NiKo
The Boy from the Cafe
Bosnia, an internet cafe. His father was the first to see the boy's gift — he didn't play CS like a game. He played it like breathing.
His name is Nikola Kovač. In 2015, at 18, he stepped onto the Cluj-Napoca stage for mousesports. Carrying the team alone, the casters coined one word — "Niko-sports".
"He didn't need a team. He WAS the team."
FaZe · The All-Stars
In 2017, he joined FaZe Clan — GuardiaN, olofmeister, karrigan, rain — a line-up everyone envied. Trophy after trophy. Everything seemed inevitable.
A roster of legends. A future that hadn't happened yet.
One round from the dream.
Then Cloud9 took four rounds in a row. The comeback. NiKo called it the most painful match he ever played — "I did not deserve to win a Major in CS:GO."
G2 · Reunion with huNter-
In 2020, he joined G2, reuniting with his cousin huNter-. The Stockholm Major final, 2021. G2 vs NaVi.
"The Deagle. The miss. The silence."
Map two, Nuke. Double overtime. NiKo pulled out the Deagle, aimed at s1mple — and missed. One bullet that could have changed everything.
In 2022, a 17-year-old m0NESY joined G2. The early roster: Aleksib / JACKZ / NiKo / huNter- / m0NESY.
Later, jks and HooXi came in — roster changes kept coming, but the breakthrough never did. Rio Major, they didn't even qualify.
Early 2022 · The Aleksib era
Late 2022 · HooXi / jks / huNter- / NiKo / m0NESY — "The best five"
Later in 2022, jks and HooXi replaced the old guard. Roster changes kept coming, but the breakthrough never did. They didn't even qualify for the Rio Major.
Katowice · The Curse is Broken
Two Major final defeats: Boston 2018, Stockholm 2021. Each time, one step short.
2023. IEM Katowice and IEM Cologne — two monumental titles. Not Majors, but proof: he was still here, still fighting.
"Not a Major. But a reminder — he was still here."
The Pivot · CS2
At the end of 2023, CS:GO retired. The CS2 era began. New engine, new rhythm, starting from zero. NiKo's form wavered — a desk smashed in frustration at BLAST, a silent exit in Bucharest.
A New Chapter
In 2025, he joined Team Falcons. The HEROIC trio — kyxsan, TeSeS, degster — came aboard. m0NESY followed. The roster kept evolving: kyousuke replaced Magisk, then karrigan replaced kyxsan. NiKo gave up his preferred positions to make room for kyousuke.
Ranked 18th. Still on the list.
His tenth consecutive year on the HLTV Top 20 — his lowest rank, but also a record few can claim.
Twenty years, one trophy at a time.
…and then, a Major. The one that mattered most.
Champions
15 years. 17 Majors. 3,067 days. One trophy.
"It was hard," he said after the match. "Painful. But you get there in the end." Then — "11 years as a pro, 20 years of CS. All for this moment."
"The kid from the Bosnian internet cafe.
Major champion."