Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has a rich history with star players. Across different squads, there are a plethora of talented players who have made a significant impact on the shooter game’s scene. Let’s talk about the most iconic CS:GO stars across a decade of excellence.
CS:GO’s pro scene is filled with talented players. You can go to any part of the world and find some stellar pros. Over the years, CS:GO produced so many magical moments in the esports scene. You can always see players performing at an unreal level with their highlights and constant tournament success.
Measuring success is rather easy when it comes to esports because there is always a tournament almost every week. In CS:GO, there are always in-house leagues that occur but the esports scene itself has a healthy amount of tourneys played revolving around Valve’s Major system.
Christopher ‘GeT_RiGhT’ Alesund
Ninjas in Pyjamas is probably the most recognizable CS:GO team in history. They were the first team to truly dominate the scene with countless wins headlined by the 87-0 unbeaten map streak. Christopher ‘GeT_RiGhT’ Alesund was the team’s star player as he helped NiP achieve so much success in the early days of CS:GO.
GeT_RiGhT was an amazing player because he innovated a new role. The lurker role was present but it was not truly seen as playstyle because teams were aggressive with their set plays in other CS titles. In the early days of CS:GO, the lurker role was brand new and GeT_RiGhT was the number one name who played it.
NiP defined success and dominance in the game and GeT_RiGhT was the standout player because of his highlight plays and how he endeared himself to the fans. He was a fan favourite and he inspired so many players to use the lurker role to its full potential.
Now, the lurker role has not only been played in CS:GO but you can also expect it in other esports titles such as Rainbow Six Siege and Valorant.
Nicolai ‘dev1ce’ Reedtz
Astralis is the winningest team in CS:GO history headlined by their success at the Majors. They are the only team to have won four Majors in CS:GO history which can be traced back to their ace player’s excellence, Nicolai ‘dev1ce’ Reedtz.
Even if he’s not on Astralis anymore, dev1ce had such a big impact, not only on Danish CS but also on the entire scene as well. He was such a good player for Astralis as he performed as an AWPer and rifler. He always took charge of the situation and he proved his star power with his stability.
Dev1ce is not the player who will consistently explode for 30 frags during every match but he will be the star who will always remain steady. This kind of playstyle is not valued enough because stability is an underrated aspect of esports games. This can be seen when dev1ce left Astralis, the team struggled mightily to return to their previous level.
The Danish star made the move to NiP and the team quickly became a top contender. Dev1ce is a game-changer for any team and his value should be appreciated more because he raises any team’s ceiling when he’s on the server.
Oleksandr ‘s1mple’ Kostyliev
When it comes to the game’s biggest star, look no further than Oleksandr ‘s1mple’ Kostyliev. The Natus Vincere AWPer is widely regarded as the greatest CS:GO player of all time because he can carry any team to a tournament final. He dragged mediocre teams like Flipsid3 Tactics and Team Liquid back in the day but he truly found his footing when he landed at Natus Vincere.
The Ukrainian star is one of the most explosive esports players in the world because he can go off for 40 frags in every match. It is hard to pull off but s1mple manages to do it consistently. Na’Vi is a stellar team over its history but s1mple carried them to a first-time Major victory in CS:GO.
The team was well-known for their success in Dota 2 and Counter-Strike 1.6 but s1mple was the catalyst for their strong performances in recent years. If you are looking for the number one player in terms of talent and explosiveness, s1mple is the unanimous choice.
Kenny ‘kennyS’ Schrub
Success in CS:GO has been defined by teams from certain countries. Sweden and Denmark have to be the most prolific countries because of NiP and Astralis but France should also be involved in that discussion.
In terms of the players they produced, they have some of the most talented pros in CS:GO history. Kenny ‘kennyS’ Schrub is probably the most prolific player in their history because he is a brilliant AWPer in CS:GO’s early days. Before s1mple was the top star, Kenny was the explosive AWPer who can take his team to any event final.
He played for multiple French teams but he always finds a way to stand out in a talent-laden scene. When it comes to his top-tier performances, his résumé is filled with highlights. He is the premier AWPer who most CS:GO players have tried to replicate and his influence will always be felt even if moved to another esports game.
Mathieu ‘ZywOo’ Herbaut
With Kenny’s influence in mind, you have Mathieu ‘ZywOo’ Herbaut who is probably the torchbearer after Kenny’s time at the top. He plays similarly to Kenny and he’s probably even more explosive. ZywOo only played for a few years but you can expect that he will still be a candidate for the top player in the world tag.
These are just some of the most iconic players in CS:GO. If you are still looking for other names, try and watch the tournaments and find out some modern-day legends in the game.
