Champions Tour with the established Brazilian organization MIBR. Cortezia entered the top-tier competitive environment as a fresh name and through a trial by fire. For his performance in the Americas during Stage 2, he was named the Most Improved Player of the Year, and at the ultimate Champions event, he was a crucial piece of the puzzle for MIBR.
Before joining MIBR, cortezia emerged through the Challengers circuit and smaller regional events, building a reputation for himself in Brazil’s Valorant ecosystem. For his mechanical prowess and game sense, he was named as one of Brazil’s top talents in 2024, and the call up to MIBR for 2025 was the fruit of much labor. Although his debut VCT year was not without its lows, Cortezia’s consistent improvement throughout the year made him one of the most desirable players on the circuit: few players can claim a top result at Champions in their debut year.
Despite his strong performances, cortezia was moved to an inactive position on MIBR’s roster at the end of the year, and eventually left for Sentinels. As part of a new and rebuilt roster, featuring in-game leader Mirel "Kyu" Hrustemovic and young prodigy Yassin "reduxx" Aboulalazm, cortezia will be looking to prove himself in the North American circuit next year.
Counter-Strike 2
Kyousuke dominates on debut with Falcons
Maksim "kyousuke" Lukin was spotted by scouts on FACEIT in 2024 thanks to his raw talent and impressive gameplay. He was quickly trialled and picked up by Team Spirit Academy, with whom kyousuke achieved significant success in tier-two, putting up monstrous numbers on his inexorable path to the top. After just over a year with the academy team, kyousuke was tapped by Team Falcons to replace Emil "Magisk" Reif.
As part of the Saudi organization, kyousuke would make his tier-one debut alongside legends of the sport like Nikola "NiKo" Kovač and Ilya "m0NESY" Osipov, under the oversight of one of Counter-Strike’s most decorated coaches: Danny "zonic" Sørensen. The young star had almost no time to adapt to the roster, quickly attending events like IEM Cologne 2025, the Esports World Cup 2025, and other S-tier tournaments.
At the still ongoing StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, kyousuke is one of the top-rated players, and has been key in Team Falcons advancing to the playoffs. It’s yet to be seen whether Team Falcons will be able to compete for a podium or even a Major title, but in any case, kyousuke has already proven himself to be worthy of his spot on this top roster.
Makazze pulled up by NAVI to main roster
Drin "Makazze" Shaqiri also made the move up to tier-one from an academy team this year, but the Kosovar rifler was promoted internally to the main roster of NAVI, one of the world’s most recognisable esports brands. Having only made the jump to tier-one less than half a year ago, Makazze has already helped NAVI to a win at the StarLadder StarSeries Season 19, and now, is looking to claim a Major title.
In the tier-two scene, Makazze was prolific with NAVI Junior throughout 2024, competing at countless events and claiming numerous titles. Together with Makazze, the academy team claimed first-place and $75,000 at the YaLLa Compass Qatar 2025 and other tier-two circuits like the CCT European Series or HellCup events.
The ongoing StarLadder Budapest Major 2025 will see Makazze try to prove himself in his first Major playoffs — maybe even facing off against kyousuke later on — and could mark a significant point in his career. Keep an eye on the final games of the Major, where these Counter-Strike rookies are testing their mettle in real time.
League of Legends
Morttheus debut sees Keyd Stars go to Worlds
Matheus "Morttheus" Motta is one of the most exciting Brazilian prospects in League of Legends. The young player started his career in 2022, joining the RED Academy team and competing regionally in Brazil. After an impressive showing in the tier-two circuit in 2023, he was picked up by the Keyd Stars Academy team, who recognised the potential of the star.
After joining the Keyd Stars Academy, Morttheus would go on to help the team to their second CBLOL Academy title, and following his strong performance during the 2024 season, he was tapped to move up to the main Vivo Keyd Stars roster. The Brazilian immediately gelled into the main roster and helped the team find great success under the new LTA, cross-conference event. The team’s roster has already changed significantly since Morttheus joined, but he remains crucial as the team’s Bot.
