keytakeaways
- Expanded capacity and two-day schedule in Belgrade.
- Seventeen award categories recognizing players, roles, and creators.
- Return of the Hall of Fame, honoring CS legends with exclusive tributes.
The HLTV Awards are officially returning in 2025 to recognize top Counter-Strike 2 talent, teams, and community contributions. Scheduled for January 10, 2026, the event will once again take place at the Sava Center in Belgrade, Serbia.
This year’s ceremony will feature an expanded attendance cap of 1,000 guests—up from 600 in 2024—but will remain an industry-only gathering. HLTV emphasized Serbia’s central location and accessibility as a key factor for the continued choice of venue.
Full Weekend of Celebrations: Conference and Ceremony
The HLTV Awards 2025 will be a two-day affair. On January 9, a dedicated Awards Conference will offer panels and discussions with esports figures. The main Awards Show follows on January 10, with a live broadcast starting at 18:00 CET. The event will be produced in collaboration with Relog Media for the third consecutive year and is sponsored by 1xBet.
In 2024, all 15 HLTV Award winners attended the ceremony—a milestone HLTV hopes to replicate in 2025.
Also read: OG Esports Launches Marvel Rivals Open Tryouts with OG MR Combine Event
Seventeen Categories to Honor Competitive and Community Achievements
This year’s edition will feature 17 award categories, ranging from performance-based accolades to community honors. The main performance awards include:
- Player of the Year (Men’s & Women’s)
- Team of the Year (Men’s & Women’s)
- Rookie of the Year
Panel Awards will highlight specialized roles such as IGL, AWPer, Closer, Opener, Anchor, and Coach of the Year. Meanwhile, Community Awards include Talent, Streamer, Creator, and Event of the Year.
The Skin of the Year, introduced last year and presented by Skin.Club, also makes a return.
HLTV Hall of Fame Returns with Rolex Prize and Legacy Map
A highlight of the 2025 show is the return of the HLTV Hall of Fame, which will induct three new legends. Past inductees include CS icons like GeT_RiGhT, f0rest, HeatoN, and Potti.
Each new Hall of Famer will receive a custom Rolex watch, a dedicated player profile, and feature placement in a special Hall of Fame map created by HLTV and 1xBet.
