Mauisnake ranks CS2 support players, splits tN1R

Counter-Strike 2 analyst Alex “Mauisnake” Ellenberg has published his assessment of players able to perform the support role on the professional scene in 2026. The discussion was released as a video on his personal YouTube channel, providing the primary material for the ranking and its explanations.

Ellenberg assessed 34 players and assigned them to tier labels. Robin “ropz” Kool of Team Vitality was the sole player in S+. Nikita “HeavyGod” Martynenko of G2 Esports and Valeriy “b1t” Vakhovskiy of Natus Vincere were placed in S, immediately below the top category.

The unusual part of the list concerned Andrey “tN1R” Tatarinovich of Team Spirit. Rather than choosing one position for him, Mauisnake listed 2 versions of the rifler: one based on matches with S0tF1k as coach and another based on matches with hally as coach. The first version entered A, while the second was put in C.

Mauisnake’s explanation did not present tN1R as having one fixed level across the period he discussed. He said the player performed weakly under hally and added that, in his view, tN1R was sometimes worse than magixx. That assessment was the basis for the C-tier entry rather than a general conclusion about every appearance by the player.

For the period with S0tF1k, the analyst described a substantially different level. He said tN1R was close to the elite, called him a “monster” in Astana and Rio, and said that in many matches he was Team Spirit’s second-best player. Mauisnake also stated that the player could compete evenly with almost any player in the same role regardless of map.

The analyst stopped short of assigning that version of tN1R to S. He said he was almost ready to place him there, but the available sample covered only 2 tournaments. This is a stated limit of the evaluation: the higher placement rests on the performances Mauisnake associated with S0tF1k, while the sample was not broad enough for him to make the final move upward.

Why tN1R appears in 2 different tiers

The split placement is the central distinction in Mauisnake’s ranking. His comments tied tN1R’s evaluation to the coach under whom he played, instead of treating the player’s name as sufficient on its own. Under S0tF1k, Mauisnake said tN1R played excellently and matched the player Team Spirit wanted when it signed him.

That praise was paired with a clear qualification. Mauisnake did not say that the S0tF1k period established a permanent S-tier standard. He limited the evidence he relied on to 2 tournaments, even while saying that version of tN1R was near the elite. The A tier therefore records both the positive assessment and the stated restriction on the sample.

The C-tier entry carries the opposing coach-specific assessment. Mauisnake said tN1R played poorly with hally and compared that stretch unfavorably with magixx at times. The list keeps these assessments separate, so neither placement can be read as the analyst’s single undifferentiated verdict on tN1R.

• S+ contains ropz alone, making him Mauisnake’s only top-tier selection.
• S contains HeavyGod and b1t, the 2 players placed directly below ropz.
• tN1R under S0tF1k is in A, where Mauisnake also listed mezii, mzinho, TeSeS, dziugss, Jimpphat and latto.
• tN1R under hally is in C, alongside PR, n1ssim, Kyxsan, sirah, matys, FalleN and xelex.
• Mauisnake also used a separate “IGL brain” label for HooXi, Snappi and karrigan.

Beyond the distinction involving tN1R, the published ranking assigns named players to its categories. It presents the placements without performance statistics or match results.

The ranking separates letter-based tiers from the analyst’s “IGL brain” label. HooXi, Snappi, and karrigan are placed in that separate category, with no numerical comparison to the letter tiers stated.

Documented placements in Mauisnake’s tier list

At the top, ropz is the only player in S+, while HeavyGod and b1t are in S. The A tier places tN1R under S0tF1k alongside mezii, mzinho, TeSeS, dziugss, Jimpphat, and latto. The list identifies that tN1R placement by coach.

The other letter categories run from B to D, and the separate “IGL brain” group lists HooXi, Snappi, and karrigan. The ranking reports names by category and does not assign points or describe an official rating system.

Mauisnake’s ranking places ropz at the top and puts HeavyGod and b1t in the next tier. Its most specific analytical judgment is the coach-dependent treatment of tN1R: A under S0tF1k, C under hally.

The analyst’s own explanation sets the boundary for the stronger tN1R placement. He considered the S0tF1k version close to S tier, but said the sample from 2 tournaments was too limited to place him there.