There are a lot of famous players in CS:GO. The series has seen players take the game to new heights thanks to its strong competitive history and what might nearly be characterized as a cult-like following.
The greatest players are rewarded for their work by pulling off shots and tactics that leave spectators perplexed, whether it's due to intuition or a full understanding of the game's fundamentals. With so many opportunities for players to demonstrate their abilities, both mechanically and strategically, the greatest players always found a way to stand out and establish their worth.
The following five players have consistently shown themselves to be at the top of the game's competitive circuit since its debut in 2012.
Although some of the athletes on this list have had lengthier careers than others, longevity isn't the goal. Some of the prodigies are already regarded as some of the greatest players in the history of CS:GO, and they entered our list solely on the basis of their raw abilities.
Jump to:
1. Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev
As the era of legends drew to a close, prodigies began to emerge all across the globe. S1mple is one of the first players from the new generation to gain international recognition for his mechanical abilities.
Despite being regarded as one of the greatest players in the game's history, s1mple's teams always appeared to fall short when it came to delivering the game's last blow. In 2016, the young prodigy moved to North America in the hopes of a greater shot for a Major championship, but after feeling homesick, he returned to his origins.
He has nine MVP honors despite his lack of a Big championship, and he is still one of the most driven players in the game to crown his skills with a major victory.
2. Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut
In recent years, S1mple isn't the only youthful prodigy who has been able to rock the thrones of legends. Despite the fact that the majority of the community was aware of ZywOo's abilities, no one could have predicted that he would be ranked #1 on HLTV's "Top 20 players of 2019" list.
Following the addition of the French AWPer to Vitality's ranks, the squad dominated DreamHack Open Atlanta 2018 with ZywOo's outstanding 1.49 rating. The community has already hailed the mechanically talented player as one of the best to ever play the game. ZywOo has five MVP titles under his belt and is eager to add to his resume with a Major victory.
3. Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz
In CS:GO, communication is essential. The most dominating teams in the game's history have been from the same nation for the most part.
In 2016, when the Swedes' reign came to an end, the Danes were keen to establish a name for themselves. Dev1ce and the Danish team were notorious for choking when it counted most before they became successful.
Dev1ce had his sights set on the prize when the team joined with Astralis. Between 2016 and 2017, dev1ce averaged a 1.20 rating with Astralis across all tournaments he attended. Dev1ce has shown himself on the greatest stages of CS:GO time and time again, despite the fact that the community considers him to be mechanically worse than all of the other players on our list.
Dev1ce has four Major championships and over ten MVP trophies under his belt, making him one of the most successful players in CS:GO history.
4. Olof “olofmeister” Kajbjer
No one knew who would be the next team to defeat when NiP's reign ended at the end of 2014. KennyS and his French team were on top of their game, while the Danes, led by dev1ce, were showing their fangs.
Fnatic, on the other hand, climbed up the ranks during a time when the competition was toughest, and olofmeister was a key component of their success. He was one of the most imaginative players as well as being technically gifted. He was constantly coming up with fresh trump cards for Fnatic to use when they needed them.
olofmeister won three Major championships during his three years with Fnatic and was a part of a six-LAN event winning run. He is still active and now plays with FaZe alongside other legends like coldzera and NiKo.
5. Richard “shox” Papillon
In virtually every sport, there is one kind of player that just goes out and plays rogue. This isn't inherently a negative thing since there will be team configurations that depend on a great player while concentrating on their development.
Shox is the Loki of the French Counter-Strike: Global Offensive scene. His ascension to the top began with CS: Source and his transfer to CS:GO were seamless. Despite bringing in the skill, shox struggled to establish himself as a reliable member of a team at the start of his Counter-Strike: Global Offensive career. To flourish as a player, he required greater freedom, which he gradually gained as clubs began to view him as a focal point.
After joining Titan, shox became a member of a team that would dethrone 2013's Ninjas in Pyjamas, a team that was widely regarded as one of the best of all time, and shox also scored his lone significant victory during this time. With that momentum, shox has continued to find a home in some of the EU's most powerful stacks, like G2 Esports and Team Vitality.