Who Is CS:GO’s Greatest-Ever Player?

Many of the world’s greatest PC gamers have played Counter-Strike, with some even creating decorated careers out of it. From legendary AWPers to master tacticians, the landscape of CS:GO is adorned with remarkable talent. Of the thousands of professional CS:GO players that came and went during its 11 years of life, some stand out as the greatest in their respective roles, eras, and even of all time. This list will pay tribute to the very best players that defined a generation of gamers.

It’s worth noting that, unless stated, this list is not in any particular order.

The basis is individual skill; the ability to aim is the most important factor. However, this is insufficient. High-level play relies heavily on game sense, which is based on knowing how maps rotate, spotting enemy movements, and making good use of grenades. Finally, the difference between excellent and outstanding is clutch play. Greatness is defined by the capacity to perform well under duress and win crucial rounds by yourself.

Success as a team is another important component. At the top of the CS:GO competition, winning a Major is the ultimate goal. Winning tournaments at different levels consistently demonstrates a player’s flexibility and ability to function well in a team environment. Finally, durability and reliability are essential. Achieving the pinnacle of personal proficiency is amazing, but staying there for a long time is truly extraordinary. Players with extraordinary talent are those who can modify their tactics and skill set to stay current throughout their careers. After all, what good is a king without his crown?

GeT_RiGhT

Christopher “GeT_RiGhT” Alesund, the leader of the squad with the longest winning run in the history of Global Offensive, is deserving of a spot on any list of the greatest CS:GO players ever. GeT_RiGhT’s adventure started with Counter-Strike 1.6 long before Global Offensive was released, thanks to his brother’s introduction to the game. He developed his abilities to the point where he was among the world’s top lurkers. In contrast to his attack-leading entry teammates, GeT_RiGhT was excellent at flanking opponents and causing damage from unexpected positions. In 2012, GeT_RiGhT joined the now-famous Ninjas in Pyjamas squad that reigned supreme during CS:GO’s early days. He became one of the first known “clutch ministers” that many other professionals would get the honor of being named such thanks to his extremely high game sense and proficiency as a lurker.

Ninjas in Pyjamas would embark on their legendary 87-0 map winning streak which no organization has come close to matching since. Alongside his four other Swedish teammates, GeT_RiGhT became a five-time Major finalist and one-time Major champion after winning the whole thing at ESL One Cologne 2014. HLTV.org, the leading Counter-Strike coverage website in the world, awarded GeT_RiGhT with the #1 spot on their year-end ranking for CS:GO in 2013 and 2014, which were the two years widely regarded as the peak of both his career and Ninjas in Pyjamas’ organization. Towards the end of 2014, NIP’s dominance waned. However, GeT_RiGhT remained a pillar of the team for several years. In September 2019, after an illustrious seven-year run with NIP, he decided to finally step down as his career was also reaching its final stages. He retired from competitive play in 2021 after 14 years as a player and now occasionally works on the desk as an analyst or commentator during events.

coldzera

Brazil’s era of dominance in CS:GO can be attributed to many things. The fans, the passion, the team, everything deserves their time in the spotlight. But none more than Marcelo “coldzera” David who, back in his day, was the very best player in the world for two years running. coldzera’s name echoes through the halls of CS:GO history. A two-time Major champion, two-time HLTV Player of the Year, and an embodiment of clutch plays, coldzera’s career is a testament to dedication, raw talent, and a strategic mind. His playing career started around the same time the game was released, but it wasn’t until 2016 where he would truly make his mark in history. coldzera joined Luminosity Gaming where he would pair up with the Godfather of Brazilian CS, Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo. Under the guidance of FalleN’s strategic prowess and coldzera’s raw firepower, Luminosity transformed into a force to be reckoned with.

Perhaps the single most iconic moment in coldzera’s decorated career that is known by gamers around the world is that one jumping AWP collateral at the MLG Columbus 2016 semi-final. That one play not only saved a round for Luminosity, but arguably their entire tournament as well. Luminosity defied expectations, defeating the heavily favored Liquid in the semis and Natus Vincere in the grand final to claim their first Major title for the organization and Brazil. Coldzera was crowned the Major MVP, a well-deserved recognition of his phenomenal performance. An organizational rebrand later, coldzera and company repeated at the following Major, ESL One Cologne 2016. The superstar Brazilian rifler would earn yet another HLTV MVP award for the Major, becoming the first person to ever earn the recognition twice. He was hailed as the undisputed best player in the world in both 2016 and 2017, being the catalyst for Brazil’s greatest era of Counter-Strike.

NiKo

Nikola “NiKo” Kovač is widely regarded as one of the most mechanically proficient Counter-Strike players of all time, and his career is still ongoing at the highest level of competition. He has consistently been a top-five player in the world for most years and has shown zero signs of slowing down. Having been ranked the second best player in the world in 2017 and yet again in 2023 just shows his longevity and ability to keep on competing at such a high level that many players would never even dream of matching. NiKo’s journey began in 2011, competing in lesser-known teams and honing his raw talent. His first significant step into CS:GO came in 2012 with the Serbian team iNation. While success was limited, NiKo’s exceptional skills were evident. The turning point arrived in 2015 when NiKo joined Mousesports (now known as MOUZ). There, he found a platform to showcase his talents alongside a team hungry for achievement. The synergy was undeniable, and NiKo quickly established himself as a rising star. Mousesports would only be a stepping stone for his true prowess, however, as the decision to join FaZe in 2017 would be the defining moment of his entire career.

