NiKo, HLTV'nin 2025'in En İyi 20 Oyuncusu listesinde 18. sırada yer aldı.

Nikola “NiKo” Kovač is a Bosnian Serb professional Counter-Strike 2 player who represents Team Falcons. He finished 18th in the HLTV Top 20 Players of 2025, continuing to firmly establish himself on the international CS2 scene and once again proving his value as a consistent performer at the highest level.

The 18th place in the HLTV ranking is the worst result of NiKo’s career. Since 2016, NiKo has consistently appeared in the list of the world’s best players and had never dropped below 11th place before this year.

Why NiKo Made the HLTV Top 20 in 2025

Although NiKo and Team Falcons did not secure many major titles in 2025 — apart from their first-place finish at PGL Bucharest 2025 — he still maintained a strong individual level throughout the year. In 2025, NiKo played 199 maps, posting an average ADR of 81.4, KAST of 73.2%, and a 1.14 rating, which once again earned him a spot among the top 20 players in the world.

NiKo also recorded a 1.06 rating against top-5 teams and 1.08 against top-10 teams, showing that he can still deliver stable performances even against the strongest opposition.

Summary of NiKo’s 2025 Season

Overall, 2025 was not NiKo’s most successful year in terms of trophies, but he regularly competed at major international events. Alongside his victory at PGL Bucharest 2025, NiKo and Team Falcons finished second at:

• PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025
• Intel Extreme Masters Melbourne 2025
• BLAST Rivals Spring 2025
• ESL Pro League Season 22
• BLAST Rivals Fall 2025

At the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025, Team Falcons finished 20th–22nd, following a decisive loss to MIBR — a result that fell short of expectations for both the team and its fans. At the recent StarLadder Budapest Major 2025, the team reached the playoffs but was eliminated by Team Spirit.

Overall, it is fair to say that NiKo’s individual contribution to the team’s results in 2025 — even without major trophies — was clearly significant and worthy of recognition.

NiKo’s Bold Prediction

As part of HLTV’s traditional Bold Prediction segment, NiKo highlighted young Swedish talent Liam “MaiL09” Tügel, who is only 16 years old and recently set a FACEIT ELO record.

“I played against him in several FACEIT games and in practice, and he is really strong. He has very powerful mechanics and a lot of potential — it all depends on how he continues to develop.”

NiKo’s inclusion in the HLTV Top 20 Players of 2025 is yet another confirmation of his exceptional skill, consistency, and impact on the game at the highest level. Once again among the elite of the global scene and representing Team Falcons, he continues to strengthen his reputation as one of the strongest and most respected riflers in modern CS2.