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Throughout 2026, Krabeni has redefined how individually skilled an IGL could be, and his style of calling exudes confidence. As much as his character and skillset as a player should probably be given over to his coach coolio, Krabni has shown a rather refreshing amount of fearlessness, but in a controlled way. He is simply a breath of fresh air \u2013 his style of play is the definition of the idiom \u201cleading by example\u201d, with how much space he creates, and how much initiative he takes for his teammates.<\/p>\n
Krabeni is the type of IGL to lift his teammates up not just by words, but also by actions. Even as an IGL, the Kosovian\u2019s still his team\u2019s second entry on T-sides, as well as the main initiator on CT, with a +30% entry attempt rate on LAN with a 54.1% success rate. He is not afraid to make moves, and in reality \u2013 shouldn\u2019t be, considering how remarkably mechanically skilled he is for an IGL.<\/p>\n
Last but not least, he is a real leader. Following coolio\u2019s footsteps, Krabeni has become a leader who is not afraid to raise their voice, if need be. Someone capable of encouraging his teammates, but also being blunt and harsh, if necessary. He\u2019s already a surprisingly mature player for his age, which could be seen by the way FUT has started handling pressure moments, close games, and late rounds in important matches \u2013 something the team struggled with at the start of the year.<\/p>\n
Just 8 months later, Krabeni looks decisive, confident, and sharper than ever. And the statistics might not be able to tell the full story, but this player is simply too good to be an IGL, but he still is. Remarkable.<\/p>\n
Jack \u201cGizmy\u201d von Spreckelsen<\/h3>\n
As we\u2019re already on the topic of young IGL\u2019s, it\u2019s difficult to speak about rookies and captains without involving 2026\u2019s UK Counter-Strike hero and pride \u2013 Jack \u2018Gizmy\u2019 von Spreckelsen. Unlike Krabeni, GIzmy hasn\u2019t yet won his debut trophy from a big event, but the 2026 he\u2019s had, and the potential he\u2019s shown are definitely deserving of a couple of sentences.<\/p>\n
As of today, Gizmy has played 8 LAN events throughout 2026, the majority of which while representing Monte. You could argue that, having spent such a large portion of this year by primarily competing in Tier 2 and Closed Qualifiers, Gizmy has not had a proper debut year in Tier 1 CS yet, but events like PGL Astana 2026 and the IEM Cologne Major 2026 allowed us to see how the British IGL can handle himself against some of the best teams in the world, and to be completely honest \u2013 he was great.<\/p>\n
Gizmy\u2019s individual level might not be as high as Krabeni\u2019s, but his mechanics are still enough for him to hold his own in certain circumstances. However, what makes him one of the most impressive rookies of this year is his combinative thinking, great intuition, and potential of being one of the next karrigan-esque IGL\u2019s \u2013 incredibly good at mid rounds and adapting on the fly.<\/p>\n
At the start of the year, Gizmy led the, as I like to call it, \u201cRejects project\u201d of Monte to a title at the Copenhagen Gaming Week Showdown, a second place at DraculaN S6, as well as a first place finish at the CCT Global Finals 2026. At this point and time, Monte had established itself as one of the best Tier 2\/ Tier 1.5 teams in the world, and Gizmy\u2019s proactive calling and capability of getting the most out of his players was at the heart of this project.<\/p>\n
His Tier 1 debut, however, was anything but a Cinderella story. At PGL Astana 2026 Monte ended the Main Swiss stage with a 2-3 record, leaving the tournament right before the playoffs, as the Brit got a rude introduction to the highest level of opposition, getting 0-2\u2019ed by FURIA, Falcons and G2, and taking down teams like magic and TheHuns.<\/p>\n
Two of the most difficult things for a young IGL to learn are how to bounce back after a slow start, especially against top dogs, and how to close out tight maps, without allowing themselves and their teammates to take their feet off the gas. Gizmy got to learn these lessons pretty quickly and come the Cologne Major, he seemed a lot more composed and focused.<\/p>\n
Monte reached Stage 3, where they took down PARIVISION, but unfortunately lost to TheMongolZ, Falcons and Aurora, regardless of the first two games being incredibly tight. What makes Gizmy such an exciting IGL prospect is one of the skills he showcased during the Major \u2013 adaptability. He\u2019s got a very unique ability to read the game perfectly in real time, identify gaps in the enemy team\u2019s defence, or attack, and exploit them on the fly, but a lot of it comes down to preparation too \u2013 something he was thoroughly involved in alongside kakafu.<\/p>\n
And to topple the list, after speaking to kakafu himself, as well as players like Rainwaker, I\u2019ve come to understand that one of Gizmy\u2019s biggest strengths is also his ability to evaluate exactly how much resources he\u2019s got, and use them in the best way possible. Understanding his players\u2019 strengths and weaknesses is vital for any leader, in order to know how to get the most out of them and use them properly. A trait that is usually typical for much more experienced IGLs.<\/p>\n
After joining 100 Thieves, the British tactician has already proven himself to be quite the asset, helping the team to qualify for the main event of the Esports World Cup 2026, and even eliminating Falcons from the online stage of the BLAST Bounty S2 before that. Funnily, he\u2019s even the highest rated player of the team since his arrival, sitting at a 1.20 rating, and being the main aggressor\/star player on the CT-side, once again emphasizing on his above-average mechanical ability for an IGL. A sharp mind, adaptive skills, people skills, and some pretty fire mechanics are making Gizmy another name for the future \u2013 an IGL that could definitely attempt to follow the steps of some of the most decorated British players in history, like Alex \u2018ALEX\u2019 McMeekin and William \u2018mezii\u2019 Merriman.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Since 2022, the \u201cRookie of the Year\u201d award has become an integral part of the HLTV Awards ceremony. A moment of recognition, dedicated to the young phenoms in their respective debut years on the Tier 1 scene. Over the years many of today\u2019s top players have seen their names on the ballot but only the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":419954,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-419951","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n