David frozen Čerňanský has cemented his superstar status: based on the results of 2025, the Slovak FaZe rifler took 8th place in HLTV’s ranking of the world’s best players. This is already the fourth consecutive appearance of frozen in the top 20, but at the same time his highest personal achievement—thanks to a season in which he became the main driving force of FaZe amid turbulent roster changes.
frozen’s road to the top
The road of frozen to the top has been ongoing for several years. As a teenager he debuted in tier-1 with MOUZ and immediately showed a level of play rarely expected from a 16-year-old rifler. Gradually, he evolved from a “talented youngster” into a full-fledged franchise player who carries the team in decisive series and consistently maintains a high rating against top opponents.
The move to FaZe became a logical step forward: in 2024 frozen was already one of the main reasons for the team’s deep runs at the Major in Copenhagen and at IEM Katowice. In 2025 he took on even more responsibility. FaZe went through one of the most difficult periods in their history, changed AWPers, experimented with roles, tried s1mple and jcobbb, brought back broky and Twistzz—but throughout this entire stretch frozen remained the stable pillar of the roster and the most reliable source of frags.
The season for FaZe turned into a roller coaster: from early exits at IEM Melbourne and the Esports World Cup to an unexpected comeback from the opening stage of the StarLadder Budapest Major and a run to the final. At every stage frozen repeatedly proved that he could play at an elite level regardless of the tournament, opponent, or arena pressure.
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Why frozen placed 8th
The key argument in favor of frozen was a combination of a high “floor” and frequent peaks. He finished the year with an overall LAN rating of around 1.17 and almost never dipped below average—the vast majority of his maps were above 0.85. At the same time, frozen played roughly a quarter of his matches with a rating of 1.45+—not just consistently good, but at a level that alone can win a series.
His performance against top opponents stands out separately. Against top-5 teams frozen maintained a rating around 1.20, and against top-10 teams around 1.13, remaining one of the most effective riflers among the elite. He regularly provided round-winning advantages for FaZe and stayed productive even in matches where the team collapsed tactically.
He consolidated his place in the top 10 with four EVP awards—at PGL Cluj-Napoca, PGL Bucharest, ESL Pro League S22, and the StarLadder Budapest Major. At all these tournaments frozen was one of the main factors behind FaZe’s deep runs, and in certain series he quite literally carried the team on his own. Added to this are several tournaments without formal awards but with excellent personal stats—such as IEM Katowice or IEM Cologne.
At the same time, frozen stopped precisely at 8th place because of a smaller volume of playoff maps compared to competitors and several tournaments with noticeably lower impact. There were four weaker events in his season where he either played only slightly above average or even fell into the “red zone,” which prevented him from climbing closer to the top 5.
Key tournaments of frozen’s season
- PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025
The first real milestone of the season was PGL Cluj-Napoca. With the roster still “raw” and EliGE in the lineup, it was frozen who set the pace in the group stage, dominating matches against Eternal Fire and MOUZ. In the playoffs he continued to perform at a high level, becoming FaZe’s most productive player on decisive maps. It was in Romania that he took his first EVP of the year, showing that even in a transitional configuration the team could rely on him as a stable carry. - PGL Bucharest 2025
The second PGL event was even brighter. In the playoffs frozen switched into “monster mode”: he demolished 3DMAX with a rating well above 2.0, was a key factor in the win over Complexity, and gave FaZe a chance in the semifinal against Falcons. A series of powerful maps with massive ADR and a high swing rating earned him a second EVP and confirmed that in late-stage tournament play he is capable of increasing, not losing, confidence. - ESL Pro League Season 22
At EPL S22 FaZe arrived already with Twistzz back in the roster, but it was frozen who remained the most stable element. In groups he repeatedly dragged the team out of tough situations—particularly in matches against Astralis and Aurora—and in the playoffs he delivered a phenomenal series against Spirit, where his numbers formed the basis of a sensational victory. The third EVP reinforced the image of frozen as the player without whom FaZe would hardly have reached the top four. - StarLadder Budapest Major 2025
The culmination of the year was the Budapest Major, where FaZe started from the opening stage and were at one point one step away from elimination by RED Canids. It was the individual brilliance of frozen on Nuke, with a rating close to 2.0, that allowed the team to survive and gradually gain momentum. Later he remained a key driving force in victories over Ninjas in Pyjamas, MOUZ, and Natus Vincere, and in the final against Vitality—although he could not reverse the course of the series—he again was one of the most impactful FaZe players. The fourth EVP and the Major final became the main arguments in his favor in the final ranking.
The role of frozen in FaZe throughout the year
In the 2025 season frozen served as the primary carry rifler, combining aggressive entries into key positions with high efficiency in trading. Unlike many star lurkers, he was often at the epicenter of action: either opening rounds or seizing initiative in mid-round timings. In moments when the team lacked structure due to constant roster changes, it was his individual level that allowed FaZe to remain competitive in matches against Vitality, Spirit, or MOUZ.
It is also important that frozen became a “mood stabilizer” for FaZe. When changes were happening around him—from the arrival of s1mple to the return of Twistzz and broky—he maintained an equally high level of play, giving the rest of the roster a reliable foundation. In the final stretch of the season, already with the renewed five-man lineup, it was from his consistent base that FaZe managed to rebuild that familiar “FaZe magic” at the Major.
Statistics and playstyle
By the numbers frozen had one of the best seasons of his career: an overall rating around 1.17, strong performances at top-tier tournaments, a high percentage of maps above 1.45 rating, and a minimal number of outright failures. The statistics against top-5 teams are particularly impressive, where he maintained kill-per-round and ADR figures close to his average—an extremely high standard for a FaZe rifler with aggressively assigned positions.
Stylistically, frozen combines a classic “European” foundation with refined mechanics. He rarely takes senseless peeks, but is not afraid to risk when the team needs a spark. In clutches he is not always in spectacular 1v3 moments, but he is extremely effective in the “small” things—trades, finishing damaged opponents, and smart utility usage to create space.
Career context and significance of this year
Reaching 8th place in the HLTV ranking is a logical stage in frozen’s evolution. After his first top-20 appearances with MOUZ and a consistent season with FaZe in 2024, the current year has shown that he is capable of being not just a powerful rifler, but the “face” of a team around which the game is built in matches against the strongest opponents. For FaZe itself this means that during rebuilding they already have a star who is ready to compete for MVP titles at any tournament, provided team success follows.
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End of 2025
frozen finishes 2025 in 8th place in HLTV’s ranking of the best players, with four EVP awards, a StarLadder Budapest Major final, a series of deep runs at big LAN events, and one of the most stable statistical seasons among all riflers in the world. Against the backdrop of a chaotic year for FaZe, he remained the team’s main argument in battles with the elite.
If the renewed FaZe roster with Twistzz, broky, jcobbb, and karrigan can turn flashes into a consistent system, frozen has every chance in upcoming rankings to fight not just for a place in the top 10, but for top-5 spots and the status of MVP contender at the biggest tournaments of the season.
