IEM Cologne 2025 served as the first serious benchmark for four rising stars who recently entered the tier-one scene. Maksim “kyousuke” Lukin (Falcons), Drin “makazze” Shaqiri (NAVI), Ivan “zweih” Gogin (Spirit), and Kacper “xKacpersky” Gabara (NiP) all got their shot at one of Counter-Strike’s most iconic tournaments. With expectations, pressure, and bright lights, each of them faced a different kind of test — and the outcomes were just as diverse.
kyousuke – A statistical standout
Despite Falcons finishing 9-12th and crashing out before playoffs, kyousuke was among the most statistically dominant players of the group stage. Over 7 maps, he put up a remarkable 1.39 average rating, with an overall K-D of 130–91 (+39) and a KPR–DPR split of 0.94–0.68.
His best map was Anubis vs FURIA, where he posted 23–12 with a 1.74 rating, while his lowest was Mirage vs The MongolZ at 1.09.
One event will never be enough, unless it’s a donk Katowice 2024 kind of performance. I don’t worry at all for kyousuke on a mechanical side, but I’m more curious on how he can be used in a team that is not working well, and in a language he doesn’t know much yet. Paradoxically, others in Falcons not doing so well probably helped him to have bigger stats, said neL
makazze – Growing under playoff pressure
NAVI’s young rifler played a total of 15 maps and helped his team reach the semifinals, ultimately placing 3rd–4th. His average rating was 1.06, with a K-D of 227–231 (-4) and a KPR–DPR of 0.67–0.68.
makazze delivered his best map against The MongolZ on Ancient, finishing with 20–12 K-D and a 1.64 rating, while his toughest outing came against MOUZ on Nuke, where he went 13–18 for a 0.78 rating.
makazze had some impressive key moments on stage that showed that he has a lot of potential. “He had bigger teams to face, on a bigger stage, and he slowly got more comfortable in the team. I think he will improve even more over time, neL explained
zweih – Quiet but victorious
Ivan “zweih” Gogin was part of the Spirit roster that won IEM Cologne 2025, but he remained relatively quiet on the server. Over 13 maps, he averaged a 0.95 rating, with a K-D of 176–208 (-32) and KPR–DPR of 0.57–0.68.
His best map came in the semifinals vs NAVI on Ancient, where he posted 14–13 K-D and a 1.28 rating, while his lowest was a 0.63 rating on Nuke vs NAVI.
Weirdly enough, zweih is the one that didn’t impress me at all, yet he’s the one with the trophy. CS isn’t just stats. If what he did helped donk to perform and the team to win, it means he did what he was supposed to do, said neL
xKacpersky – One-man army in a sinking ship
NiP exited the tournament in 9–12th place, but xKacpersky showed the highest ceiling of the four debutants when it came to raw mechanics. He played 12 maps across both stages and maintained a 1.17 average rating, with K-D of 195–178 (+17) and KPR–DPR of 0.78–0.73.
His peak performance came on Nuke vs 3DMAX, where he posted 22–15 and a 1.77 rating. His worst outing was against NAVI on Inferno, finishing 8–14 with a 0.51 rating.
xKacpersky showed an impressive level and skill. Translating it from T2 to T1 is never easy. NIP is on a good path to come back at a top 15 level and this kind of bet on xKacpersky is very smart, said neL
Verdict – Who’s tier-1 ready?
Each rookie had their moment, but none delivered a breakout performance that could rival donk’s legendary debut. Still, kyousuke’s stats were undeniable, makazze showed promise in playoffs, xKacpersky proved his firepower, and zweih walked away with the trophy.
If a top-10 team had to sign one of them today?
kyousuke of course, because of the hype and the stats, neL concluded.
Final Thoughts
When young players step into tier-one Counter-Strike, it’s rarely about immediate dominance — it’s about showing signs of belonging. At IEM Cologne 2025, each of the four debutants did just that in their own way. kyousuke delivered highlight numbers. makazze faced elite teams head-on. xKacpersky translated his firepower to the top level. zweih played his role quietly — but efficiently — on a title-winning squad.
None of them redefined the meta overnight, but all four passed the first test. And in a scene as cutthroat as CS2, that’s more than most get to say.
