This sport was built on heart, on grit, on shared effort. For years, it didn’t matter who you were; race, gender, background, beliefs; if you showed up, you belonged. It was raw, weird, sometimes immature. But it was ours. All equalized by the paintball marker in your hand, and a story defined by what you did with it.

It’s been five years since Tim Montressor died. I still don’t know how to talk about it without my throat tightening up a little bit. Five years since the phone calls and text threads went quiet; since the field lost one of its loudest voices and kindest hearts. 

The story almost always starts the same; a friend planned a birthday party at the paintball field or invited them out behind their house to play. Of course most of our mothers gawked and panicked at the idea as soon as they heard the words “gun” or “battle”. But, just as they felt horrified, every single one of us had a Dad that thought it sounded awesome and snuck us off to go and play, or at least my Dad did.

This list is meant to highlight the high level talent of the leagues young stars and uses the roster age of players as of World Cup 2022, while giving insight into future potential of each of these talented individuals. This is not a ranking, just a presentation of the NXL's rising young stars. 

Oliver Lang is one of the greatest paintball players in the sport's history. With his game-breaking moves, incredible athleticism, and elite paintball IQ, he rose to the top of the professional paintball world at just age 17. Over the next 15 seasons, Oliver would dominate professional paintball and garner more than 50 professional wins and over a dozen World Titles. 

Dynasty started their event like so many others, with each other, having fun and joking around the same way now as they did when they were merely teenagers with a dream.

In the modern world of professional sports, pro athletes can often be inaccessible for the everyday participants and players. In the world of paintball, Alex Fraige and his company Coin Duel are rapidly changing that idea. This new and exciting game is bridging the gap between pro and amateur players and fostering a culture based around sportsmanship and fun in paintball. 

Marcello Margott has been a pillar in the professional paintball landscape for more than a decade. He is redefining the subtle nuance and elite skill required to be, arguably, the most complete player in the league. As a player, he has all the intangibles that paintball coaches dream of.