Syph0 takes top spot in HLTV Prospects ranking after Nemiga's Bucharest run

Daniel "syph0" Ageyev has become the new number one on HLTV's Prospects ranking after a standout run with Nemiga to the grand final of PGL Masters Bucharest, according to HLTV.

The Russian anchor-lurker was a close number two in October on the back of tier-two form, and his performances in Bucharest have now pushed him clear of the field.

Alex "poiii" Nyholm Sundgren moves up to second after being named Dust2 Brasil MVP of FiRe Last Chance as 100 Thieves secured a dramatic qualification to the Major, HLTV reported. David "Dawy" Bibik drops to third as a result.

Virtus.pro's Vadim "tO0RO" Arkov climbed eight places to a new career-high of eighth, backed by a 1.36 rating during his side's title-winning run at CIS LAN Season 9. UPGRADE's Artur "pleynnn" Syzdykov also impressed at the same Moscow event, putting up a 1.24 rating as his side finished 5-8th, enough to climb to tenth. His teammate Maxim "SquEzxc" Grebenko went one better with a 1.35 rating and rises to 16th.

Volodymyr "mazay" Iorhachov, who plays for fnatic and Spirit Academy, is the biggest climber inside the top 50, jumping 16 places. HLTV credited his 1.29 rating for fnatic's run to the final of Stake Ranked Episode 5.

Zolbayar "tikuak" Chimedtseren struggled to adapt to tier-one play with The MongolZ but has found form with Chinggis Warriors, recording a 1.17 rating this month. He will now make his Major debut, with the tournament set to be held in Singapore.

Spaniard Yeray "Joey" Serrano Pérez enters the list for the first time at 17th, after Sangal's title at Urban Riga Open S7 and a third-place finish at Roman Imperium IX. He posted a 1.16 rating across that period, according to HLTV.

Perhaps the most eye-catching story belongs to 17-year-old Andrii "tired73" Hlushko, whose form prompted Natus Vincere to forfeit a match against WBT Academy in Portugal rather than face him. That tournament, Retake Season 13, ended in victory for the Ukrainian, who posted a 1.32 rating in what was his first LAN appearance on HLTV's radar. He now sits just outside the top 20, despite not yet having faced a single top 50 side.

NAVI Junior pair Samuel "MahaR" Horáček and David "FAZERY" Procházka also enter the list for the first time, landing at 26th and 27th respectively.

HLTV said it has reverted the ranking's underlying maths from a percentile-based system to a scaled scoring method using median absolute deviation, a change that better preserves gaps between players. The outlet noted this benefits players such as pleynnn, SquEzxc and tired73, who score more favourably under the revised model.

Two long-standing fixtures of the ranking, Gleb "gr1ks" Gazin and Klimentii "kl1m" Krivosheev, have aged out of eligibility this month after turning 21. Both snipers were regular top-ten entries, with kl1m peaking at second place in August 2026 before moving to G2 Ares, where he has not yet played an official match. gr1ks, who spent his career at BIG, never progressed beyond ninth after early struggles against top-rated opposition.

Jae "74LOR" Webb held the title of top Oceanic prospect for a single month before his own birthday removed him from the list, while David "bl1x1" Stepanyants exits the ranking in a different way, having passed 1000 career maps.

HLTV's accompanying analysis this month examined performance in buy-versus-buy rounds against anti-eco situations. Vyacheslav "slaxejezzz" Vinokurov, poiii and Liam "MaiL09" Tügel showed the largest improvement in anti-eco rounds relative to gun rounds, while FAZERY, Iago "deemO" Henrique, Philipp "tex1y" Moskvitin and Alexandr "oz1k" Sevastyanov performed comparatively better in gun rounds, per the outlet's figures.