Mauisnake: “There’s a good chance that m0NESY will be named HLTV’s Player of the Year for 2026.”
Analyst Alex “Mauisnake” Ellenberg reflected on who might become the best player of 2026 in a new episode of the Hot Take Point Made podcast series, commented on Team Vitality’s slump, and assessed Team Spirit’s current roster.
On the race for the 2026 top spot
I’ve been thinking a lot about the race for the title of best player of 2026. Now it’s finally starting to pick up steam. At first, it seemed like it would once again be a battle between ZywOo and donk. The former has clearly pulled ahead thanks to his numerous trophies and MVP awards, but the latter’s individual stats are simply incredible. However, now that the Falcons have won the Major, there’s a strong chance that m0NESY will be named HLTV’s Player of the Year for 2026.
On Team Vitality’s Slump
There’s no guarantee that Vitality will return to peak form anytime soon. apEX is about to become a father, and mezii is expecting his second child. <...> To be honest, mezii is going through a bit of a slump right now. I also think that some of Vitality’s players are starting to let up. The days when they were eager to prove themselves are over. The Vitality era is gradually coming to an end.
About Team Spirit
You could say that Spirit is still searching for its identity. tN1R performed excellently under S0tF1k’s leadership, but at the IEM Cologne Major, he looked very lost without a coach. As for magixx, he still has a lot to learn as a captain if he wants to catch up to apEX and karrigan.
Earlier, Jakob “Pimp” Winneke noted the potential of Justinas “jL” Lekavičius on the Counter-Points podcast and also discussed the reasons behind Team Vitality’s failure at the IEM Cologne Major 2026 and the future of BC.Game Esports.
Photo by Adela Sznajder, ESL.
Alexey Mikhailov
