While the scene increasingly talks about the new generation, the IEM Cologne Major 2026 playoffs remind us of something else: experience has not gone anywhere. The top 5 oldest players of the stage are karrigan (36), MAJ3R (35), FalleN (35), apEX (33), and XANTARES (30) — and all of them still remain important figures for their teams.
And where are we going with such youth?
An ironic caption like “And where are we going with such youth?” works almost perfectly here. Because if you look at the list of playoff participants, it becomes obvious: the decisive matches of the Major once again have not happened without players who long ago became not just veterans on the pro scene, but full-fledged symbols of their eras.
And we are not talking about the nostalgic presence of “legendary names” somewhere on the bench. Each of these players has a real role on his team, and each influences the result in his own way — some through calling, some through consistency, some through experience in big matches, and some still through strong individual play.
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karrigan is the oldest player in the playoffs, but he is still leading Falcons
At 36, karrigan remains the oldest player in the playoffs and at the same time the captain of a team that is still aiming for the highest goals. His individual stats over the last three months look modest — 0.80 Rating 3.0 — but for him, that has not been the main marker of value for a long time.
His main role is to hold together the structure of Falcons and guide the team through the highest-pressure series. And the very fact that at this age karrigan is still in a Major playoff and still battling top teams already shows well enough: the role of an experienced IGL in modern CS has not disappeared.
Aurora have two veterans at once — MAJ3R and XANTARES
Aurora are a separate story, because they have two players from this ranking at once. At 35, MAJ3R remains the brain of the team, while XANTARES, at 30, is still its main striking force.
Interestingly, their influence on the team is completely different. Over the last three months, MAJ3R has a 0.94 Rating 3.0, and those are not superstar numbers, but he still does a huge amount of “dirty” work as captain. Meanwhile, XANTARES holds a 1.08 Rating 3.0, which for a 30-year-old player at this level looks more than convincing.
That is exactly why Aurora look especially interesting on this list. This is not a team that is simply “dragging” experienced players into the playoffs. This is a team where the veterans are genuinely shaping the backbone, the style, and the competitiveness at the highest level.
FalleN continues to carry FURIA as the face of the old school
In FalleN’s case, everything has long gone beyond just statistics. For many years now, he has been one of the main symbols of Brazilian CS, but at the same time he has not turned into a decorative figure. At 35, he is still playing a Major playoff and still remains a central part of FURIA.
His current 0.95 Rating 3.0 does not make him the team’s main star, but it does not look catastrophic either. And most importantly, FalleN gives FURIA something that cannot be measured by one number: enormous match experience, calm in key moments, and an understanding of how to survive on big stages.
For many younger rosters, simply reaching the playoffs is already a source of stress. For FalleN, this is an environment he has lived in for more than ten years.
At 33, apEX is still in the elite together with Vitality
Among all the players in this top group, apEX is probably the one who breaks the stereotype best that with age, a captain at the top level inevitably becomes a weak link. At 33, he is not just in the playoffs — he is doing it as part of Vitality, one of the strongest teams on the scene.
His current 0.97 Rating 3.0 looks entirely serviceable for a captain of his profile. But even more important is something else: apEX has long learned how to exist as the leader of a team where superstars play next to him, while not falling out of the tempo himself.
That is the strength of veterans of this type. They no longer necessarily have to be the brightest names in terms of frags, but they know how not to break the team by being its weak point and, on the contrary, how to strengthen the overall system.
The Major playoffs once again showed that age in CS is not a verdict
The main conclusion from this list is quite simple: the scene can admire young talents as much as it wants, but in the playoffs of the biggest tournaments, experience still carries enormous weight. And that is visible not on the level of beautiful words, but on the level of specific teams, roles, and results.
It is especially important that all five players here are very different. karrigan and MAJ3R are primarily about leadership and structure. FalleN is authority, calm, and legacy. apEX is an example of how a veteran can remain part of a top system without losing tempo. XANTARES is proof that even at 30, you can not only still hold on, but still be one of the most dangerous riflers on your roster.
The youth are making noise, but the older players still decide things
The joke about “such youth” lands precisely because the contrast really is noticeable. The scene is full of new names, new sensations, and new stories, but when the tournament reaches its decisive stage, the players who appear there again are the ones who have already seen almost everything.
And that is probably the best answer to all the conversations about “age” in Counter-Strike. As long as a veteran is giving value to the team, as long as he can keep up with the tempo and the psychological pressure, the date of birth by itself decides nothing.
IEM Cologne Major 2026 Playoffs
The IEM Cologne Major 2026 playoffs once again showed that experience in CS is still worth a lot. karrigan, MAJ3R, FalleN, apEX, and XANTARES are not just the oldest players of this stage — they are people who continue to genuinely influence big matches.
And while the younger generation is storming the scene, the veterans still are not planning to step aside just because of the number in their passport. In the Major playoffs, they are once again proving that in big Counter-Strike, it is not only freshness that matters, but also how much you have already gone through and still continue to withstand.
