2025 was a year of headline-making moves and game-changing signings in esports. From superstar transfers that have already shaken up the competitive Counter-Strike scene to bold roster overhauls in top League of Legends teams ready to make waves in the upcoming season, this Esports Charts article highlights the key signings and trends shaping the future of the industry.
Counter-Strike
Ropz to Team Vitality
News of Robin “ropz” Kool’s move to Team Vitality first appeared in late 2024, but the Estonian star officially joined the French organization on January 10, 2025. The transfer wasn’t just a major boost for the roster — it quickly became one of the most impactful and successful signings on the professional Counter-Strike scene in recent years.
ropz in Team Vitality jersey/ Photo: ropz’s Instagram
The 2025 season was extremely successful and productive for Team Vitality, and ropz’s impact on the team’s achievements is impossible to overlook. Almost immediately after he joined, Vitality started delivering outstanding results: the team won nine international tournaments, including the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 and StarLadder Budapest Major 2025. They also secured the ESL Grand Slam Season 5 title and topped the BLAST Frequent Flyers Program 2025 rankings.
In total, Team Vitality brought in more than $3.9 million in prize money throughout 2025. The roster held the No. 1 spot in the HLTV world rankings for 175 days — and remains among the top three teams to this day.
From early February through mid-June, Team Vitality didn’t lose a single tournament they entered. Their winning streak climbed to 30 consecutive matches and was snapped only by Legacy at the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025. This run stands as the second-longest streak in Counter-Strike history — surpassed only by the legendary Ninjas in Pyjamas, who went on an 87-match unbeaten streak in 2012–2013.
ropz and Team Vitality players with BLAST Austin Major trophy / Photo: Vitality’s Instagram
You could say that ropz became one of the key architects of Team Vitality’s golden era in Counter-Strike. The team was already strong before he joined, with highlights like winning the BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023 on home soil, but in 2024, their results dipped, with just one major tournament win (IEM Cologne 2024). Once ropz arrived, Vitality found a second wind. The roster rediscovered its motivation, its identity, and its style of play. The 2025 season has already gone down in Counter-Strike history as the year of Team Vitality — and it’s hard to imagine that happening without ropz’s impact.
Team Falcons complete roster with m0NESY and Kyousuke
The formation of Team Falcons’ Counter-Strike roster has been anything but smooth. Over the past few years, the club faced more setbacks than breakthroughs, dealing with disappointing tournament runs and constant roster shuffles. But 2025 finally brought a turning point. Team Falcons locked in a stable lineup, discovered a clear identity, and developed a strong playstyle. The first real results started to show — and they likely would’ve been even stronger if not for Team Vitality’s overwhelming dominance throughout the year.
In 2025, Team Falcons completely overhauled its Counter-Strike roster, though it’s difficult to pinpoint which move had the biggest impact. Arguably, the real game-changer was the organization’s revamped transfer strategy. For the first time, the Falcons started investing wisely — not just signing established stars, but also giving young players a chance to prove themselves.
m0NESY and NiKo / Photo: Falcon’s Instagram
The foundation of today’s Team Falcons roster was built around Nikola “NiKo” Kovač, René “TeSeS” Stensig Madsen, and Damjan “kyxsan” Stoilkovski, who all joined the team in January. Their arrival finally pushed the lineup forward: a runner-up finish at PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025 and a championship win at PGL Bucharest 2025 showed management that the project was moving in the right direction.
To build on that momentum, the team needed fresh talent — and that’s where Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov came in. The young Russian AWPer, a product of the Natus Vincere Junior academy and a standout performer during his time with G2 Esports, brought a massive boost in firepower. With him onboard, Team Falcons’ results became noticeably more stable and competitive.
After m0NESY joined, Team Falcons finally started gaining momentum. The team finished second at both IEM Melbourne 2025 and BLAST Rivals Spring 2025 — falling to Team Vitality in both grand finals — but then hit a setback at the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025.
That disappointing run in Austin pushed Falcons management to make another change. They brought in 17-year-old Russian prospect Maksim “kyousuke” Lukin from Team Spirit Academy. While the move initially seemed risky, it quickly became clear that the young player was an excellent fit for the lineup.
Falcons players at BLAST Rivals Fall 2025 / Photo: BLAST
Once kyousuke joined the roster, Team Falcons got back on track. They secured a third-place finish at the Esports World Cup 2025 and reached the finals of both ESL Pro League Season 22 and BLAST Rivals Fall 2025. In 2024, Falcons rarely finished higher than 7th-8th, but now they’re consistently landing in the top three at nearly every event.
The downside? The team keeps falling just one or two steps short of a championship. Team Vitality eliminated them five times this year — including three grand finals. FURIA has also been an unexpected thorn in their side, who sent Falcons packing on three separate occasions.
