Nikola “NiKo” Kovač has taken 18th place in the Top 20 Players of 2025 ranking by HLTV. With this result, he set a new record by appearing in the Top 20 list for the tenth consecutive year. This is NiKo’s lowest ranking since his first appearance. However, it also confirms his long-term presence at the highest level of Counter-Strike.
A challenging season with Falcons
The 2025 season was NiKo’s first full year with Falcons. The project started with huge expectations but quickly faced obstacles. Falcons struggled with roster changes, role swaps, and a lack of consistency. These issues affected the team’s results throughout the year. Despite that, NiKo remained one of the most reliable players on the lineup. He often led Falcons statistically, even when the team failed to deliver deep playoff runs.
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Key individual achievements in 2025
NiKo’s 18th place comes from consistent performances across many events, rather than one dominant tournament:
- MVP at PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025, his first MVP medal in almost two years
- EVP at PGL Bucharest 2025, where Falcons won the event
- EVP at FISSURE Playground 2, played in front of his home crowd
- Strong but unrewarded runs at IEM Melbourne, BLAST Rivals Season 1, Esports World Cup, and ESL Pro League Season 22
He finished the year with an average rating of 1.13. His numbers stayed solid under pressure, including 1.11 in elimination series and 1.08 in playoffs.
Why did NiKo finish 18th?
The main reason was the lack of elite peaks at the biggest events. Most of NiKo’s awards came from tournaments with weaker overall competition. In five grand finals during the season, he averaged a 0.98 rating. His impact dropped in key title-deciding moments. He also played only a small number of maps in elite playoff matches, where his usual dominance was missing. Because of this, HLTV placed him lower than players with stronger performances at top-tier finals.
A historic Top 20 record
Even with the lower ranking, NiKo achieved something no one else has. He is now the player with the most Top 20 appearances in HLTV history. Since 2016, he has featured in the list every single year. He also finished second in the world twice, in 2017 and 2023. For nearly a decade, NiKo has remained a reference point for the rifler role.
NiKo reflects on his season
NiKo admitted that he feels conflicted about the result:
I’m happy to make another Top 20 and set this record, but I’m not satisfied with my place. I struggled with consistency and had some big underperformances. I know I can do better.
He also explained that role changes and giving space to younger teammates affected his game.
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Looking ahead to 2026
For NiKo, 18th place is not the end of the story. He sees it as a moment to reset and improve. His goals for 2026 are clear: regain consistency, perform better in playoffs, and compete for trophies again. Even in a difficult year, NiKo proved that he still belongs among the elite of world Counter-Strike.
