Ahead of IEM Cologne Major 2026, the snapshot of form across different generations on the scene looks very interesting. Among the youngest players, kyousuke is the clear leader with a 1.17 rating, while among the most experienced players, apEX turned out to be the best, becoming the only veteran with a 0.99 rating who truly came right up to the 1.00 mark.
The balance of generations in modern CS2
This comparison shows well not only individual form ahead of the Major, but also the overall balance between generations in modern CS2. Younger players are expectedly posting stronger raw numbers, while in the veteran category the main intrigue is no longer about domination, but about who is still capable of maintaining a competitive level against the backdrop of the scene’s new wave.
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kyousuke leads the younger generation
Among the young players, the best figure ahead of the Major belongs to kyousuke — a 1.17 rating. That is a fairly confident result, putting him in first place in his age category and once again underlining why there is so much attention on him ahead of a major tournament.
Behind him are dziugss with 1.11, xelex with 1.09, dem0n with 1.05, and s1zzi with 0.98. So even within the younger group, a clear division is visible: kyousuke is not just first, but also the only one holding himself that confidently above all the others.
Among the veterans, the picture is much harsher
In the category of experienced players, the numbers are much more modest. The best here is apEX with 0.99, and that is a very telling result: he did not break the 1.00 mark, but came as close to it as possible.
Behind him are MAJ3R with 0.92, FalleN with 0.91, Snax with 0.89, and karrigan with 0.83. So it is apEX who looks the most stable and convincing in this group, even if the overall rating bar for veterans is already noticeably lower than for the younger players.
apEX is the only veteran who is truly keeping the standard
The most important focus in this selection is precisely on apEX. Against the backdrop of the other experienced players, he looks almost like the only one still reaching toward a level that can be called genuinely competitive by modern top-scene standards.
That is especially interesting when you consider his role and workload. apEX is not just another veteran in the sample, but a player who at the same time carries an enormous amount of responsibility within Vitality. And that is exactly why his 0.99 reads stronger than a dry number without context.
Youth versus experience ahead of the Major
At the level of the broader picture, everything looks fairly symbolic. Young players are approaching Cologne Major 2026 with better numbers, a sharper individual peak, and the feeling that they could become the tournament’s main surprises.
At the same time, veterans remain very important not because of raw statistics, but because of experience, macro decisions, composure, and the ability to hold form in the most tense moments. That is exactly why, ahead of the Major, this generational difference looks not like a conflict, but like a separate storyline of the tournament.
Who could surprise the most
If you look purely at the numbers, then kyousuke quite naturally gets the most attention before the start. He enters the Major as the best representative of the young category, and therefore automatically becomes one of the main candidates for a breakout or a loud individual run.
But there is no less intrigue around apEX. The very fact that among the veterans it was he who turned out to be the closest to a 1.00 rating already makes him a separate story. If he puts together a strong stretch at the Major, it will look not just like another solid tournament, but like a very strong confirmation of his relevance even against the backdrop of the new generation.
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IEM Cologne Major 2026
Ahead of IEM Cologne Major 2026, the best form among the young players is being shown by kyousuke with a 1.17 rating, while among the veterans apEX leads the way with 0.99. And if the younger players are entering the tournament with a claim to a loud breakthrough, then the experienced players are approaching it with a different challenge — to prove that they are still capable of being decisive at the highest level.
That is exactly why this comparison is so interesting: the Major in Cologne will become not only a test for teams, but also a very clear test of which generation is ready to make more noise right now.
