koala (ranked 15th on HLTV's Rising Stars list) has had a unique journey as a CS player: he was not introduced to the game by older family members, nor does he hail from a major metropolis with the infrastructure to foster an esports career.
This 21-year-old player has been a staple on our Rising Stars ranking since the list's inception in the fall of 2025, and remains the highest-ranked Brazilian player to date—he even cracked the top 10 earlier this year. His journey from his hometown of Tucuruí—a municipality in the northern state of Pará with a population of roughly 115,000—to becoming one of his country's most highly touted prospects has been truly unique.
From a very young age, koala recalls his fascination with gaming during the era when internet cafes were still ubiquitous. "There was a small internet cafe set up in a club with a few computers," he told Dust2.com.br in 2023. "Back then, I could only watch others play because I was too young and my mom wouldn't let me. I'd spend entire days just watching people game."
koala's mother was the first hurdle he had to overcome. "I kept pestering her, begging to play and asking for a computer," he said, but she wouldn't give in. "Until one day I cried so much that she finally gave me a computer as my seventh birthday present."
Initially, koala wasn't allowed to play online and could only join cs_assault servers to play against bots. "That was the only map I knew how to navigate," he recalled.
Years later, having long moved on from CS, he took a trip to Beto Carrero World, one of Latin America's largest theme parks, with his mother and some family friends. The son of one of his mother's friends had CS:GO installed on his PC and let koala give it a try. After just two rounds, he immediately realized it was unlike any game he was playing at the time, and he knew he had to buy it.
When it comes to his early years, one question koala is frequently asked is how he came up with his nickname. "Some people think I look like a koala," he told bt0 and Liminha when asked about it, "but I don't think I do."
In reality, the name came from a Windows stock image. "I didn't know how to download pictures onto a computer back then," he added, "so I just used the images that were already there, and I picked the one with the koala."
koala lifting the CBCS Invitational 2024 trophy
Another grueling battle was dealing with the infrastructure limitations in his region. Due to the distance from the São Paulo servers and network congestion exceeding its capacity, koala's ping would exceed 200 during the day. Only at night, when everyone else was asleep, would his ping drop below 100, allowing him to play.
"I would wake up in the middle of the night to play CS, grinding for six or seven hours straight," koala told HLTV. "From Friday into Saturday, Saturday into Sunday, on the days I didn't have school. That's how I spent my first few years playing CS. For three years, I only played two days a week because that was the only time I could. I'd either skip sleep entirely or just nap for a few minutes or hours before going back to play."
During this period, in his early teens, koala would play roughly 100 to 200 ladder matches per month, climbing from level 9 all the way to level 20 on the GamersClub platform—the platform's highest rank.
At age 12 or 13, koala told himself that by the time he turned 14, if he still didn't have a clear goal in mind like becoming a doctor or lawyer, he would carve out his own path. "The first CS tournament I ever watched was the one where Luminosity won," he said. "I didn't even know who FalleN or Luminosity were at the time. I just clicked on something at random, and it happened to be the MLG Columbus Major, so I got a bit lucky. That's when I thought, 'Ah, maybe this could be my career.'"
When he turned 14, qualified for CL, and realized how much he had already accomplished as a CS player over the past year, that was the path he chose. "I'm going to play CS, plain and simple," he said. At the time, koala was still in Pará, stuck with the reality of only being able to play two nights a week, but his resolve was set.
It was then that he caught a lucky break. His mother wanted him to attend a good school, and although he would have preferred to fully commit to his CS career, he was given the opportunity to move to Minas Gerais to live with his grandmother, which placed him much closer to the São Paulo servers.
"Sending me south to attend a good school was my mom's idea," he said. "I didn't really like the idea, but when I started considering becoming a professional CS player, I said, 'Alright, Mom. I need to move. I want to move because I'm going to study,' and stuff like that."
koala being interviewed at the Austin Major regional qualifier
Right around the outbreak of the pandemic, koala moved nearly 2,000 kilometers away from his mother and childhood friends, which happened to give him the perfect opportunity to dedicate all his time to CS. It was then that his mother saw through the truth. "So that's the real reason you changed your mind about leaving," she told him. Caught red-handed.
