Before a perfect work of art can be born, countless things are destroyed along the way. Masterpieces are not created in an instant. Sometimes, they never even reach completion. Only after countless attempts and failures does a masterpiece finally begin to take shape.

The same is true for players. Almost no one is born a superstar from day one.

Here, we introduce the players who endured years of hardship before becoming defining figures of their era.

‘KISS of Death’ KISS - Panwanitchayakit

Born in 2003, KISS made his professional debut in 2022. He first stepped onto the global stage in 2024 as a member of Valee Thai Esports. From his very first appearance, he left a strong impression on fans with his unconventional positioning and fearless assassination plays. Yet during his time with Valee Thai Esports, his only notable result was a 16th-place finish at the 2024 EWC.

He later joined Forest Natural Gaming alongside Olympus, Baren, and Scappy, and that was when the results began to follow. The team finished 6th at 2025 PGS 7 and 5th at 2025 PGS 8. KISS then beat out numerous veteran Thai players to earn a spot on Thailand’s roster for the 2025 PNC, where he went on to finish 3rd. He simply proved through his performance why he deserved to represent his country.

At PGS 10, held ahead of PGC in the latter half of 2025, KISS and his team finished 3rd and were even being discussed as serious contenders to win PGC. Their rise was so impressive that Made In Thailand, one of Thailand’s most popular and historic organizations, acquired Forest Natural Gaming’s entire roster.

KISS played an enormous role in making that happen. He was often both the beginning and the end of the team’s fights, producing highlight after highlight throughout their run.

But at PGC 2025, the biggest event in PUBG Esports and the tournament where expectations were highest, they suffered a disastrous 23rd-place finish. Meanwhile, FULL SENSE, another team from the same region that had received far less attention, went on to claim the championship.

The aftermath also brought an end to KISS’s long partnership with Olympus. Made In Thailand then brought in EA star Jacob as its new IGL and began the process of rebuilding its chemistry. Things were somewhat shaky at first, but once the pieces started clicking into place, the team’s performance improved exponentially.

In the past, KISS was best known for unconventional positioning and assassination plays. Now, he has transformed into an entirely different player.

He knows exactly where he can receive support from his teammates, allowing him to wreak havoc from the front with aggressive infighting as his primary weapon. Animal-like reaction speed, pinpoint utility usage, spatial awareness that almost makes it seem as though he can see through buildings, and a sense of rhythm that constantly steals the opponent’s timing—KISS now possesses all of these qualities.

There simply aren’t many players capable of stopping him.

Made In Thailand went on to win 2026 PGS 4 and PGS 6, becoming the first team to claim two PGS titles in 2026. KISS also sits atop the PGS MOM leaderboard with 10 MOM awards.

KISS has undoubtedly become one of the defining icons of the Thai region, and he possesses enough potential to conquer the world. It would not be an exaggeration to say that he has everything it takes to lift the PGC trophy in the near future.

If possible, remember everything about this player.

He may very well become one of the greats.

‘High-Level’ NIXZYEE - Nino Mikec

To be frank, I used to think he was just another player.

He had already been around for years, yet had never truly managed to stand out among Europe’s elite. He had not spent his career bouncing between legendary organizations, nor did he have any particularly memorable results. Even his individual performances rarely left a lasting impression.

As years of PUBG Esports history were being written, there seemed to be no page reserved for NIXZYEE.

From his first appearance in the PUBG pro scene in 2020 all the way through the middle of 2024, he had little to show in terms of standout achievements.

Four years. At that point, no one could have blamed him for giving up. Players with far more decorated careers had lost momentum and walked away from the battleground without ever looking back.

But among everything NIXZYEE possessed, one quality proved stronger than the rest.

Persistence.

Hard work. And a flame deep inside him that refused to go out—the desire to win.

Sometimes, we simply call that grit.

Then came 2024.

NIXZYEE joined Virtus.pro alongside PUBG Esports legend ibiza and Lukarux, formerly of Entropiq, a team that had once conquered Europe. Slowly but surely, he began to unlock his true potential.

In November of that year, Virtus.pro strengthened the roster further by adding Beami, the sharpshooter from the Heroic squad that had stunned the world with a runner-up finish at PGC 2021.

At PGC 2024, Virtus.pro ultimately finished 4th.

Second and third place were tied on points, while champions The Expendables finished only two points ahead of them. Even Virtus.pro in 4th were just seven points away from 1st, making it one of the closest finishes in PGC history.

And with that, a new dark horse had announced itself to the world.

The first half of 2025 was somewhat disappointing, but in June, Virtus.pro added curexi, Beami’s former Heroic teammate who had also competed for one of Europe’s most prestigious organizations.

With powerful and reliable teammates surrounding him, and ibiza transitioning from the active roster into a coaching role, the team improved both strategically and structurally.

Everything was finally in place.

All that remained was to take flight.

Led by NIXZYEE’s outstanding performances, Virtus.pro’s career trajectory changed dramatically. They finished 2nd at 2025 PGS 9, won 2025 PGS 10 the following month, and then capped off the year with a runner-up finish at PGC.

A diverse strategic playbook, stable shotcalling, and incredible focus whenever a match reached its decisive moments—Virtus.pro had it all.

And mistakes from NIXZYEE were incredibly difficult to find.

This year, he has become even more dangerous.

