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HLTV.org

The news, statistics and rankings site of competitive Counter-Strike since 2002; its player rating and Top 20 remain the game’s reference metrics, though Valve’s standings now govern invites. Owned since 2020 by Better Collective, a betting affiliate.
✓ Last reviewed: September 2026
Owned byBetter Collective — a betting-affiliate group
TypeNews, statistics and rankings site — Counter-Strike
FoundersMartin Rosenbæk and Per Lambæk, Denmark, 2002
Audience26 million unique users a year; 350 million monthly page views (Better Collective, 2025)
NoteInvites now follow the Valve Regional Standings, not the HLTV ranking

What is HLTV.org?

HLTV.org is the Danish site that has covered competitive Counter-Strike since 2002, founded by Martin Rosenbæk and Per Lambæk: news, schedules, results, live scores, a statistics engine, forums, the HLTV Rating for players, a Top 20 players list since 2010 and a team world ranking since 2015. Better Collective bought it on 28 February 2020 for up to €34.5 million, with the founders staying in management.[1] [2] [3]

What does it cover?

One game — competitive Counter-Strike — exhaustively, from tier-one Majors to qualifiers, continuously. It also hosts the Valve Regional Standings pages that, since Valve’s 2025 rules, decide tournament invites and seeding “in rank order”.[1] [5]

What is its reach and standing?

Better Collective’s 2025 figures: 350 million average monthly page views, 26 million unique users over the previous twelve months, a record 540 million page views in June 2025, about 80 per cent daily-returning users, an audience 95 per cent male and 78 per cent aged 18–34; at purchase in 2020 the site had “more than 26.5 million visits per month”. The 2020 release called its ranking “the official CS:GO World Ranking”; that is no longer the mechanism (see above). The owner is a listed sports-betting affiliate whose stated model is to promote betting operators.[2] [3] [4] [5]

Since when?

2002; Better Collective since 28 February 2020.[1] [2]

Why does it matter in esports?

Because for Counter-Strike it is the statistical record — every map, every rating, every placing — and its Top 20 is the honour list the scene itself cites. For team standing since 2025 cite the Valve Regional Standings; for a player’s career, HLTV is still the source.[1] [5]

References

  1. HLTV.org — About. Accessed September 2026.
  2. Better Collective — “Better Collective acquires leading esports platform HLTV.org”, 28 Feb 2020 (GlobeNewswire). Accessed September 2026.
  3. HLTV.org — “HLTV.org joins Better Collective”. Accessed September 2026.
  4. Better Collective — esports focus release, 2025 (Investegate). Accessed September 2026.
  5. HLTV.org — “Valve redefines tournaments’ main stage, makes changes to invites, wildcards”, 19 Feb 2025. Accessed September 2026.