Paker_Games wins Fantasy Spring 2026; rickastley123 fourth

Paker_Games, a 32-year-old accountant from Cheltenham, won the Fantasy Spring 2026 season and the $5,000 first prize. The competition ended after Stage 3 and the playoffs, with Paker_Games finishing 22 points clear of the field.

He began playing fantasy contests in 2024 and has followed Counter-Strike since 2014. After Stage 2 he held a 21-point lead and described the closing rounds as tense: “The pressure during Stage 3 and the playoffs was definitely there. Ironically, I was feeling relaxed and good about my position until Stage 2 finished and I had a lead of 21 points. You can’t really ask for a better position with only two games left, but it now felt like anything except winning would be a failure,” Paker_Games reflected.

An unsuccessful pick of Andrey “tN1R” Tatarinovich in Stage 3 affected his lineup, but top-20 percent finishes in the final two matches secured the title. Payouts for the top three were $5,000 for first, $2,000 for second and $1,000 for third. Timixfyy placed second and described feeling “pure joy and relief” after accepting he could not close the gap to the leader. Realvancen finished third, missing second place by two points and noting that a single booster might have changed the outcome.

Rickastley123 finished fourth, received $300 and became the first user to place in the top 10 on three occasions, according to the competition organisers. Jurodiwy finished seventh, marking a second top-10 appearance.

The celebrity league was won by Danish “Nohte” Allana. Allana said he enjoyed competing against colleagues and credited playing every game in the season for preserving his lead: “It’s always a pleasure competing against colleagues in fantasy; it’s a fun way to stay invested in each event and have something to talk about. That said, despite my best efforts to nearly troll my lead away, finally playing all the games in a season paid off. GGs to everyone.” Alex “hawka” Hawkins and Alex “Mauisnake” Ellenberg took second and third in the celebrity standings, with Anastasija “Heccu” Tolmačeva fourth and Lucy “LucyLuce” Eastwood fifth. Eastwood moved ahead of Harry “NER0” Richards after scoring 27 points from a double Falcons gamble at the Cologne Major.

The Spring 2026 campaign used multiple stages and a playoff phase. Managers’ picks and occasional booster plays influenced final tallies across the closing rounds, with late selections affecting several users’ final positions.