Football, basketball, volleyball, American football—these are some of the most popular sports in the world. Games that make you forget about everything else and live in that one special moment—watching your favorite team jump fearlessly into battle like gladiators in the days of the Roman Empire or like a ruthless army, ready to conquer and emerge victorious no matter what. And if you are reading this, you probably know—that is exactly the feeling that watching professional Counter-Strike brings too.
There is another thing, however, that connects most great teams in the history of any sport, powerful and notorious empires, and the most successful lineups in the history of Counter-Strike—they all have had and needed their captains, the leaders who guided them to the highest of heights.
Sure, In-Game Leaders can be different. Not everyone is a natural captain or “commander”; some grow into the role. There have always been and will always be different styles of leading a CS team. Karrigan, gla1ve, apEX, FalleN, pronax, Xizt, HeatoN, Happy, Zeus, nitr0—the list of names that have led their teams to greatness goes on and on. And the beauty of it? They all have—or had—their own unique approach to the role.
Being an IGL is often associated with having the longest playing career on a team—years of tenure, dozens or even hundreds of LAN events, and multiple Majors under your belt. At the end of the day, how could a teenager who has barely participated in a couple of tournaments and has hardly had the time to forge his own character and principles possess the knowledge and skills to be the one others lean on when push comes to shove? Well, just like that.
The past few years have introduced many aspiring captains in their early twenties who are now much more attractive investments for big organizations than some older, more experienced players who have had multiple chances across their careers. Truthfully, not many can be like Kamil “siuhy” Szkaradek and become one of the best IGLs at just 22, but aside from the young Pole, players like ztr (GamerLegion), LNZ (Heroic), s1n (M80), bLitz (The MongolZ), and fear (Fnatic) are already making waves and showing impressive results, despite still having most of their careers ahead of them.
However, the purpose of this article is to go even deeper than that. To look beyond the karrigans, apEXs, and Aleksibs, beyond even siuhy, ztr, and LNZ, and focus on the youngest IGLs—the ones who, despite being mere teenagers at the very start of their careers, have already more than proved their potential to one day lead some of the best teams in the world. Some of them have even gotten a taste of Tier 1 Counter-Strike.
№3 – Aulon “Krabeni” Fazlija (NAVI Junior)
19-year-old Kosovian Aulon “Krabeni” Fazlija is the type of player you’d describe as an anomaly. After the massive success of the Bad News Eagles lineup, created in 2022, which qualified for three consecutive Majors (PGL Antwerp 2022, IEM Rio 2022, and BLAST.tv Paris 2023), most people were convinced that stars like juanflatroo, rigoN, and sinnopsyy were the best the region had to offer. Their struggles to make it in international squads reinforced a well-known truth—Balkan players perform best on Balkan teams and often find it tough to break through in international competition. But this is where Krabeni and his 18-year-old teammate Drin “makazze” Shaqiri seem to be different.
Starting his career in 2022—right during the “awakening” of BNE—on teams like Reveal International and ESK, the then-16-year-old Krabeni was not even an IGL. Like many young players, he focused primarily on his individual skill, which had been his main strength from the very beginning. However, much like his countrymen and the famously emotional and flamboyant BNE roster led by sinnopsyy, Krabeni had a very tempestuous personality—but in a positive way. His raw emotions and passion for the game, combined with undeniable individual talent, helped him climb the ranks of the Kosovian scene. After trials with various teams, he was picked up by BLINK in July 2022, where he spent the next ten months delivering good yet inconsistent results, averaging a 0.98 rating without necessarily shining as a star.
Eventually, things didn’t work out with BLINK, and Krabeni joined another Kosovian team, KS, in June 2023. There, he officially began his long partnership with makazze. However, Krabeni was still not an IGL. While on KS, his confidence started growing, alongside his individual level and in-game knowledge. His stats improved, and within three months and two events, it became clear—Krabeni and makazze were an incredibly intriguing duo. Their potential didn’t go unnoticed.
In a shocking move—considering NAVI Junior’s historical focus on developing only Ukrainian and Russian players—Krabeni, makazze, and Romanian talent David “fnl” Mușuroiu were signed in October 2023 as part of a massive rebuild of the academy roster. This is where Krabeni’s journey as an IGL began.
From day one at NAVI Junior, it was obvious that Krabeni had a strong leadership spirit and a powerful personality, making him the clear choice for the next In-Game Leader of the team. What made him special was his ability to call plays and manage the game while still maintaining a strong individual performance. He even handled some micro-managing during rounds when needed.
In that sense, Krabeni perfectly embodies the “New Age IGL“—aggressive, mechanically skilled, active, and willing to sacrifice for the team. He isn’t afraid to make plays and has a confident, structured vision of how he wants to control space and win rounds. At the same time, he is open to learning and listening to those around him, both in and out of the server—traits of a true leader.
