A fresh name is making waves on FACEIT’s North American ladder, and not without controversy. Nocries, a player who has rocketed up the rankings in just a few months, has been invited to FACEIT’s New York headquarters to compete under strict supervision after weeks of cheating allegations.

Day 1 is behind us at our New York HQ, where we’re hosting @nocriesof after he accepted our invite.

Maidar is playing under supervision on hardware set up by our Anti-Cheat team, a chance to show his game in a fully controlled environment.

Day 2 begins today.

— FACEIT CS2 (@FACEITcs) September 24, 2025

Since the start of 2025, the relatively unknown talent has exploded onto the scene, climbing the ranks at an astonishing pace. Across 491 matches this year, nocries has averaged a 1.51 K/D ratio and a hefty 104.1 average damage per round (ADR), while boosting his ELO by 1,796 points. That climb has pushed him to the very top of the North American FACEIT ladder, where he’s now sitting on more than 4,200 ELO.

With stats like that, it’s no surprise the Counter-Strike community has been buzzing. Speculation around whether nocries was playing fair has been fuelled by countless YouTube breakdowns and reactions, with creators like ohnepixel and FURIOUSSS weighing in. The whispers got loud enough for FACEIT themselves to step in.

On September 24th, FACEIT confirmed that nocries, whose first name is Maidar, had accepted an invitation to their headquarters in New York City. The goal? To play matches on hardware configured by FACEIT’s own anti-cheat team, all under direct supervision. This gave him the chance to prove his skill in a fully controlled environment.

Over the course of four matches, nocries won three and consistently dealt more than 100 damage per round. In his victories, he also notched up more than 20 eliminations. Those numbers align with his FACEIT performance to date, suggesting his results are no fluke.

This isn’t the first time FACEIT has put a spotlight on rising stars facing accusations. Back in 2017, Estonian rifler Robin “ropz” Kool underwent the same process at FACEIT’s London HQ after his dominant FPL performances raised eyebrows. Ropz proved his legitimacy, later signed with MOUZ, and is now a Major champion.

For nocries, the parallels are clear. If FACEIT gives him the all-clear, this could be the launchpad to a professional career. Whether esports organisations come knocking next remains to be seen, but one thing is certain, he’s already cemented himself as one of North America’s most talked-about players.

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