The ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus claimed change is the only constant. While he likely couldn’t possibly imagine the existence of something like esports, his words ring true in this world as well. This year marked the end of a unique era of CS:GO, with the community switching to Counter-Strike 2.
For 11 years, numerous pros from all over the world dedicated their lives to elevating the level of CS:GO’s esports, bringing us more entertainment with each tournament. Many of them will continue to do so in CS2, but many have also already retired.
With CS:GO nearing its end, the time has come to look back for one last time. Many retrospections could be made, but we decided to focus on the greatest players in CS:GO history. We created our list of the best 10 of them. Regardless of whether you agree with our choices, you can’t deny these 10 individuals deserve credit for their incredible set of achievements.
The top 10 CS:GO players of all time
10. Janusz “Snax” Pogorzelski
The Polish Virtus Pro lineup was one of the most stellar and successful CS:GO rosters since the release of the game until it started collapsing in 2017. Of that lineup, Snax was the most consistent and cool-headed player, often carrying VP and being capable of taking almost any role in the squad. When it came to winning impossible rounds, Snax was your man.
Snax has one Major trophy under his belt (championship run at EMS One: Katowice 2014 in front of the home crowd) and 13 notable trophies overall, according to HLTV. On top of that, he peaked at fourth place in the Best 20 of 2014 and 2015. In the latter, he recorded a 1.05 rating, being Virtus Pro’s key player in semifinal runs at two Majors, ESL One: Cologne 2015 and ESL One: Katowice 2015. His achievements are a statement of how solid of a player he’s been, and he remains a relevant competitor today with GamerLegion.
9. Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo
At the beginning of CS:GO, Brazil was nowhere to be seen. Yet, with the arrival of FalleN and his Luminosity roster, it not only began to exist but started to dominate. The Professor led his team to create their own era, during which he stunningly secured two back-to-back majors.
What’s more impressive about FalleN is that despite being an in-game leader, he was also one of the strongest AWPers during his time. The perfect execution of these two roles claimed him second place in HLTV’s top 20 of 2016. He was also a significant clutch factor for Luminosity and SK Gaming. In 2016 and 2017, he won 189 clutches—more than any of his teammates.
8. Ladislav “GuardiaN” Kovács
History is usually written by the winners, but there are some cases in which exceptional competitors should be commemorated even if they’re missing the biggest trophy. Unlike many players on this list, GuardiaN has never won a Major in CS:GO, though he came close numerous times, finishing second on three occasions. Nevertheless, despite not having the most important silverware in his cabinet among 17 other trophies, his inhuman consistency throughout the years deserves recognition.
From 2013 to 2018, GuardiaN found himself among the best 20 players from HLTV’s selection, peaking at second place in 2015. In his prime years, GuardiaN was often called the world’s best sniper, and looking at his stats, it wasn’t surprising. In 2015, out of the top 50 HLTV teams, he boasted 1,173 AWP kills—surpassing every other sniper in the field.
7. Marcelo “coldzera” David
We mentioned two and only back-to-back Major wins for a Brazilian team when we highlighted FalleN. While the leader’s role remains unmatched in their golden era, none of the trophies back then would be possible without coldzera.
In both Majors, the 28-year-old secured both Major MVP awards, one of only two players ever to do it. In 2016 and 2017, he earned first place in Best of the Year awards.
Coldzera boasts impressive individual numbers, but his achievements are more than just a statistic. He, alongside the rest of his squad, transformed how CS:GO was played at the time. Coldzera himself is one of the few who displayed an amazing play during a Major championship during MLG Columbus Major, where he held the B bombsite on his own with a 15:9 scoreline. He did so by jumping and no-scoping Liquid players and received his own graffiti as a reward.
6. Christopher “GeT_RiGhT” Alesund
There are a few CS:GO records that are simply mind-blowing, and no one ever got close to beating them. One such is Ninjas in Pyjamas’ 87-map win streak at the beginning of CS:GO, which has been heralded by many as the first era in history. When it comes to that roster, GeT_RiGhT is the player who stands out.
He’s an undisputed leader, one of the smartest players to ever touch the game, and an integral part of a team that reached the finals of five first Majors, winning one of them at ESL One: Cologne 2014. Additionally, he claimed 23 notable titles in his CS:GO career—the third-most out of this selection of players here.
GeT_RiGhT was never a stand-out player for NIP stat-wise, but he made a name for himself as a stellar clutcher, impressing in high-pressure situations. On top of that, he popularized the lurker role in the game, which later became a key element in competitive Counter-Strike.
5. Olof “olofmeister” Kjarber
Fnatic was the first team to win two consecutive CS:GO Majors with olofmeister an integral part of the squad. The Swede was undoubtedly the biggest star of this lineup, also receiving his own graffiti from the developers after an “incendiary defuse” play. After Fnatic started to fall off, olofmeister transferred to FaZe Clan, where he continued his reign as one of the strongest individuals on the scene.
