The September 2026 HLTV Prospects ranking witnesses a significant shift at the summit as David "Dawy" Bibik ascends to claim the number one position. The Ukrainian rifler's rise follows the graduation of former leader Adrian "xelex" Vincze, who has moved beyond prospect status.
Dawy's journey to the top has been remarkable. He surpassed previous second-place holder Klimentii "kl1m" Krivosheev after delivering exceptional performances at the EWC open qualifier. His path to first place began in the inaugural Prospects edition last year, making him a veteran of the rankings. After reaching second place in January and subsequently dropping outside the top ten, Dawy has completed an impressive comeback.
Aleksey "xeedo" Mikulich from K27 occupies the second spot, having entered the rankings in January and steadily climbing to this career-high position. He is the only top-five member who joined the list later than others. Following them are kl1m and the Swedish duo of Liam "MaiL09" Tügel and Alex "poiii" Nyholm Sundgren.
Notable developments include Georgi "Jorko" Mitev breaking into the top ten after impressive showings with Liquid. Gleb "gr1ks" Gazin returns to the elite group following several months away, posting a stellar 1.58 rating that propelled BIG into the EWC main event.
Kazakh talents continue their strong performances, with Zhassulan "Botpa1" Assembek securing another trophy for Omega with a 1.39 rating. His teammate Aldiyar "Aldikon" Alim contributed a 1.43 rating at a separate local LAN victory.
The graduation system now operates monthly, removing players like xelex, Jason "JBOEN" Boe Nielsen, and several others from the list. This mechanism keeps the rankings fresh but reduces opportunities for prospects to showcase their skills at tier-one events against elite competition.