Team Falcons has had a bit of bad luck, often living in the shadow of Team Vitality, which is enjoying its golden era. Still, NiKo’s squad made major strides in 2025. From a mid-tier team with a shaky roster, they climbed into the top three in the world rankings. Now they just need to find the right strategy against the French powerhouse and figure out how to stop losing to the Brazilians — and Team Falcons could be unstoppable.
Two foreign players for FURIA
The professional Counter-Strike scene can still be quite segmented in certain regions. In Europe, it’s common to see international rosters, but in Brazil, that remains a rarity. Cultural differences, language barriers, and geography usually mean Brazilian players stick with fellow countrymen, rarely bringing in foreigners. That all changed in 2025, when FURIA broke the mold by signing Danil “Molodoy” Golubenko from Kazakhstan and Mareks “YEKINDAR” Gaļinskis from Latvia.
First, it’s worth noting that FURIA has never been known for signing top-tier stars in Counter-Strike. The team had occasional successes — one or two wins at smaller events — but consistency was lacking. At global championships, FURIA typically finished between 9th and 12th, occasionally cracking the 5th–8th spots. That all changed with the arrival of Molodoy and YEKINDAR.
YEKINDAR with BLAST Rivals Fall 2025 trophy / YEKINDAR’s Instagram
Hardly anyone expected this transfer to succeed. Brazil, Kazakhstan, and Latvia share very little in common — from culture and lifestyle to habits, even their Counter-Strike playstyles differ. Molodoy’s signing raised particular doubts, since unlike YEKINDAR, he had no experience competing in top-tier tournaments. On paper, these moves shouldn’t have worked — yet somehow, a real miracle occurred.
Credit goes not just to the club’s management for believing in this new path, but also to the foreign specialists brought in to support it. Alongside the international players, FURIA also added two foreign assistant coaches: Spaniard Juan “Hepa” Borges and Kazakh Aidyn “KrizzeN” Tūrlybekov.
The first few months after the roster changes were a period of adjustment for FURIA, but by the fall, the Panthers finally came alive. In September, they captured first place at FISSURE Playground #2, defeating The MongolZ in the grand final. This marked the club’s first-ever S-tier tournament victory. Before that, FURIA hadn’t claimed an international tournament win since December 2023 at the Elisa Masters Espoo 2023.
FURIA at BLAST Rivals Fall 2025 / Photo: BLAST
FURIA didn’t stop with their first win. They shone at the Thunderpick World Championship 2025, taking down Natus Vincere in the grand final, and then captured IEM Chengdu 2025, demolishing Team Vitality in the decisive match. Their streak carried on at BLAST Rivals Fall 2025, where they defeated Team Falcons in the final.
Back in the summer, few could have imagined that FURIA would dominate the top teams at international tournaments — yet now they sit at the top of both the HLTV and VRS global rankings. This marks another historic milestone for the club.
League of Legends
T1 brings in Doran
T1 is the most successful League of Legends team and one of the most popular esports organizations in the world. With millions of fans keeping a close eye on them, any roster move instantly becomes a big deal. At the end of 2024, the team made a major change — top laner Choi “Zeus” Woo-je was replaced by Choi “Doran” Hyeon-jun, who had previously competed for Hanwha Life Esports and GEN.G Esports.
Doran / Photo: Riot Games
To really understand this transfer, it’s worth starting with Zeus. A homegrown talent, he played for T1 from 2020 through 2024. During his time with the team, T1 won the 2023 and 2024 World Championships, as well as the Esports World Cup 2024. Zeus was widely regarded as one of the best top laners in the world. He won LCK’s “Top of the Year” award three years in a row and was a genuine fan favorite. His departure sparked a wave of debates and drama across the League of Legends community, and the real reasons behind the move are still unclear.
At first, fans were a bit wary of Doran — after all, he was stepping in for one of the best players in the world. But luckily for T1 supporters, the new top laner lived up to the challenge. Doran brought plenty of experience of his own: he performed well during his time with GEN.G, winning multiple LCK splits. The only thing missing from his résumé was a major international title, even though his teams consistently reached the playoffs at MSI and Worlds.
Early on, Doran had a rough time. Throughout the 2025 season, T1 lost multiple matches to both Hanwha Life Esports — the team Zeus had joined — and GEN.G Esports, where Doran had spent most of his career. Even so, T1 once again showed that no matter how shaky things look in the domestic league, the team always finds its peak form when Worlds arrives.
And that’s exactly what happened this time: Doran helped T1 stay on top and secure their third straight World Championship title — the first one of his own career. With T1, Doran clearly reached a new level, proving just how high his ceiling really is.
2026 is shaping up to be just as eventful for T1. The team has parted ways with their star carry, Lee “Gumayusi” Min-hyung, who had helped the team win the last three World Championships. Next season, Gumayusi will continue his career with Hanwha Life Esports, joining forces with Zeus, who left T1 a year ago.
