The current CS2 landscape feels more competitive than ever, but there is also a very clear separation between the truly elite teams and the organizations still trying to establish consistency at the highest level. Over the last few months, tournaments have given fans a much clearer picture of where every roster currently stands. While several teams have shown flashes of brilliance, only a handful have consistently delivered deep playoff runs against the strongest opposition.
Tier |
Teams |
|---|---|
S-Tier |
Vitality, Spirit, NAVI |
A-Tier |
Falcons, FURIA |
B-Tier |
MOUZ, The MongolZ, G2 |
C-Tier |
Aurora, PARIVISION, Astralis, Legacy, paiN, GamerLegion, HEROIC, Liquid, BetBoom, FUT |
D-Tier |
B8, 9z, BIG, TYLOO, MIBR, Monte, M80, NRG, Lynn Vision, FlyQuest, SINNERS, Gaimin Gladiators, Sharks, THUNDER dOWNUNDER |
The S-tier favourites: Vitality, Spirit, NAVI
At the very top of the scene sits the S-tier. These are the teams that genuinely look capable of winning any tournament they enter. Right now, that list includes Vitality, Spirit, and NAVI. These three teams have separated themselves from the rest of the field through a combination of tactical structure, superstar firepower, and consistency under pressure.
read more
Vitality still feels like the benchmark roster in Counter-Strike despite their recent playoff loss to MOUZ at Cologne. Their 2025 season has been extraordinary. Before arriving in Cologne, Vitality has already won several elite tournaments including IEM Rio, BLAST Rivals 2026 Season 1, PGL Cluj-Napoca, IEM Krakow 2026, and BLAST Open Rotterdam 2026. They will be entering Cologne riding one of the most impressive streaks modern Counter-Strike has seen. Even in the VRS< they are consistently placed them at number one because no other team matched their level of consistency across multiple events.
Spirit, meanwhile, might actually be the scariest team mechanically in all of CS2 right now. Their PGL Astana 2026 victory has given them a lot of confidence. Not only did it silence the skeptics about the recent roster changes, but also showed about the firepower that Spirit have at their disposal. And if tN1R continues to play like this, Spirit might even be able to defeat Vitality. They are now genuine title favorites, and if they play their card right, there is not a single team that can stop them. Much of that conversation revolves around donk, whose impact on the server continues to feel almost absurd. But Spirit’s evolution goes beyond individual skill. Earlier versions of the roster sometimes relied too heavily on explosive plays, whereas this current lineup has become far more tactically refined.
read more
NAVI completes the S-tier because they continue doing what NAVI has historically done best, winning through structure, preparation, and discipline. Unlike Spirit or Vitality, NAVI rarely overwhelms teams purely through mechanics. Instead, they grind opponents down through excellent utility usage, smart mid-round adjustments, and one of the strongest tactical systems in professional Counter-Strike. And with their recent campaign in Atlanta where they not only beat Vitality, but went on to claim the title will surely have their confidence soaring high. Even though they even possess the same raw firepower as the other S-tier teams, NAVI’s tactical consistency makes them one of the most dangerous teams currently in the world.
The A-tier Contenders: Falcons, FURIA
Just below the outright favorites sit Falcons and FURIA. These are not safe picks in the same way Vitality, Spirit, and NAVI are, but they have enough firepower and enough recent high-level results to be taken seriously as possible finalists. The important difference is consistency. Falcons and FURIA can beat elite teams, but they have not yet shown the same tournament-to-tournament reliability as the S-tier teams heading into Cologne.
Falcons are the more explosive of the two. Valve’s May 18 ranking had them third in the world, directly behind Vitality and Spirit, and they are also listed as one of the Stage 3 teams for the Cologne Major. That matters because Stage 3 teams avoid the early Swiss grind and enter much closer to the playoff race. Their current roster, with karrigan, NiKo, TeSeS, m0NESY, and kyousuke, has one of the highest ceilings in the entire field. On paper, very few teams can match that amount of experience, AWP impact, and rifle power.
read more
Their recent results also justify the A-tier placement, even if they do not fully justify S-tier. At PGL Astana 2026, Falcons reached the grand final before losing to Spirit, and at CS Asia Championships 2026 they again reached the final before falling to Legacy. That gives them back-to-back elite finishes, but also raises the obvious concern: they are getting deep into events without closing them. For a predictive Major tier list, that makes Falcons extremely dangerous, but still a step below teams that have already proven they can consistently win these tournaments.