The world’s best rifler joining an incredibly stacked superteam was a recipe for unparalleled success, but the results would come modestly. NiKo’s 2017-2018 era with FaZe was met with many top-tier victories, but their biggest loss was at the 2018 ELEAGUE Major in Boston where they lost to Cloud9 in what is widely regarded as one of the greatest Major grand finals of all time. Even though the Major trophy eluded him, NiKo kept going and eventually reached G2 where he plays until this day. Despite the challenges, glimpses of brilliance continued to shine through NiKo’s gameplay. In his four years with G2, he has never placed below the top five of HLTV’s year-end ranking and is consistently challenging for Big Event victories. Though his search for a Major still continues in Counter-Strike 2, it is undeniable that NiKo was one of the pillars of professional CS:GO and truly the greatest rifler of his generation.

ZywOo

The one true challenger to the man below him on this list, Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut is a true prodigy of the game and has always been considered among the best Counter-Strike players of all time since he first joined Vitality in 2018. An AWPer by heart but overall just a beast at both aiming and intelligence, ZywOo was recognized by HLTV as the best CS player in the world on three different occasions – in 2019, 2020, and 2023. He has a total of 18 tournament MVP awards and holds multiple records despite having the youngest professional career of anyone on this list. He has won the most MVP awards in a debut year with five, the joint-most #1 rankings on HLTV, and the joint-most #2 rankings on HLTV. In short, ZywOo is a young legend whose story is far, far away from being finished.

His impact on Vitality was immediate. He thrived in a supportive environment, racking up MVP titles in five tournaments within his first year. His exceptional aim, strategic positioning, and clutch plays became hallmarks of his gameplay. Notably, in 2018, he became the only Vitality player with a positive kill-death ratio despite being the least experienced member of the lineup. 2019 was the year ZywOo truly cemented his place in CS:GO history. At just 19 years old, he achieved the seemingly impossible – becoming the youngest-ever HLTV Player of the Year. ZywOo’s reign continued in 2020. He successfully defended his HLTV Player of the Year title, a feat only previously achieved by the legend coldzera. Finally, in 2023, ZywOo and Vitality reached the pinnacle once again. They triumphed at the BLAST.tv Paris Major with ZywOo taking home the MVP medal in front of his home crowd – a fitting farewell to the game that gave him his start. It was the only thing he hadn’t won that his closest comparison, s1mple, once had over him. Now, they stand tall as equals.

s1mple

Nothing more can be said about this man than what has already been mentioned time after time. One in his name, number one in the game – Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev will forever be regarded as the greatest Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player of all time. Simply put, there’s nothing in the game that he has not achieved. He has 21 MVP awards which is the most of any player ever, a Major championship from 2021’s PGL Stockholm, an Intel Grand Slam victory, and three nods as the best player in the world in 2018, 2021, and 2022. 2018 was the year s1mple truly solidified his legend. He was crowned the HLTV Player of the Year, the first of his eventual three titles. This wasn’t just a one-off; he racked up an unprecedented five MVP awards that year. His dominance with the AWP was unmatched, his spray control with rifles legendary.

His career began in the early days of Global Offensive with many small teams in the local region such as LAN DODGERS and Courage Gaming before moving onto bigger organizations such as HellRasiers and Flipside Tactics. The world would witness his true greatness for the first time come 2016,  when he joined North American squad Liquid as their AWPer and young star player. It quickly became evident that the Ukraine-born sniper was their best player as s1mple led the charge for Liquid to finish 3-4th at the MLG Major Championship in Columbus and second at ESL One: Cologne. He left Liquid in July 2016 to join CIS team Natus Vincere, where he would enjoy the most success of his entire career and be the team best associated with him. s1mple won his first-ever HLTV MVP award at ESL One: Cologne 2016, where NAVI finished in first place. He also ended the year being recognized as fourth-best player in the world on HLTV’s ranking.

Success for NAVI was slow in 2017 but that didn’t mean s1mple was not up to his usual world class play, winning the second HLTV MVP award of his career at that year’s DreamHack Open Winner and being named the eighth best player in the world come december. 2018 would mark a significant turn in s1mple’s career, and one that shot him from “one of the best” to “best in the world” by a significant margin. In what was the best year of his entire career, s1mple won six HLTV MVP awards in 2018 namely at StarLadder & i-League StarSeries Season 4, DreamHack Masters Marseille 2018, StarLadder & i-League StarSeries Season 5,CS:GO Asia Championships 2018, ESL One: Cologne 2018, and BLAST Pro Series: Copenhagen 2018. He was also hailed as the undisputed greatest CS:GO player on planet Earth by a number of outlets. HLTV gave him the top spot on their year-end rankings, esports historian Thorin declared the Ukrainian superstar as the best player in the world on his own list, he was awarded as the Esports PC Player of the Year by the Esports Awards, named the Player of the Year by the Stockholm International Esports Awards, and ranked as the Best Player of 2018 by betway.

Both 2019 and 2020 would remain incredibly strong years for s1mple, however his status of holding the top spot on HLTV’s rankings would be conceded to a young French prodigy named Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut. Still, given his track record and how much impact he had on NAVI’s success, he was still regarded as one of the very best in the world.

The year 2021 was a turning point for NAVI and s1mple. The team, finally clicking on all cylinders, achieved what had long evaded them – a Major victory at PGL Major Stockholm. It was the first for the organization and s1mple, whose contribution earned him the coveted HLTV Major MVP award. This long-awaited triumph cemented his place among the CS:GO elite and silenced doubters who questioned his ability to win the biggest prize. It also happened at the most-watched (and arguably most important) CS:GO Major of all time since it was the first one to take place post-pandemic. He may currently be inactive in the early stages of Counter-Strike 2’s life, but one thing that cannot be disputed is his status as the greatest CS:GO player to ever live.