Ksharp, solo, NEO and dupreeh to enter Hall of Fame

Kyle “⁠Ksharp⁠” Miller, Keun-Chul “⁠solo⁠” Kang, Filip “⁠NEO⁠” Kubski and Peter “⁠dupreeh⁠” Rasmussen will be inducted into the HLTV Hall of Fame, presented by 1xBet. The official induction ceremony will take place on January 9, 2027, during the HLTV Awards in Belgrade.

A 12-member panel of experts chose the quartet from a shortlist of ten nominees. They form the third class of the HLTV Hall of Fame, joining seven existing members, including Emil “⁠HeatoN⁠” Christensen, Patrik “⁠f0rest⁠” Lindberg, Yegor “⁠markeloff⁠” Markelov and Raphael “⁠cogu⁠” Camargo.

NEO is a first-ballot Hall of Famer after the expert panel reviewed the eligibility rules for the Class of 2026, opening the door for former players still active in other roles (such as coaching) to be inducted. dupreeh and solo make the Hall in their second year on the ballot, while Ksharp, the first North American to be inducted, is elected on his third ballot.

Each inductee will get:

• Induction ceremony during HLTV Awards.

• Rolex watch with Hall of Fame inscription.

• Special HLTV player profile.

• Commemoration on the new Hall of Fame page.

• Article and video about their career.

Ksharp was the first true superstar player hailing from North America thanks to his flashy AWP. Like other players from his era, he rose in popularity in the scene by releasing POV demos of his matches, and his iconic quad-kill on Dust2 against iwa — immortalized by Andreas “bds” Thorstensson’s frag movie ‘Frag or Die’ — was one of the most famous plays of the early years of the game.

A key member of X3 and later Team 3D, Ksharp won two CPL titles, back-to-back WCG medals (in Condition Zero and Source) before retiring from the game in 2008 following the collapse of the CGS.

“He was one of the first North American players to earn real respect on the global stage, and his early dominance, longevity, and influence on the generations that followed make him a foundational figure in NA Counter-Strike history,” said Hall of Fame Committee member Stephanie “⁠missharvey⁠” Harvey.

“While researching Ksharp, I came across a Reddit comment that matched how I remember him. He revolutionized the AWP: as early as 2000, he was using it unscoped and quickscoping. It really did feel that way at the time. Kyle had found a way to make the AWP his own while helping put American Counter-Strike on the map.

“To me, Kyle was “Captain America” before nitr0 earned the title decades later: a role model both inside and outside the game, and the poster boy for the first generation of international NA Counter-Strike stars. He inspired thousands of North American players to pick up Counter-Strike and believe they could have their own shot at glory.”

Age: 42
Years active: 2000-2008
Notable teams: X3 (CS), Team 3D (CS)

In the history of Asian CS, there was a before and there was an after solo. A third-place finish at WEG Season 3 vaulted him into global CS’s collective consciousness, and for years he remained an elite-level player, shifting from role to role depending on the demands of his teams. (He was described by expert Duncan “⁠Thorin⁠” Shields in 2014 as “one of the most complete players of all-time”.)

solo was the main figure of South Korea’s golden generation, which went toe-to-toe with the world’s best teams from the mid-2000s. His individual brilliance was rewarded in 2010, when he powered WeMade FOX to win WEM, the first tier-1 title for Asian CS — it would take 14 years for another team to match that feat.

He hung up his mouse and keyboard in 2011 to fulfill his military service requirements, returning to the game only five years later. He still played at two Minors and four Big Events before his retirement and transition to VALORANT, in which he has enjoyed coaching success.

“For me, he is the best player in the history of 1.6 from the entire Asian region,” said Hall of Fame Committee member Dmitry “⁠hooch⁠” Bogdanov. “Plus, he acquitted himself pretty well in CS:GO, despite already being of an older age.

“In terms of the uniqueness of talent and the individual capabilities in the entire history of the Asian region, you can count players like him with one hand. Lunatic-hai and WeMade FOX were always close to victories at the highest level.

“The contribution that he made to Asian and global Counter-Strike should not go unnoticed.”

Age: 38
Years active: 2005-2011; 2016-2019
Notable teams: project_kr (CS), e-STRO (CS), WeMade FOX (CS)

NEO and f0rest were in a league of their own in CS 1.6, and the debate over which of the two was the better player continues to spark heated discussion. The Polish player now follows in his Swedish rival’s footsteps as a first-ballot Hall of Famer after the Committee removed what was colloquially known as the “NEO rule”.

NEO was a central figure in one of the most dominant teams in Counter-Strike history, winning numerous 1.6 titles while representing different organizations or, on many occasions, none at all. A public poll of HLTV users named him the best player of the 2000s.

While the transition to CS:GO was not smooth at first, he went on to replicate some of his earlier international success as part of the high-flying Virtus.pro, adding 11 more trophies to his résumé, including a Major. He spent the last years of his career trying to revitalize the Polish scene with HONORIS before embracing coaching in 2023.

“With NEO, it was a matter of time,” said Hall of Fame Committee member Sudhen “⁠Bleh⁠” Wahengbam “The greatest 1.6 player ever alongside f0rest. With the abolition of the coaching rule, I don’t think a single board member would not have voted for him.”

“For the longest time, NEO was simply “the one,” added missharvey, another Hall of Fame Committee member. “He inspired an entire generation of young players while helping elevate Polish Counter-Strike into a global powerhouse. He was the MVP of tournament after tournament, but what always stood out to me was how calm he seemed through all of it.

“I watched countless NEO demos trying to find things I could bring into my own game and reach another level as a player. There are very few players from that era who inspired me personally as much as he did.”

Age: 39
Years active: 2000-2022
Notable teams: Pentagram (CS), Meet Your Makers (CS), Virtus.pro (CS:GO)

dupreeh was the second star as Astralis set a new standard of excellence with four Major titles between 2017 and 2019, in addition to countless other trophies and an Intel Grand Slam crown.

He went on to win a record fifth Major with Vitality, establishing himself as the most decorated player in CS:GO history. He was also a seven-time Top 20 Player of the Year.

dupreeh excelled in different roles throughout his career, from entry fragger to lurker, and formed a powerful partnership with Nicolai “⁠device⁠” Reedtz and Andreas “⁠Xyp9x⁠” Højsleth that lasted nearly a decade. He officially announced his retirement from playing in 2025 and transitioned to an analyst role.

“For me, he’s an example of a truly proper sportsmanlike attitude towards the game,” said Hall of Fame Committee member hooch. “I don’t know of a single piece of bad news, not a single bad thing that he’s done in his career.

“An extremely friendly person who has been an example for many over the years. And in terms of in-game form, of course, his ability to play at a high level set him apart from many players.”

Age: 33
Years active: 2012-2024
Notable teams: Dignitas (CS:GO), TSM (CS:GO), Astralis (CS:GO), Vitality (CS:GO)

Each member of the Hall of Fame Committee voted for five candidates, ranking them from first to fifth and giving them from five to one point, respectively.

To learn more about the HLTV Hall of Fame by 1xBet and the voting process, read this article:

You can watch the HLTV Awards on January 9 on Twitch and Kick.