FURIA deserve to sit beside Falcons because their current form is much stronger than people may assume at first glance. On VRS, FURIA may have fallen to the tenth spot, but like Falcons, they are already in Stage 3 at Cologne. The roster has a strong mix of experience and firepower with FalleN, yuurih, YEKINDAR, KSCERATO, and molodoy. That is a serious Major core, especially because it gives them different ways to win maps. They can lean on FalleN’s structure, KSCERATO’s consistency, YEKINDAR’s pace, and molodoy’s individual impact.
read more
The reason FURIA stay in A-tier rather than S-tier is that their recent finishes have been strong but not title-defining. At PGL Astana, they finished 5th to 8th after losing a close playoff series to Falcons. That still shows they are competitive against top opposition, but it also shows the small gap that separates them from the most reliable trophy contenders. For Cologne, FURIA look like a team that can absolutely make playoffs and trouble anyone in a best-of-three, but they still need one complete championship run before they can be placed beside Vitality, Spirit, and NAVI.
The B-tier dark horses: MOUZ, The MongolZ, G2
The B-tier contains MOUZ, The MongolZ, and G2. These teams are strong enough to punish favorites, but each has a clear reason why they are not in the top two tiers. MOUZ have the best recent results of this group, The MongolZ have one of the most dangerous styles in the field, and G2 have enough names to be respected. However, none of them look as complete or as reliable as the teams above them.
MOUZ are probably the most difficult team to place here because their recent form is genuinely good. VRS ranked them fifth on May 18, and they are also directly seeded into Stage 3 at Cologne. Their recent tournament results are solid too. They finished third at PGL Astana, then followed it with another third-place finish at CS Asia Championships. That is a very respectable run of form, especially considering the level of opposition at those events.
read more
Still, B-tier makes sense for MOUZ because their recent peak has been more “deep run” than “tournament winner.” They are clearly competitive, but the evidence points toward semifinal or playoff strength rather than outright Major favorite status. At Astana, Spirit beat them in the semifinal, and at CAC they again landed just outside the final. That kind of consistency makes them one of the safer playoff picks, but not necessarily one of the safest championship picks.
The MongolZ remain one of the most dangerous national teams in the Major field. They are ranked seventh on VRS May 18 list and are also a Stage 3 team, which gives them a strong structural advantage at Cologne. Their style is still one of the most uncomfortable in CS2 because they play with pace, confidence, and very little fear against bigger names.
However, their recent results keep them in B-tier rather than A-tier. At PGL Astana, they finished 9th to 11th, and at CS Asia Championships they finished 5th to 6th after losing to Legacy in the playoffs. Those are not poor results, but they are not enough to put them above Falcons or FURIA. The MongolZ can beat almost anyone on the right day, but the question is whether they can string together enough controlled best-of-three wins to make a Major semifinal or final. For now, they look like a high-upside playoff threat rather than a top title favorite.
read more
G2 are the weakest fit in B-tier, but they still belong above the larger middle pack because of their individual quality. VRS placed them 14th, and unlike MOUZ and The MongolZ, they begin in Stage 2 instead of Stage 3. That makes their road more difficult, but the roster still has enough talent with huNter-, NertZ, SunPayus, HeavyGod, and MATYS to be a serious threat if the pieces click.
Their problem is proof. G2 finished 5th to 8th at PGL Astana after being eliminated by Spirit, which is respectable but not enough to push them into the A-tier conversation. They have the ceiling to upset teams above them, but they have not shown enough recent consistency to be treated as a reliable title pick. In a predictive Cologne list, that makes them a dangerous B-tier team, capable of a dark horse run, but not a favorite.
The C-tier challengers: Aurora, PARIVISION, Astralis, Legacy, paiN, GamerLegion, HEROIC, Liquid, BetBoom, FUT
The C-tier is the most crowded part of the list because it contains several teams that can make noise, but need either a favorable draw, a hot individual run, or a major improvement in consistency to go deep. This tier includes Aurora, PARIVISION, Astralis, Legacy, paiN, GamerLegion, HEROIC, Liquid, BetBoom, and FUT.