Peyz at MSI 2023 / Photo: Riot Games
The new carry for T1 is Kim “Peyz” Su-hwan, who spent last season with JD Gaming in the LPL. On paper, this rookie isn’t an obvious choice — though before moving to China, Peyz had a solid run with GEN.G. At first glance, replacing Gumayusi with Peyz might seem like a downgrade, but T1’s coaching staff has repeatedly shown they can turn relatively unknown players into world-class stars. We’ll see if Peyz can follow in Doran’s footsteps and find the same level of success with his new team.
Dota 2
China Dota 2 scene rebuild with Xtreme Gaming
Today, Western and Eastern Europe are the key regions in Dota 2, home to the strongest teams and the most active tournament-viewing communities. China used to be an important region as well, but in recent years, its rosters have struggled. There’s a chance that could change in 2025.
In recent years, China’s Dota 2 scene has faced a serious crisis. A wave of scandals involving esports and illegal betting shook the country, hitting many local teams hard. Some players — and even entire clubs involved in match-fixing — were handed lifetime bans from Valve tournaments. The fallout was severe: young players lost motivation, sponsors and fans pulled back, and many viewers shifted their attention to mobile games, which are rapidly growing in popularity across China.
Xtreme Gaming at The International 2025 / Photo: Dota2’ Instagram
Amid this turmoil, Xtreme Gaming stands out as one of the few Chinese teams that still packs a punch on the international Dota 2 stage. Their achievements may not match the heights once reached by clubs like PSG.LGD or Vici Gaming, but despite all the challenges, Xtreme Gaming shows that China still has the potential to reclaim its spot as a top-tier region in the game.
The biggest hope for the Chinese scene is still Wang “Ame” Chunyu — one of the most accomplished and dominant carries in the game’s history. In 2024, he briefly played for Xtreme Gaming before exploring opportunities with other teams. But his return to Xtreme Gaming in the spring of 2025 gave the roster a much-needed boost. Ame came back with one goal in mind: to get XG ready for The International 2025 — and he delivered.
Since the start of The International series, Chinese teams have been known for their strength and distinctive style. Up until 2025, Chinese squads had reached eight TI finals, winning three — the last being The International 2016. This year, they had another chance at victory, but Xtreme Gaming fell short against Team Falcons in the grand final. They couldn’t close out the decisive map, and the series ended 3:2 in favor of the Falcons. Before this, Chinese teams hadn’t reached the TI final for three straight years. There’s no doubt that Ame’s return is the reason we once again saw a Chinese team reach the finals of the year’s biggest tournament.
Ame / Photo: Dota2’ Instagram
After falling in the grand final of The International 2025, Xtreme Gaming made some bold roster moves. Midlaner Cheng “NothingToSay” Jin Xiang returned, reuniting with Ame from their legendary days in PSG.LGD. Support Xu “fy” Linsen also joined — one of the most experienced captains not just in China, but globally. A true Dota 2 legend, fy brings the kind of veteran presence that can almost function as a player-coach.
Adding to that, Malaysian Yap “xNova” Jian Wei joined the squad permanently, another former PSG.LGD player with vast experience at top-tier tournaments. In many ways, this new Xtreme Gaming lineup is a near-reincarnation of PSG.LGD — the last Chinese team to consistently arrive at international events as a clear favorite.
Will these transfers help Xtreme Gaming solidify its place on the global stage? It’s too early to tell, but it feels like this new roster could be the “last shot” at reigniting China’s former passion for Dota 2. The team now features incredibly experienced players, each with an impressive list of wins and titles. If any squad can take on Europe’s best, it’s this one. This is particularly significant for the Chinese Dota 2 scene, with The International 2026 set to take place in Shanghai.
Bonus
Chess GrandMasters join Esports Clubs
When looking at the biggest transfers of 2025, one can’t overlook the growing collaboration between esports and professional chess. This year, several top esports organizations signed grandmasters to compete under their banners at the Esports World Cup 2025 and other tournaments. Magnus Carlsen joined Team Liquid, Hikaru Nakamura signed with Team Falcons, Wei Yi represented Weibo Gaming, among others. Many chess stars even traveled to Riyadh in the summer to take part in the massive esports festival. Never before have the worlds of traditional sports and digital competition been so closely intertwined.
Magnus Carlsen with Esports World Cup 2025 trophy / Photo: Carlsen’s Instagram
Whether it’s a long-term partnership or a one-off collaboration, the link between chess and esports is opening new doors for the industry. In the future, we may see esports organizations collaborating more frequently with professional athletes from other sports — from motorsports to football. G2 Esports, for example, already has a team in the media football league Kings League Germany. Who knows — maybe in ten years, we’ll see them in the Bundesliga? It’s never too late to dream.
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