It’s tough to highlight one of the characteristics of olofmeister. He was one of the most versatile players in the scene, being able to clutch, open the bombsites, and heroically defend them when needed.
His achievements speak for themselves. Fnatic established the first-ever truly dominant era in CS:GO, and it was hugely on the back of olofmeister. He was your ultimate jack-of-all-trades. Olof was able to take the AWP mantle, play different roles as a rifler, and always posted jaw-dropping stats, being the fourth-best player in terms of rating out of HLTV’s top 50 in 2015. He also has a Major MVP title and 25 top-tier trophies, the second-most out of players on this list. A true icon of CS:GO—we hope he’s enjoying his retirement.
4. Nikola “NiKo” Kovać
We’ve already mentioned one player who has never won a Major on this list, but there is arguably no better prince to never be crowned than NiKo.
The Bosnian is widely recognized as the most mechanically gifted riflers in CS:GO history. His spectacular performances in mousesports, FaZe Clan, and G2 Esports brought him numerous titles, including the prestigious IEM Katowice and IEM Cologne, which he claimed in 2023 with G2 Esports. With FaZe and G2, he was one series away from hosting Major trophies, but he always fell short on the last challenge.
With seven appearances in HLTV’s top 20 of the year, a peak at second place in 2017, and a 1.15 rating across his career, NiKo is undoubtedly one of the greats of CS:GO. His career was tarnished by bad luck and close finishes, which kept him from achieving his ultimate goal in the form of the Major trophy. But if he maintains his fantastic form in CS2, he should ultimately fulfill his dreams.
3. Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut
Deciding on the top three players on the list was quite tough for the Counter-Strike Dot Esports team. After analyzing the statistics and many thorough discussions, however, we believe the podium should open up with ZywOo.
The French star rose to the scene in late 2018, when he joined Team Vitality. Since then, ZywOo has been hard at work to earn the title of one of the best players in CS:GO history, and despite “only” five years at the top, he definitely earned it.
The 22-year-old has incredible stats to back himself up as well. He has 16 HLTV MVP medals, the third-most on the list. That’s including MVP for BLAST.tv Paris CS:GO Major in 2023, which Vitality won. He has topped HLTV’s end-of-year best players list twice, with a further two runner-up spots across a four-year stint.
When looking at the beginning of CS2 esports scene, you should get the most excited about ZywOo. Looking at his recent performances, and at just 23 years old, he doesn’t seem to have reached his peak. He’s the embodiment of a fantastic young talent, and we can’t wait to see him back in action in 2024.
2. Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz
It would be odd to create such a list and not list at least one player of the arguably greatest CS:GO team in history, Astralis. The Danes dominated the scene in 2018 and 2019, winning four Majors with their star-studded roster. The main engine behind their success? Dev1ce.
Dev1ce is, without a doubt, one of the sharpest players in CS:GO history. His out-of-this-world AWP skills were key for Astralis’ offensive and defensive tactics. The 28-year-old single-handedly won numerous rounds for his teammates, being the sharpest player among the group of incredibly skilled players.
Alongside many appearances in end-of-year MVP lists, he triumphed in 30 tournaments and four Majors, where he claimed MVPs at two. He boasted a 1.16 rating in his career, the third-highest on this list, and he’s the fourth-best-rated player out of HLTV’s top 50 of all time, just behind sh1ro, ZywOo and the undisputed GOAT of CS:GO below.
While he never reached the title of the best player in the world, being in the top three on five occasions isn’t something you can ignore. We’re certain without dev1ce, there wouldn’t be an Astralis era. More importantly, though, without him, we wouldn’t experience some of the most beautiful CS:GO we’ve ever seen.
1. Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyljev
When it comes to CS:GO, there is one and only undisputed king—s1mple.
The Ukrainian star played in a few teams at the start of his career, moving to Team Liquid in early 2016 and quitting the team a few months later. Still, he elevated their level, taking them to a Major final and then doing the same with Natus Vincere. After joining the CIS organization, he delivered world-star performances at a consistent rate.
What’s unique about s1mple is his relentless style. The player has all the confidence in the world and isn’t afraid of taking aggressive action in high-risk situations. In many of such moments, he delivered and helped NAVI to get over the line.
S1mple also has the number to back up his dominance. With 21 HLTV MVPs (including a Major final MVP), a 1.24 all-time rating, the PGL Stockholm CS:GO Major trophy, and three first-place finishes in best of the year ranking, s1mple has no real contestants to challenge him.
Besides being the greatest player in the world skill-wise, s1mple is a prime example of sportsmanship. When the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, the player gave a speech during the IEM Katowice 2022 playoffs. There, like a true athlete and GOAT, he stood up for his Ukrainian and Russian teammates, underlining how we’re all human and that all we want is peace in the world, setting an example for everyone.