With Morthheus, Keys Stars slowly warmed up throughout the year as they perfected their roster and teamwork. After finishing 7th-8th during the LTA South 2025 Split 1, they finished 4th during Split 2, and then claimed victory during Stage 3. Although they were unable to beat FlyQuest to become LTA champions, Keyd Stars made their first-ever Worlds appearance with Morttheus, setting the bar high for the Brazilian team next year.
Dota 2
Satanic achieves multiple tier-one podiums on loan to PARIVISION
Alan "Satanic" Gallyamov has been playing Dota 2 for over a decade, but at 18 years of age, his wealth of experience does not make him any less of a rookie. The young star rapidly built a sprawling reputation for himself last year, becoming the youngest Dota 2 player to ever reach 13,000 MMR, and since, has reached over 17,000. In the latter half of 2024, he was picked up to the top-tier by Team Spirit, but unfortunately, he was quickly moved to the team’s bench.
In early 2025, Satanic found a new opportunity when he was able to join PARAVISION on loan. The young star wasted no time, helping bring the team to numerous podium finishes at top events, and even claiming titles at the ESL One Raleigh 2025 over Team Spirit and another win at the DreamLeague Season 26.
While PARIVSION were not able to convert this success into a global championship — they finished The International 2025 in third, 2025 was a landmark year for Satanic’s career. After proving his mechanics in late 2024 with Team Spirit, the young star has shown he has what it takes to join an established roster and fit into the gaps.
PUBG Mobile
HYUNBIN rockets to the top of PUBG Mobile with new DRX roster
Jeon "HYUNBIN" Hyun-bin is a Korean PUBG Mobile player and one of the country’s most exciting up-and-coming players. The Korean began competing in early 2024, and quickly found success at his first few tournaments alongside his slightly more experienced teammates. Together, they were all signed by DRX halfway through 2024, going on to claim some strong results at the World Cup and Global Championship.
Throughout 2025, DRX continued to refine their game, although things are still not looking perfect. HYUNBIN claimed some strong results in 2025, like first place at the PUBG Mobile Pro Series 2025 Season 1, but only managed 4th at the PUBG Mobile World Cup 2025 — matching the team’s result from last year.
2025 saw HYUNBIN and his DRX teammates establish themselves as new mainstays of the PUBG Mobile esports circuit. The Koreans have proven their run of success was not down to beginner’s luck, and now, they are looking to finally claim their first major, international championship and represent DRX’s Korean identity within PUBG Mobile’s diverse scene.
Fortnite
Pixx earned over $100,000 and signed with Team HavoK
Pixx is a 17-year-old Fortnite player from Poland, who has found great success after years of competing in smaller events on the side. Alongside his usual Polish teammates Alan "Darm" Smukowski and Demus, these three have found great success together but regionally and internationally. After many strong performances in late 2024, the trio stepped up this year and began competing at the FNCS 2025 Majors and other top-tier competitions.
Throughout 2025, pixx earned numerous podium places at top events, although their performances were not always reliable. After finishing in 5th at the first major of the year, the team managed a 3rd place at the second Major, before exiting in 17th at the third. For the final tournament of the year, the FNCS 2025 Global Championship, pixx claimed 6th place and $30,000 alongside his two usual teammates, bringing his earnings for 2025 to over $100,000.
Although pixx and his teammates are relatively new to the scene, they have already shown they have what it takes to compete at the top. A few months ago, pixx signed with French organization Team HavoK, and is in the perfect position to launch a long, successful career in esports for himself.
With 2025 almost behind us, the top esports rookies and breakout players of the year have made their mark on this year of esports; rising talents and new faces to cheer for delighted esports fans around the globe, bolstering viewership and increasing engagement. Every year, fresh faces and teams crash onto the scene, delivering intense action and creating new storylines — something true for esports as well as any other entertainment sport, and 2026 will be no different.
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