BIG EQUIPA win Women’s Team of the Year at the HLTV Awards — ASTRA named Women’s Player of the Year (2025)

Berlin, Germany — January 12, 2026 — Berlin International Gaming (BIG) are proud to celebrate a landmark moment for BIG EQUIPA and women’s Counter-Strike: at the HLTV Awards 2025 in Belgrade, BIG EQUIPA were crowned Women’s Team of the Year, while our in-game leader Mayline-Joy “ASTRA” Champliaud received the trophy for Women’s Player of the Year (2025).

From Stockholm champions to HLTV’s top honors

The HLTV Awards double win caps a historic run for BIG EQUIPA, who ended 2025 as ESL Impact Season 8 Finals champions after defeating MIBR fe 2–1 in Stockholm, the final edition of ESL Impact.

For BIG, the achievement adds another “#1 moment” to the organization’s Counter-Strike history: BIG’s male team previously reached #1 in HLTV’s world ranking in 2020.

BIG’s commitment to women’s CS2, especially now

With ESL confirming the decision to suspend the ESL Impact circuit after Season 8 due to sustainability challenges, and with some organizations already stepping away from women’s Counter-Strike, the ecosystem is entering an uncertain period.

BIG have therefore decided to continue supporting women’s CS2, while staying in active dialogue with tournament organizers and stakeholders. We will keep our community and partners updated as the competitive landscape develops.

Statements

Daniel Finkler, CEO, Berlin International Gaming (BIG)

“Winning Women’s Team of the Year at the HLTV Awards and seeing Mayline-Joy “ASTRA” Champliaud recognized as Women’s Player of the Year is an enormous honor, for BIG, for the team, and for everyone who has believed in women’s Counter-Strike. This is not a one-night success story; it’s the result of long-term commitment, day-to-day work, and a group that kept pushing even when the ecosystem got tougher.

Despite the uncertainty created by the decision to suspend ESL Impact, and with parts of the scene currently in transition, BIG plans to continue supporting women’s CS2. We’re realistic about the challenges and we’re in ongoing conversations with organizers, but we believe the scene needs stability and committed partners, and we want to be part of that for as long as possible.

Thank you to everyone behind the team, especially Roman Reinhardt and Dominic Hirsch and to our partners who make this commitment possible. I also want to give huge credit to our captain Hania ‘Hanka’ Pudlis: together with Roman, she helped shape this lineup and set the standards inside the team that had a massive impact on our success this year.

And a special thank you to the Roaring Bears, our fan club, for the incredible support in Stockholm. And on this occasion, I want to highlight the significant support from our partners Four 20 Pharma GmbH, incl. Tino Haack, Alexander Flocke, and Torsten Greif, who played a key role in enabling the Roaring Bears fan trip to Stockholm and in cheering for BIG EQUIPA on site. In addition, my sincere thanks go to GreenMedical, Sebastian Aab, and Robin Grund, whose contributions were instrumental in making this fan trip a reality!”

Roman Reinhardt, CGO, Berlin International Gaming (BIG)

“This achievement is the definition of a team effort, five players who fully trust each other, a staff that raised the level every day, and an environment that rewards discipline and improvement. ASTRA led with real substance, and the whole lineup earned this together, on the server and in the moments where pressure is highest.

I also want to highlight Hanka’s role in this journey. As captain, she was one of the key drivers behind building and shaping this roster with us, and she had a huge influence on the team’s mentality and standards throughout the year. Just as important: credit to Dominic Hirsch and everyone working behind the scenes to keep the team focused and supported.

With ESL Impact ending, responsibility shifts even more to organizations, partners, and the community. BIG have been here since day one, and we’re not stepping away now.”

Hanna “Hanka” Pudlis, BIG EQUIPA (HLTV Awards stage statement)

“It’s a lot of emotions right now, because it feels like you’re seeing our dreams come true. So thank you guys for being there for us. Special thanks to my lovely teammates, we did it all together. We sacrificed a lot, we were fighting every day for this trophy. I’m really grateful for the people next to me, so let’s make some noise for them. And I also want to address this award to every woman playing out there. Right now, the future of the women’s scene is really unknown, but this means we deserve to be here, too. Of course, it wouldn’t be possible without the organization behind us. I’m really grateful to be under BIG, they believed in the women’s scene from day one, and it’s something amazing to win this award for them right now. This award is also for you guys. So thank you one more time, and yeah, I just want to cry right now. Thank you guys.”

Mayline-Joy “ASTRA” Champliaud, Women’s Player of the Year (2025)

“It is an honor to stand in front of you and to receive this award. This year has been amazing for me and for my team. I would like to thank BIG first of all, and also my teammates for being here all this time, for trusting me, and for every decision we went through, always by my side and always believing in me. I would also like to thank my partner, because he has always been by my side through this journey. And I would like to thank my family as well for supporting me. And I’d like to give my last thanks to ESL, for giving women a chance to pursue their career in CS. And even though 2026 is uncertain, we want to keep fighting and we want to be represented. Thank you very much.”

BIG EQUIPA roster & staff

• 🇵🇱 Hania “Hanka” Pudlis
• 🇵🇱 Wiktoria “vicu” Janicka
• 🇫🇷 Mayline-Joy “ASTRA” Champliaud (IGL)
• 🇸🇪 Emma “Emmsan” Mattsson
• 🇺🇦 Alexandra “kyossa” Tykhonska

Team Manager: Dominic Hirsch

Thank you, Roaring Bears — and thank you, partners

A huge thank you to the Roaring Bears, who created an incredible atmosphere on-site in Stockholm and supported BIG EQUIPA throughout the ESL Impact Finals. And thank you to all BIG partners supporting our journey!