Trying to pick the best CS:GO players in the world sparks furious debate among millions of fans, because there are so many talented individuals strutting their stuff on the big stage. But these five superstars have all flourished over the past couple of years and they can all lay claim to be among the very best in the business:
Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev
S1mple is widely considered to be the greatest player of all time thanks to his exemplary grasp of the game. He can do things that mere mortals can only dream of. He wins tight games singlehandedly by conjuring up a moment of magic out of nowhere, much like LeBron James or Lionel Messi. For that reason, many consider him to be the GOAT of CS:GO.
He was the top ranked player of 2018 and he continues to thrive this year, despite having to carry an otherwise middling Natus Vincere team. He has been named MVO of ESL One New York 2016, DreamHack Open Winter 2017, StarLadder & i-League Seasons 4, 5, and 7, DreamHack Marseille Masters 2018, CS:GO Asia Championships 2018, ESL One Cologne 2018 and BLAST Pro Series Copenhagen 2018.
S1mple has been able to dominate servers with outrageous stat lines on an extremely consistent basis, regardless of how NaVi fares. If you check out the odds at https://unikrn.com/bet/games/counter-strike-go, you rarely see the Ukrainian team as the favorite to win tournaments, and they are often under intense pressure when they face the big teams, which makes s1pmle’s performances even more impressive.
His trophy cabinet may be pretty bare for someone with so much quality, but his highlights reel is insane and he will give any team in the world a torrid time.
Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbau
The 18-year-old French prodigy has muscled his way into the world’s top five over the past year and he could soon overtake s1mple. His handling of the AWP is a joy to behold, and he is also extremely proficient with the rifle. ZywOo has established himself as one of the few credible threat’s to s1mple’s status as the world’s best player, and he actually sits above the great man atop the HLTV rankings right now.
He is also capable of delivering insane 1v3 kills in clutch moments and carrying his team to victories that previously looked unlikely. ZywOo is just 18 years old, but he is already the main man at Team Vitality and his teammates look to him for leadership. He has been on a steady upward curve over the past year and his potential is vast. If harnessed correctly, this brilliant French sniper could become the world’s best player for many years to come.
Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz
It is often hard to stand out when you play for the world’s best team, but dev1ce is clearly the leading light on a magnificent roster at Astralis. The Danes have now won the last three CS:GO Majors after clinching the StarLadder Berlin Major earlier this month. It made them the most successful team in Counter-Strike history and it also made a mockery of claims that a power shift has taken place in the CS:GO scene.
Astralis may have been below par for much of 2019, but when the pressure was on in a big tournament, they swept Team Liquid aside in the knockout stage and then breezed to victory. Dupreeh, Xyp9x, gla1ve and Magisk are all excellent players, but dev1ce is the leading light on the team. His brilliant 1v3 clutch against NRG in the semi-final against NRG reminded everyone of just how good he is. He won the Major MVP award during the tournament and deservedly so, as he was the best player on the best team.
Dev1ce has now earned more than $1.5 million in prize money for his exploits, and that is a strong reflection of his success. His trophy cabinet is extremely cluttered and he has plenty of individual awards too. He has played at a consistently high level since 2014 and he will go down as one of the greatest Counter-Strike players ever.
Nikola “NiKo” Kovac
The Bosnian superstar gained a stellar reputation during his time at mousesports, where he impressed with his aim and game sense. That inspired FaZe Clan to pay a reported $500,000 for his services in 2017, easily breaking the world record for a CS:GO transfer. The franchise called him “a talent we have long coveted” and said he has the “potential to become the best player in the world”. He is certainly up there.
KiKo has emerged as a supremely talented in-game leader and lurker for FaZe Clan, and he dragged the team to victory at BLAST Pro Series Miami earlier this year. HLTV ranked him as the world’s third best player in 2018, behind only s1mple and dev1ce. He consistently ranks in the top 10, and he overshadows the legendary olofmeister in the FaZe team. His skill level is extremely high and he has the potential to lead the team to glory in the future.
Jacky “Stewie2K” Yip
Team Liquid has established itself at the top of the world rankings after signing Stewie2K in a high-profile deal in December 2018. Before he joined, they were the nearly men of the CS:GO scene, regularly reaching finals and suffering bruising defeats at the hands of Astralis. Stewie2K has proved to be the missing piece in the jigsaw, and TL has vanquished the Danes on multiple occasions since he joined.
The team may have flopped in Berlin, but it has been the most consistent in the CS:GO world during 2018, winning an embarrassing of trophies, and Stewie2K has led the charge. He has been a top-10 player for the past few years and a North American team has never been blessed with such a prodigious talent. He can influence games and make things happen to help his team win. He has thrived with Cloud9, MIBR and Liquid, showing his adaptability, and he should be able to significantly bolster his reputation and his trophy cabinet in the months ahead.
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