A few weeks have passed since Team Vitality cemented itself as one of the most successful lineups in the history of professional Counter-Strike. Thirty-four consecutive best-of-three/five wins, seven trophies in a row, and all seven MVPs going to Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut. Vitality had a truly spectacular season—one that will be remembered in the history books forever.
But amidst titans like ZywOo, apEX, ropz, mezii, flameZ, and other superstars like donk—who was, as always, performing at an incredibly high level—and even s1mple’s impressive return to Majors, many other competitors either made a strong impression in their Major debuts or reminded us they’re still among the best. Conveniently enough, a lot of them carried the Brazilian flag on the big stage.
After previously spotlighting TheMongolZ and players like 910 and Senzu in Asia’s Finest: The MongolZ at the Austin Major, it’s time to turn our attention to three individuals who, while falling short of a Grand Final appearance, helped deliver one of the most successful Majors for Brazilian Counter-Strike since the golden days of coldzera, FalleN, TACO, and fer with Luminosity and SK Gaming.
“The Brazilian Turret” – yuurih
The first name on the list is far from unknown. Since joining FURIA in 2017, Yuri “yuurih” Santos has consistently shown his impact, eventually becoming the trusted Sancho Panza to Kaike “KSCERATO” Cerato’s Don Quixote. Unlike Cervantes’s novel, however, the duo seems committed to their shared dream of returning FURIA to the top—and in this new YEKINDAR– and molodoy-led version of the team, yuurih might just be the key to keeping that dream alive.
Heading into the BLAST Austin Major, yuurih was already a veteran with eight Majors under his belt. Once considered one of the world’s best riflers—ranked #14 and #19 in HLTV’s Top 20 in 2020 and 2022—his form had dipped alongside FURIA’s struggles. He ended 2024 with a modest 1.09 rating and had only surpassed a 1.10 rating at three of the eight events FURIA played in 2025 prior to the Major.
But the arrival of YEKINDAR and molodoy seemed like a spark. While the two CIS imports initially drew the spotlight with standout performances at IEM Dallas and Stage 2 of the Major—where YEKINDAR (1.32) and KSCERATO (1.29) led FURIA through wins over B8, M80, and Lynn Vision—yuurih (1.06) was quietly regaining form.
With two aggressive new elements enabling a more structured setup, both yuurih and KSCERATO rediscovered some of their old firepower. The duo reverted to their roles as defensive anchor towers—consistently reliable in high-pressure bombsite holds. We saw glimmers of this resurgence in yuurih’s 17-17 performance against The MongolZ in the opening round, where his frags were fewer but pivotal. Against Aurora, his impact wasn’t measured in kill count (16-9 win, 13-7 overall scoreline) but in timing and composure under pressure.
His true moment came in the 2-0 victory over Virtus.pro, which secured FURIA a playoff berth. On Mirage, yuurih unleashed a monstrous 20-5 performance, posting a 2.22 rating—his best-ever map at a Major. While he didn’t replicate that dominance on Train, it wasn’t needed—FURIA closed the map 13-5 with yuurih still sharp.
Unfortunately for him and FURIA, their run ended in the Quarterfinals after falling to fellow Brazilians from paiN. Still, yuurih topped the scoreboard once again with a 53-44 series and remained a stabilizing force in the team’s defense.
It may be premature to claim yuurih is back at peak form, but posting his second-best Major performance—only behind IEM Rio 2022—feels like a clear sign. The tunnel may be long, but there’s definitely light at the end of it for one of modern Brazil’s finest.
“The Forgotten Prodigy” – dumau
Many fans have grown weary of the “next Brazilian superstar” tag often tied to 21-year-old Eduardo “dumau” Wolkmer. Since first making waves during the PGL Stockholm Major in 2021 with GODSENT, dumau and his partner-in-crime latto became hyped prospects. Despite domestic success and flashes of brilliance, the duo struggled to break through at big events—especially Majors. After three attempts and three early exits in the Challengers stages, questions lingered: would dumau ever truly break out?
Thankfully, he caught the last train to prove his doubters wrong—and did so in spectacular fashion.
After Bestia failed to finalize the necessary documentation to attend the Austin Major, dumau’s Legacy squad, who had lost the South American RMR decider to them, got a second chance. They entered the tournament as heavy underdogs but shocked the world by advancing through Stage 1 after a 1-2 start, followed by clutch Bo3 wins against Imperial and Wildcard.
In Stage 2, Legacy built momentum with Bo1 wins against MIBR and 3DMAX, eventually reaching a 2-0 game against FaZe Clan. And incredibly, they beat them. A clean 2-0 over a lineup featuring karrigan and s1mple—powered by dumau’s monstrous T-side play—saw him end the match with a 34-26 K-D, 1.33 rating, and 10 opening kills across Mirage and Dust2.
As if that weren’t enough, Legacy then took down Vitality on Inferno—becoming just the second team in 2025 to take a map off the dominant French-led squad. While others on Legacy stepped up, dumau’s disruption of apEX’s banana control was crucial to the 13-3 thrashing.
Legacy’s fairytale ended in heartbreak after losing a close series to MOUZ in the 2-2 decider, falling just short of the playoffs. But dumau still finished the event as the fourth-highest-rated player overall (1.29), behind only Senzu, donk, and ZywOo.
He has the confidence, raw aim, and aggressive instincts to go toe-to-toe with the best. Just as importantly, he has the character—unafraid to shout down opponents and inject life into his team. His energy alone could rival the 16,000 fans in the playoff arena.
Dumau is still just 21. The next step? Proving Austin wasn’t a fluke—but the first chapter in a much bigger story.
“The Next AWP Hope” – nqz
Anyone closely following Brazilian CS knows the region has been suffering from a serious AWP void in recent years. The glory days of FalleN and HEN1 are long gone, and recycled names like saffee haven’t quite broken through at the highest tier. But over the past few months, a few promising snipers have emerged—chief among them: Lucas “nqz” Soares of paiN Gaming.
Though just 19 years old, nqz isn’t new to the scene. He made his Major debut in 2022 with 9z and has since worn the jerseys of Legacy and 00Nation before joining paiN. Despite a snappy, CS:GO-esque style with the AWP, his inconsistency in key matches had always been a concern.
That’s changed in 2025.
Even amid roster changes, nqz posted a 1.12 rating at PGL Cluj-Napoca and a career-best 1.13 at PGL Bucharest, despite paiN going 0-3. His highs were starting to show—even if the team wasn’t yet delivering.
At the BLAST Austin Major, paiN began in Stage 2 and became the only team to start there and reach the semifinals. After losing two Bo1s in Stage 3, they rebounded with consecutive wins over Nemiga, 3DMAX, and Virtus.pro. They then stunned FURIA in a Brazilian derby that many consider one of the tournament’s biggest upsets.
At the heart of it all was nqz.
He posted a career-best Major and Big Event performance: 1.14 rating in Stage 3, top-fragging and providing consistent impact every step of the way. His two highest-rated Major maps came in the 2-0 over VP, but his masterpiece was the decider against FURIA. A 29-18 Inferno with high-pressure rounds, clean banana control, and clutch impact—sealing a 16-12 OT win in the Quarterfinal.
nqz proved he can be more than just a streaky talent—he can thrive in front of the crowd, on the big stage, against the best.
Whether this marks the beginning of a star AWPer or just a flash of brilliance remains to be seen. But his mechanics, intelligence, and ability to rise in big moments suggest that Brazil’s AWP legacy might still have a future.
