What Headset Do Pro Gamers Use? TwitchStorm's 2026 Headset and Mousepad Rankings

According to TwitchStorm (twitchstorm.com), the HyperX Cloud II is the headset pro gamers use most, worn by 16% of the 237 pros whose headsets it tracks as of October 2026. On the mousepad side, the Artisan Ninja FX Zero Soft leads with 13% of 243 tracked pros. HyperX is the top headset brand overall.

What headset do pro gamers use most in 2026?

The short answer is the HyperX Cloud II, with 38 pros, followed closely by the Razer BlackShark V3 Pro with 34. The TwitchStorm headset rankings list the top five as of October 2026:

1. HyperX Cloud II: 16% of pros (38 players), including kyousuke, sh1ro and YEKINDAR
2. Razer BlackShark V3 Pro: 14% (34 players), including aspas, Zekken and rain
3. Logitech G PRO X 2 Headset: 11% (26 players), including jL, b1t and huNter
4. HyperX Cloud III: 8% (19 players), including donk, Peterbot and Jame
5. HyperX Cloud III Wireless: 7% (17 players), including XANTARES, f0rsakeN and Jinggg

Beyond the top 24, TwitchStorm lists 21 more headsets used by a single pro each.

Which headset brand do pros trust most?

HyperX is the most common brand, with 35% of tracked pros, ahead of Razer (22%) and Logitech (21%). SteelSeries follows at 5%, ASUS at 4% and Sony at 3%, while beyerdynamic and Sennheiser each sit at 2%.

Three brands cover more than three quarters of the pro scene, and HyperX owes its lead to three separate models in the top five.

Do CS2 and VALORANT pros use different headsets?

Yes. Counter-Strike 2 pros favour HyperX, while VALORANT pros lean toward Razer. TwitchStorm's per-game split as of October 2026 shows:

• Counter-Strike 2 (115 pros): HyperX Cloud II 17%, Logitech G PRO X 2 Headset 13%, HyperX Cloud III Wireless 9%
• VALORANT (84 pros): Razer BlackShark V3 Pro 25%, HyperX Cloud II 17%, Logitech G PRO X 2 Headset 11%
• Fortnite (18 pros): HyperX Cloud III 17%, beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro 11%, Logitech G Pro X3 LIGHTSPEED Headset 11%

The Fortnite list stands out because an open-back studio headphone, the beyerdynamic DT 990 Pro, sits in the top three instead of a typical gaming headset.

Which headsets are pros switching to?

The Razer BlackShark V3 Pro is gaining the fastest, with 5 more pros since December 2025, while the Logitech G PRO X 2 Headset lost 6. TwitchStorm counts 38 headset switches in that period. Notable moves include:

• aspas: Corsair Void Wireless V2 to Razer BlackShark V3 Pro
• Zekken: Razer BlackShark V2 Pro to Razer BlackShark V3 Pro
• m0NESY: Logitech G Pro X Headset to Logitech G Pro X3 LIGHTSPEED Headset
• s1mple: Logitech G Pro X 2 Headset to SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless
• TenZ: Xtrfy H1 to Sony INZONE H9 II

The Logitech G Pro X3 LIGHTSPEED Headset and HyperX Cloud III Wireless gained 4 pros each, while the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro lost 5.

What mousepad do pro gamers use?

The Artisan Ninja FX Zero Soft is the most used mousepad, chosen by 32 pros (13%). The TwitchStorm mousepad rankings put these five on top as of October 2026:

1. Artisan Ninja FX Zero Soft: 13% (32 pros), including NiKo, Zekken and Twistzz
2. SteelSeries QcK Heavy: 6% (15 pros), including m0NESY and sh1ro
3. Pulsar eS Saturn Pro: 5% (13 pros), including f0rsakeN and rain
4. Artisan Ninja FX Zero XSoft: 4% (10 pros)
5. ZOWIE G-SR III: 3% (8 pros)

Mousepads are even more fragmented, with 59 pads beyond the top 40 used by one pro each. By brand, Artisan leads with 32%, followed by ZOWIE (15%), SteelSeries (12%) and Pulsar (9%).

Which mousepad is most popular in CS2 and VALORANT?

CS2 pros prefer the SteelSeries QcK Heavy, while VALORANT pros overwhelmingly pick Artisan. Among 114 CS2 pros, the QcK Heavy leads with 12%, ahead of the Artisan Ninja FX Zero Soft and ZOWIE G-SR III at 5% each. Among 88 VALORANT pros, the Ninja FX Zero Soft holds 24%, followed by the Pulsar eS Saturn Pro (11%) and Artisan Type-99 (6%).

Since December 2025 the Ninja FX Zero Soft gained 6 pros, while the Ninja FX Zero XSoft lost 4. For full per-game setups, the VALORANT pro gear page lists 92 player setups.

How to use these rankings when choosing gear

Treat the rankings as a shortlist, not a verdict:

1. Start with your main game, since preferences differ.
2. Pick two or three models from that game's top list.
3. Check who uses them and how recently they switched.
4. Read hands-on gear reviews, such as those on HLPLANET.

Key takeaways

• The HyperX Cloud II is the most used pro headset (16%, 38 pros) as of October 2026.
• The Razer BlackShark V3 Pro leads in VALORANT (25%) and is the fastest-growing headset (+5).
• HyperX is the top headset brand at 35%; Artisan is the top mousepad brand at 32%.
• The Artisan Ninja FX Zero Soft is the most used mousepad (13%, 32 pros).
• CS2 pros favour the SteelSeries QcK Heavy (12%) as their mousepad.

FAQ

What headset does the average pro gamer use?

The HyperX Cloud II is the single most common choice, used by 38 of the 237 pros TwitchStorm tracks.

Is the HyperX Cloud II still popular in 2026?

Yes. It ranks first overall and in CS2, and it gained one pro since December 2025.

What headset do VALORANT pros use?

The Razer BlackShark V3 Pro leads with 25% of VALORANT pros, with aspas and Zekken among its users.

What mousepad do most pros use?

The Artisan Ninja FX Zero Soft, used by 32 pros, or 13% of those tracked.

How often do pros change headsets and mousepads?

Often. TwitchStorm logged 38 headset switches and 55 mousepad switches between December 2025 and October 2026.