XANTARES locks #14; becomes first 30-year old Top 20 entry

Turkish aimbot Ismailcan "XANTARES" Dörtkardeş has claimed the #14 spot in HLTV's Top 20 this year, making him the first ever Counter-Strike player at 30 or older to crack the list. The lethal Turkish rifler has been one of Counter-Strike's sharpest aimers for quite a while yet he made his HLTV Top 20 debut last year at the age of 29, making him the oldest entry ever at the time. XANTARES is widely perceived as one of the most mechanically gifted Counter-Strike players of all time, so much so that an inhumanly quick headshot off of a corner peek got termed as "XANTARES peek".

XANTARES kicked off 2025 carrying momentum from Eternal Fire's breakout 2024, where they reached the Copenhagen Major playoffs and pushed NAVI to the limit in the ESL Pro League Season 20 grand final. XANTARES came flying out of the gates early, steering Eternal Fire to a BLAST Bounty Season 1 grand-final appearance after dismantling Vitality in the quarters. XANTARES barely cooled off in groups at IEM Katowice either, leading Aurora to another playoff berth.

Eternal Fire's entire Counter-Strike lineup was picked up by Aurora but the Turkish squad continued their stellar form with XANTARES often at the forefront of the charge. After making playoffs appearances at every single event they attended in the first half of 2025, Aurora flopped at the most important tournament of the year. At the Austin Major Aurora failed to secure a playoffs berth, getting knocked out with just a single win under their belt, yet XANTARES was their highest rated player.

Winning the tournament and earning the MVP award in my team’s first major LAN victory was something I’m really proud of.
XANTARES on bagging PGL Masters Bucharest MVP

Aurora couldn't quite translate their consistency into multiple trophies in 2025, but XANTARES still collected EVPs at BLAST Bounty Season 1, IEM Katowice, and Esports World Cup, before finally capturing his first LAN MVP at PGL Masters Bucharest. At Masters Bucharest, XANTARES posted an impressive 1.38 HLTV rating across 10 maps in the playoffs.

XANTARES's most impactful performance of the year came in Aurora's trophy-clinching grand final run at PGL Masters Bucharest. He opened the series with a 1.95 rating game on Dust2 with an ADR of 114 and closed with a ruthless 1.36 rating and +4.08% Round Swing across a grueling 3-2 victory over Legacy showcasing the Turkish veteran at his best. His other standout showings this year include a 13-2 against FaZe on Train at ESL Pro League Season 22 where he went 21-3, dropping a rating of 2.61 at an ADR of 159 and a 13-9 against Vitality on Anubis at BLAST Bounty Season 1 where he dropped 29 frags at an ADR of 132, eliminating Vitality from the tournament in the quarter-final.

Despite their year-long consistency, Aurora once again had a terrible Major outing at Budapest. To close the year, Aurora secured a Stage 2 exit at the StarLadder Budapest Major where the Turkish side did not win a single match after their opening win against M80. With a 0.94 rating across the Budapest Major, XANTARES recorded one of his lowest rated showings of 2025.

All things considered, XANTARES's elite statistical output and massive volume of strong showings across the season earns him a spot in HLTV's Top 20. His struggles in several key playoff matches and underwhelming Major performances kept him from climbing into the top 10 despite impressive individual numbers.

HLTV Top 20 (2025) so far

• #14 XANTARES

• #15 YEKINDAR

• #16 xertioN

• #17 torzsi

• #18 NiKo

• #19 iM

• #20 b1t