2024 was hands down the best year of his career. NAVI Junior won 6 online CS2 events, consistently made playoffs, and pulled off upsets against significantly bigger names. They became a feared opponent—not just because of a couple of star players, but because their playstyle reflected Krabeni’s philosophy: high-paced, aggressive, dynamic, and surprisingly well-structured for an academy team. Credit must also be given to the team’s coach, András “coolio” Fercsák, for helping shape their playstyle.
Krabeni and NAVI Junior have become a formidable force in Tier 2 CS in 2025. Having already played 77 official maps this year and secured dominant wins over teams like ENCE, Spirit Academy, Fnatic, SINNERS, OG, PASSION UA, and PARAVISION, it is evident that what Krabeni and his teammates are building is something special. If this trend continues, it is only logical that we will eventually see the 19-year-old Kosovian captain take the next step—leading one of the biggest teams in the world.
№2 – Christoffer “Chr1zN” Storgaard (OG Esports)
Next on the list is the youngest player in this top 3 and one of the youngest IGLs in a major organization worldwide—OG’s very own Christoffer “Chr1zN” Storgaard.
The 18-year-old Dane began his career in 2020/2021, playing alongside his future MOUZ NXT teammate William “sirah” Kjærsgaard and his own brother. At just 13 years old, Chr1zN and his teammates competed in the second tier of Danish Counter-Strike leagues, already making his first steps as an In-Game Leader in a “self-taught” environment. With no formal coaching or guidance, he had to be both teacher and student—learning and leading simultaneously. Soon after, he moved on to AGF and Tricked, where his role shifted frequently.
Despite playing just 4 HLTV-recorded best-of-threes across both AGF and Tricked, Chr1zN transitioned from being the team’s captain—where leadership was often tied to playing supportive roles—to becoming the “star of the team,” as he describes it. He took on the lurker role on T-sides and played active CT positions, giving him a well-rounded perspective on the game.
“Playing with new people and trying new roles helped me a lot. Not being an IGL for a while gave me a better understanding of what my teammates think, need, and want in different situations, which was incredibly helpful when I returned to being the captain.”
Despite his early success, most people outside of Denmark wouldn’t recognize Chr1zN’s name until his next major chapter—MOUZ NXT. After his time on Tricked ended in September 2022, MOUZ NXT coach and former Danish pro Tobias “TOBIZ” Theo scouted him. TOBIZ wanted to secure him before Astralis Talent did, bringing him in as a key piece for MOUZ NXT’s rebuild. The connection between the two was instant.
Chr1zN and TOBIZ quickly realized they were a perfect fit. TOBIZ played a crucial role in shaping Chr1zN into a well-defined In-Game Leader—rational, calm, comfortable in mid-round situations where he could slow the game down and make decisive calls. Above all, he was incredibly mature and calculated for his age.
Working with sports psychologists and dedicating a lot of effort towards developing players into true professionals has always been one of the main targets of the MOUZ NXT project, and Chr1zN fit perfectly into that vision. The start definitely was not easy for the team, as the abundance of roster changes made it nearly impossible to establish a consistent structure and identity. Chr1zN even had to take on the AWPer role for a bit. Of course, if you ask him, he would tell you that it helped him understand AWPers even better, which eventually made him a stronger IGL.
Despite these struggles, Chr1zN and MOUZ NXT eventually overcame their growing pains. By late 2023 and early 2024, the team had fully clicked, exceeding all expectations. Winning 4 online tournaments within a year and peaking at #42 in the HLTV world rankings, the squad—featuring Chr1zN, sirah, PR, Neityu, and Burmylov—took the Tier 2 scene by storm. Their dynamic yet calculated and structured playstyle convinced many that they could compete against top Tier 1.5 teams.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end—but in this case, it was for something even bigger. In August 2024, Chr1zN “graduated” from MOUZ NXT in a surprising move to become OG’s new In-Game Leader, symbolizing a fresh start for an organization that had long struggled with inconsistency and direction.
Obviously, things did not start perfectly, as there was a lot of work to be done. Even someone as prolific and talented as Chr1zN couldn’t just join the team and turn everything around in an instant. But seven months and a couple of roster changes later, it finally feels like Chr1zN and OG are on the right path to success, winning 13 out of their last 15 Bo3s, despite still being on the lookout for their new and permanent AWPer, with Nico “nicoodoz” Tamjidi being the main candidate for the job.
To sum it up, I do not believe we are far from the moment when people will start calling Chr1zN one of the best IGLs in the world. It might take six months, one year, two years, or even more—but it just feels inevitable. An 18-year-old who has already played nearly every position in the server, possesses a fantastic ability to recreate the map and read the game in his own mind, is mature, adaptive, quick in making decisions, and able to keep his cool in tough moments—and he isn’t too bad individually either.
With the utmost hope that the concept of jinxing one’s potential does not exist—I believe Chr1zN really is destined to be one of the greatest IGLs in Tier 1 Counter-Strike.
№1 – Andrii “npl” Kukharskyi (B8 Esports)
“Nipl, why in God’s name would you name yourself nipple?” That was probably the first thought that went through a lot of people’s minds when they first saw the name of 19-year-old Ukrainian talent Andrii “npl” Kukharskyi, but there is a lot more to this young, aggressive, stone-cold killer and NaVi Academy player than a funny nickname.
