More and more teams are making the climb to the to the very top of the Counter-Strike pyramid, which leaves us with the question – what are the best CS2 teams in Tier 2 at the moment? The CS2 schedule is as grueling as ever, especially for teams outside the top 20, having to qualify for big events by playing virtually every online tournament they can.
Among the sea of teams participating in those events, some squads have elevated above the rest and, more often than not, find themselves atop the competition.
BetBoom
Credit: Stephanie Lindgren | BLAST
Current roster:
- Boombl4
- zorte
- Ax1Le
- S1ren
- Magnojez
It’s strange to see any roster with Boombl4 and Ax1Le be classified as a Tier 2 CS2 team, but that’s exactly where BetBoom stands right now. A single LAN appearance at BLAST Bounty Season 1 is all they have to show for their online grind so far, but they’re certainly looking at even more offline tournaments in 2025. A Major appearance has to be the goal for this team.
B8 Esports
Credit: Adam Lakomy | © ESL
Current roster:
- headtr1ck
- alex666
- npl
- kensizor
- esenthial
B8 Esports are consistently ranked among the best Tier 2 CS2 teams in the world, and have only managed to improve in the year after losing r1nkle to Ninjas in Pyjamas. Towards the end of 2024, B8 were able to finish runners-up of ESL Challenger Katowice 2024, a strong LAN appearance for the record books. They’re also a mainstay in online CCT CS2 tournaments, which have enabled B8 to climb the rankings.
BC.Game
Credit: BC.Game
Current roster:
- jkaem
- nexa
- nawwk
- CYPHER
- pr1metapz
BC.Game are proof that the VRS system can work. The former BLEED core (plus pr1metapz) are now being paid by a real organization, and are showing exactly what they’re capable of by winning multiple online tournaments. Their rise through the Valve Regional Standings has been swift, quickly establishing themselves as one of the best Tier 2 Counter-Strike teams in the world. Such is their strong position, it won’t be long before BC.Game are being invited to LANs.
OG
Credit: OG
Current roster:
- F1KU
- spooke
- Buzz
- Chr1zN
- nicoodoz
OG‘s Counter-Strike history is a little bit cursed. It’s just never really worked out for the team, and as a result, they’ve really suffered from the removal of the partner system at the start of 2025. Still, the latest iteration of the roster looks to be the most promising in a while, embracing a newfound Danish identity as they look to make their way back to Tier 1 events. For now, OG have to settle for being one of the best CS2 teams in Tier 2.
PARIVISION
Credit: PARIVISION
Current roster:
- Qikert
- Jame
- TRAVIS
- nota
- BELCHONOKK
Over the winter period, PARIVISION upgraded their CS2 roster with the addition of Virtus.pro veteran and CS:GO Major winner Jame. With Qikert as IGL of the team, Jame gets to show his natural skill on the AWP once again. Early results have been pretty promising, setting PARIVISION up to be one of the best CS teams in Tier 2 for the rest of 2025. This is a pretty talented roster, so don’t be surprised to see them at a big LAN at some point this year.
Fnatic
Credit: Viola Schuldner | © ESL
Current roster:
- KRIMZ
- blameF
- fear
- MATYS
- Burmylov
Fnatic are by far the biggest Counter-Strike organization on this list. This is a historied team with multiple Major wins under their belt, but have had to remain resigned to a place in Tier 2 in recent years. Bringing in blameF last year was a solid addition, but the recent transfers of fear and Burmylov don’t seem to have catapulted the team as they may have hoped. Right now, they’re participating in just about every online tournament they can in an attempt to break back into Tier 1.
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