Aurora and PARIVISION are interesting because both are Stage 3 teams, which would normally push them higher. Their seeding is excellent. However, recent results are why they remain in C-tier for this prediction. Aurora finished 5th to 8th at PGL Astana, while PARIVISION finished 12th to 14th at Astana and 7th to 8th at CAC. Their ranking and seeding make them dangerous, but their latest event results do not yet scream Major finalist.
read more
Legacy are the team in this tier with the strongest argument to move up. They won CS Asia Championships 2026 by beating Falcons in the final, and they also finished third at IEM Atlanta, where they beat BetBoom in the third-place decider. That is not random form. That is real momentum heading into Cologne. The reason they stay in C-tier is mostly because this is a predictive Major list, and they still begin in Stage 2 rather than Stage 3. Their path is harder than the top-seeded teams, but among the C-tier teams, Legacy may have the highest chance of making this ranking look too conservative.
GamerLegion also deserve respect after their IEM Atlanta run. They finished second at that event, losing the grand final to NAVI, and HLTV’s event page specifically notes NAVI sweeping GamerLegion to claim the title. That result gives GamerLegion a strong recent achievement, but they still start in Stage 1 at Cologne. That is a major difference. A Stage 1 team needs to survive more Counter-Strike before even reaching the deeper contender pool, so despite their Atlanta final, they remain in C-tier rather than B-tier.
read more
Astralis, paiN, BetBoom, FUT, Liquid, and HEROIC all fall into this tier for slightly different reasons. Astralis are ranked 10th and start in Stage 2, but their recent IEM Atlanta finish was 7th to 8th. paiN finished 5th to 6th at Atlanta and 7th to 8th at CAC, which is decent form but not enough to project a deep Major run. BetBoom finished fourth at Atlanta, which is a good sign, but they begin in Stage 1. FUT are ranked 13th and start in Stage 2, yet their Atlanta finish was only 9th to 12th. Liquid and HEROIC still have recognizable names, but HLTV had them 25th and 23rd respectively on May 18, and both begin in Stage 1.
The D-tier threats: B8, 9z, BIG, TYLOO, MIBR, Monte, M80, NRG, Lynn Vision, FlyQuest, SINNERS, Gaimin Gladiators, Sharks, THUNDER dOWNUNDER
The D-tier contains B8, 9z, BIG, TYLOO, MIBR, Monte, M80, NRG, Lynn Vision, FlyQuest, SINNERS, Gaimin Gladiators, Sharks, and THUNDER dOWNUNDER. This does not mean these teams are free wins. It means their route to a deep Cologne run is significantly harder than the teams above them. Most of them start in Stage 1, many are outside the top 20 in HLTV’s May 18 ranking, and several need multiple upsets just to reach the later stages of the Major.
B8 and 9z are probably the strongest names in this tier. B8 were ranked 16th on HLTV’s May 18 list and had respectable recent placements, including 7th to 8th at IEM Atlanta and 5th to 6th at CAC. 9z were ranked 18th and finished 5th to 8th at PGL Astana. Both teams have enough form to be dangerous in Swiss play, but neither has enough recent top-tier evidence to be placed with the C-tier teams.
read more
MIBR are another team that deserves a note because their fourth-place finish at CAC was genuinely impressive. They finished above several teams that are ranked higher overall, which shows they can spike at the right event. The issue is that HLTV still had them 29th on May 18, and they start in Stage 1. That combination makes them a dangerous D-tier team, but not a stable pick to go deep.
The rest of the tier has similar limitations. Monte are ranked 22nd and start in Stage 2, which gives them a slightly better route than most of this group, but their recent elite-event ceiling has not been high enough to move them up. BIG and TYLOO are both around the low 30s in HLTV’s May 18 ranking, NRG are 34th, Lynn Vision are 45th, Gaimin Gladiators are 46th, Sharks are 51st, FlyQuest are 58th, and THUNDER dOWNUNDER are 80th. Those numbers do not decide matches by themselves, but they do show why these teams are long-shot picks compared to the rest of the field.
SINNERS, M80, NRG, Lynn Vision, FlyQuest, Gaimin Gladiators, Sharks, and THUNDER dOWNUNDER can still create storylines, especially in a Swiss format where momentum matters. But for a predictive tier list, they should be treated as teams fighting to survive, not teams expected to challenge for the trophy.