"She got a bit angry sometimes, but in the end she gave in, cheered me on, and it's actually thanks to her that I have a PC and all this," he said, describing the push-and-pull with his mother. "Deep down, she really wants me to do what I want to do in life, so I'm incredibly grateful for that."
koala's first HLTV-recorded matches date back to 2021, playing for Ceará. Later, in early 2022, he had a brief one-month stint with Elevate before the team that gave him his first major career opportunity—FURIA Academy, the black panther youth squad—came knocking.
It was with FURINHA that koala traveled to Europe for the first time, competing in three WePlay youth leagues. He secured a third-place finish in his debut run during Season 4, which further validated his dream of becoming a professional CS player to those around him.
However, it wasn't all smooth sailing, as koala only posted a 0.91 Rating during his time with FURIA Academy. "In some ways, that was the worst period of my career," he recalled. "I wasn't playing the role I'd been playing my whole life, so it was a tough time, but also a good opportunity to grow as a player." Off the server, however, his memories of playing for Brazil's most competitive organization remain fond.
koala is one of Brazil's top riflemen
koala is a classic anchor/lurker type of player. "When I was at FURIA Academy, I leaned more towards an entry fragger role," he recalled. "But ever since I started playing professional CS, I've been shifting towards anchor and lurker positions because I want to be the one setting a slower pace," he said.
"I don't like pushing, and I don't like making noise," he added with a laugh. "I'm a bit scared." He recalled being restricted in an early team. "I thought, 'Okay, I can play lurker, but on CT side I want to play Nuke's Yard,' he recalled. 'But they said, 'No, your comms aren't good enough. Just hold A ramp or Lower.''"
The same happened at Sharks (now DENDELE); he initially joined to play different roles but ultimately returned to his comfort zone. "It's what I do best, so it works out well," he said. "It's a good role for me because I don't have to worry about the things you need to handle when playing other positions. It fits my playstyle perfectly."
"I don't look up to Brazilian players as my role models; but for my position, ropz or last year's Jimpphat would certainly be my role models."
koala hasn't singled out any specific player as someone he wants to emulate, not even his compatriot KSCERATO. "I don't take any Brazilian player as a role model," he said, "but of course, if we're talking about my role, it would be ropz, or Jimpphat from last year."
However, he watches all the top players in his roles, paying close attention to those who define the current meta. "For example, if I'm playing B site on Mirage, I'll watch karrigan," he said. "It's not like 'teach me how to get kills on B site Mirage'. You want to know how to use your utility, so you watch these players. I just watch whatever makes sense in the current meta. If a team goes 10-0 on a map, I'll watch how their lurker played, because that approach actually works."
koala winning the CBCS Masters Xeque Mate 2025
koala has won five LAN tournament titles in Brazil, four of which were secured with Sharks. He has also finished as runner-up twice at Fragadelphia events, and placed in the top four at the Roman Imperium Cup, DraculaN, and Stake Ranked.
At the Brazilian LAN event CBCS Masters Xeque Mate 2025, he was named tournament MVP by Dust2 Brazil. Today, he is not only developing into a top rookie but has also established himself as one of the premier riflers in the region.
These achievements earned koala a spot on the inaugural HLTV Rising Stars list for Fall 2025. As Brazil's top rookie, he has consistently ranked highest among his compatriots. "Personally, it's great to be on this list as the highest-ranked Brazilian player, you know? Whenever I get involved in something, I always want to be the best," he said. "My approach to playing and the effort I put in is all about being the best. In my country, in my position in the game. So I'm really happy about it."
koala's first career Major – IEM Cologne
In 2026, koala made his Major debut at IEM Cologne, yet he downplayed the achievement. "I chose to become a CS player because I believed I would one day reach the level to stand here," he said. "Someone who has accomplished what I have wouldn't consider simply qualifying for a Major as the peak of their career. I believe there's more to come. At least, I hope so."
The goal isn't just to qualify, but to win. Having already proven his caliber on the domestic scene, koala has set his sights on claiming more premier titles. "Until FURIA won IEM Chengdu about seven months ago, Brazil hadn't secured a single championship," he said. "For a Brazilian player right now, winning an S-tier event would be incredibly special, because it's genuinely difficult for us at the moment. But of course, the ultimate goal remains a Major. Maybe I'll achieve it in seven or eight years."