In December 2021, Natus Vincere’s academy had to undergo a major rebuild. With players like m0NESY, Aunkere, fear, and flamie gone, it was time for a new set of talents to emerge and join forces with the only “left behind” member, Daniil “headtr1ck” Valitov. This is when we first saw one of the most exciting players in the latter stages of the WePlay Academy League circuit—npl, or as he was still called at the time, nipl.
At just 15 years old, the newly appointed IGL did not take the academy scene by storm right away, averaging around a 0.93 rating across his first two seasons of WPAL with NaVi. But the growing pains wouldn’t last much longer. Despite NaVi Junior not winning either event, Seasons 5 and 6 were when we saw why Amiran “aMi” Rehviashvili had picked npl to be the next IGL. Posting a 1.21 and 1.26 rating in those events, respectively, npl did not look like an IGL—he looked like a star. He and headtr1ck quickly built a great dynamic, where npl would create and open up space—sometimes alongside opening skulls—while headtr1ck ensured rounds were secured. NaVi Junior looked sharp, and so did npl—until something pretty shocking happened.
Just as he was starting to look more and more comfortable as a fragging, entry In-Game Leader, npl was given a fantastic opportunity—one that could also be seen as an incredibly challenging moment in any young player’s career—his first shot at playing Tier 1 CS… for NAVI’s main team.
Most players have to spend at least two, three, or even five years before they get an opportunity to play in a top 15 team, and many never even get that chance. But for npl, the exponential jump happened much earlier. In December 2022, just one year after joining the NAVI Junior project, npl was promoted to the main Natus Vincere team to replace Viktor “sdy” Orudzhev on a NAVI lineup that was ranked #6 in the world at the time but was past its peak and still struggling to recover after the departure of Kirill “Boombl4” Mikhailov a few months earlier.
Many found the move questionable. Why would NAVI choose a 16-year-old with just one year of academy experience over sdy or a proven star like YEKINDAR? And would this youngster even be given the chance to develop into the same star he was on NAVI Junior? Andrey “B1ad3” Gorodenskiy clearly saw potential in npl, but once on the main team, the young player had to face reality and endure the same trial by fire that most teenagers who get fast-tracked into Tier 1 experience—the pressure can often be unbearable.
In the 6 events he played with NAVI, npl averaged a 0.92 rating, posting some of the worst stats of his career and, in reality, not looking like himself on the server. There were flashes of that crispy, aggressive, and entertaining rifler, but for the most part, uncertainty, hesitation, and discomfort overshadowed his performances. Sharing the server with players like s1mple, electroNic-, b1t, and Perfecto, while being coached by one of the greatest tactical minds in the game’s history, proved to be a huge challenge.
For many, this opportunity was enough to make the final verdict that npl simply wasn’t cut out for Tier 1—but not for the player himself. We can only imagine how a more introverted, quiet, and calm teenager would react to the immense pressure, frustration, and criticism from fans, analysts, and maybe even his own teammates. A player who barely had time to go through the Tier 2 scene was suddenly thrown into the deep end. And the big question at the end of it all was—did this break him?
No. No, it didn’t.
Almost immediately after being dropped from NAVI in July 2023, npl joined the Ukrainian side B8, where he still plays today. He did not immediately slot into the IGL role, which at the time was occupied by Denys “amster” Liashenko, and needed some time to regain his confidence. But fast forward a year and six months, and everything seems to have fallen into place. After reuniting with his NAVI Junior teammate and friend headtr1ck at the start of 2024, npl quickly rediscovered his form and once again became that flamboyant, aggressive rifler, despite his typically controlled and humble character.
Both npl and headtr1ck played key roles in B8’s success, helping the team secure 5 online titles and reach #18 in the HLTV rankings in November 2024. His individual performance, along with his leadership, became one of the main reasons why B8 has emerged as a serious contender knocking on the door of Tier 1 tournaments. The team has won 13 out of their last 15 Bo3s in 2025, showing steady improvement and leaving the disappointment of the NAVI days far behind.
Young, energetic, and battle-hardened with difficult yet invaluable Tier 1 experience from NAVI, npl has developed into a calm, calculated leader with a strong vision for the game. He is capable of calling strategies that revolve around his own plays or adapting to his teammates’ strengths—qualities that define a versatile and effective In-Game Leader.
Honorable Mention – Nikita “robo” Dushin (Spirit Academy)
Evaluating the impact of an IGL in a team led by an overperforming superstar is always difficult, and that is the case with Spirit Academy. Much of the hype around the team has centered on their AWP/rifle duo of Maxim “kyousuke” Lukin and Alimzhan “alkarenn” Bitimbai. However, beyond their individual brilliance, Spirit Academy’s consistent success across multiple online events over the past year suggests that credit must also be given to their 19-year-old Russian IGL, Nikita “robo” Dushin, and their coach, Dmitriy “S0tF1k” Forostyanko.
