NBK- named Phantom head coach in first lead CS2 role

Two-time Major winner NBK- is Phantom's new head coach, his first lead role. His career, Phantom's CS2 roster and the team's Major ambitions.

FireGhost

November 7, 2026, 10:00 PM4 min read

Contents10 sections

NBK- is Phantom's new head coach. The two-time Major winner from France takes charge of a team for the first time in his career, replacing lunAtic, who left the role in September.

HLTV broke the news. In its statement, Phantom said NBK-'s "experience, winning mentality, and perspective on the game are exactly what we were looking for as we build the next stage of our project," adding: "Now it's time to get to work."

Who is NBK-?

Nathan "NBK-" Schmitt is one of the best-known French Counter-Strike players. According to HLTV, he has 17 years of playing experience across several versions of the game. In that time he won two Majors and made HLTV's top-20 players of the year list three times.

The 32-year-old played for GenOne until February this year, then moved into an assistant coach role at 3DMAX. Phantom is his first job as a head coach.

Info	Details
Full name	Nathan Schmitt
Age	32
Major titles	2
HLTV top-20 appearances	3
Last team as a player	GenOne (until February 2026)
Previous role	Assistant coach at 3DMAX

Official Counter-Strike 2 artwork of a map pick screen — Official Counter-Strike 2 announcement artwork (Source: Valve / Steam)

What does Phantom's CS2 roster look like?

NBK- will lead a mixed Danish and Polish lineup. The standout names are Nico "nicoodoz" Tamjidi and Kacper "Kylar" Walukiewicz. HLTV's three-month stats show nicoodoz with the highest rating on the team.

nicoodoz: 1.13 rating, 63 maps
Kunai: 1.07 rating, 63 maps
KEi: 1.07 rating, 65 maps
Kylar: 1.07 rating, 65 maps
TMB: 0.94 rating, 65 maps

The team peaked at 55th in the Global VRS in mid-October and recently finished top four at CCT Europe Series 12. HLTV says that puts Phantom in a solid position to push for a Major spot in the next qualification cycle.

CCT Europe Series is a regular circuit for second-tier European teams, so consistent results there are a key source of VRS points for squads like Phantom.

Why does VRS matter?

Valve's Regional Standings (VRS) decide Major invites and qualifier seeding. The higher a team ranks, the better events it gets invited to. For a rising team like Phantom, every event can mean a few places in the table. We explained how VRS shaped the latest Major invites in our PGL Major Singapore invites story.

Official Counter-Strike 2 artwork showing two views of Dust2 — Official Counter-Strike 2 update artwork (Source: Valve / Steam)

What can NBK- bring to Phantom?

His biggest asset is experience. Someone who played at the top level for 17 years and won Majors can show a young, hungry squad how to perform under pressure. His short spell as an assistant coach also gave him a first look at the management side.

Head coaching is a different job, though. Tactical prep, map pool management and player relationships are now his direct responsibility. Star players do not always make a smooth move into coaching, so Phantom's first few months under NBK- will show whether the bet pays off.

What comes next?

Phantom's goal is clear: qualify for a Major in the next cycle. That means steady results at events that boost VRS points. To see what the top level looks like right now, read our IEM Beijing playoff bracket story and our MongolZ vs NAVI semifinal report.