b1t Opens HLTV’s Top 20 Players of 2025 Ranking

Valeriy “b1t” Vakhovskyi has taken 20th place in the list of the best players of 2025 according to HLTV. The Ukrainian esports athlete opens the annual ranking, which traditionally sums up the year in the professional Counter-Strike scene. This marks the fourth time in b1t’s career that he has been featured in HLTV’s prestigious Top 20.

As part of HLTV’s “Bold Prediction” segment, Vakhovskyi also named 14-year-old Ukrainian rifler Dmytro “r0se” Pankiv as a player to watch. When asked why he chose him, b1t replied that he did not want to speak on his behalf, adding that r0se would speak for himself when the time comes. This brief comment immediately drew attention from the community to the young talent and his potential future on the top level.

The top three players of the season will be revealed during the HLTV Awards ceremony, which will take place on January 10 in Belgrade. For comparison, b1t finished ninth in last year’s HLTV ranking, while his current position reflects a highly competitive and challenging season at the elite level.