With PUBG undergoing a massive shift to TPP in 2026, many players struggled to find their footing and adapt. NIXZYEE did the opposite. He dominated the 2026 PGS Circuit 1 Final on the way to the championship, followed it up with a runner-up finish at 2026 PEC Spring, and then claimed the title at the 2026 EWC, where prize money rivaled that of PGC.

Even in the most recent 2026 PGS 7 and PGS 8, he finished runner-up in both events and has recorded seven MOM awards.

One thing is certain: this is not a player who will be satisfied with what he has already achieved.

His greatest strengths are his dazzling left-hand mechanics and incredible shooting focus.

In particular, his peeking technique is world-class. By repeatedly crouching and standing, minimizing the amount of time his body is exposed, and using cover to create precise shooting windows, he turns even the smallest opening into an advantage.

Across the 106 PGS matches he has played, NIXZYEE has averaged 1.46 kills per match with 301 DPM, numbers that showcase his overwhelming offensive ability.

And despite all of that, he consistently gives credit to his teammates rather than himself.

Compared to virtually anyone else in the scene, there is no shortage of reasons to describe him as High-Level.

The only question is just how high that level can go.

‘One of a Kind’ TianTian - Zhan Haotian

TianTian has been competing since 2019, but for a long time, he remained relatively unknown.

There was, however, one moment when he became permanently etched into my memory.

Six years ago, during the PCS Asia Charity Showdown, I watched him single-handedly wipe three opponents around the Yasnaya apartment compounds. From that moment on, I knew there was something different about this player.

I became convinced that one day, he would command the international stage.

China’s hidden genius.

This is the story of TianTian.

It wasn’t just that he spent years outside the spotlight. His team’s results were hardly impressive either.

He spent an extremely long time with the Chinese team Change The Game. It was essentially his home team, though he occasionally left on loan or played as a stand-in for other squads.

His period of wandering lasted for quite some time.

CTG finally began producing noteworthy results around the latter half of 2024 and the middle of 2025. They finished 5th at PCL Autumn in late 2024, followed by a 15th-place finish at EWC in the summer of 2025, gradually beginning to establish themselves on the international stage.

Perhaps because of his years of experience, some within China had already begun describing TianTian as a hidden gem. He and his teammate WenBo were both earning increasingly positive evaluations.

And just as that recognition was beginning to grow, everything changed.

To explain what happened next, we first have to talk about 17Gaming.

At PGC 2025, 17Gaming once again fell short, unable to break its PGC championship curse. They had won domestic tournaments as well as international events such as PGS, and their form had been strong enough that many believed this might finally be the year they lifted the PGC trophy.

Expectations in China were enormous.

But once again, the dream slipped away.

17Gaming needed change.

And with 2026 set to bring a massive transformation through the switch to TPP, they needed nothing less than the very best talent available.

That was when two players caught their attention: TianTian and WenBo from Change The Game.

Among those moves, the signing of TianTian proved to be a masterstroke.

With terrain destruction introduced in 2026, strategies built around holding craters created by Red Zones, mortars, and grenades became increasingly common. There were only so many reliable ways to break such positions.

International stars frequently demonstrated how mortars could precisely strike enemies hiding inside craters, instantly neutralizing them or picking up kills. Yet China had struggled to produce a player capable of using the weapon at that same level.

TianTian was different.

His mortar accuracy and success rate were so exceptional that even comparisons with TGLTN, widely regarded as a god of the mortar, did not feel unreasonable.

And it wasn’t just the mortar.

He was equally comfortable with the Panzerfaust and countless other weapons. It would hardly be an exaggeration to say that TianTian is proficient with almost every weapon PUBG has to offer.

His numbers from 2026 PGS 8, where 17Gaming claimed the championship, were simply overwhelming.

Across 15 matches, he recorded 25 kills, averaging 1.67 kills per match with 335 DPM.

With that performance, he firmly established himself among the very best players in the world.

TianTian’s greatest strength is his ability to react to virtually any situation with speed and flexibility.

He identifies the opponent’s weakest timing, quickly assesses the resources available to him, and immediately chooses the most effective tool to neutralize the threat.

Frag Grenades, Blue Zone Grenades, Molotov Cocktails, SRs, Panzerfausts, mortars, Care Package weapons—it doesn’t matter.

Anything becomes a lethal weapon once it enters TianTian’s hands.

And his proficiency with each of them is remarkably high.

Does that versatility come at the cost of survivability?

Not at all.

He is extremely difficult to kill. His movement is excellent, and the amount of damage he takes from opponents is remarkably low. He moves well, stays composed, dodges incoming fire, and punishes his opponents in return.

There are few players more frustrating to face.

Perhaps it is finally time for everyone to applaud and welcome China’s newest genius.

A masterpiece is not born perfect.

It is broken countless times, rebuilt again and again, and sometimes comes dangerously close to being discarded altogether. Only after surviving that process does it finally become a finished work of art.

KISS endured years of trial and error.

NIXZYEE endured four years in which almost no one paid attention.

TianTian, too, spent years in obscurity.

But they never gave up.

Instead, they continued filling in the pieces they were missing, one by one.

And now, we are looking at the finished results.

Some may simply call them exceptional players.

But once you understand the road they traveled to get here, the story begins to feel different.

The overwhelming performances we see today did not suddenly appear overnight. They were built upon countless failures, countless choices, and an unwavering commitment to improve.

A masterpiece does not become a masterpiece because it was always perfect.

It becomes a masterpiece because it was shaped until it became perfect.

And perhaps, even at this very moment, another masterpiece we have yet to discover is already being made.

- Jisooboy