With the dust now truly settled on CS:GO after the release of Counter-Strike 2, we wanted to take one final look back at the previous game. With over 11 years of history, the CS:GO esports scene has seen some remarkable players grace the server. But out of all of them, who’s the best? We’ve put together this list of the five best CS:GO players of all time, to figure out once and for all who the king of Counter-Strike is.
Top 5 Best CS:GO Players of All Time
5. Christopher ‘GeT_RiGhT’ Alesund
No longer active, the 32-year-old Swede GeT_RiGhT was a real force in the early days of the CS:GO era and is another pioneer of the game, finishing the years 2013 and 2014 as world number 1 and winning 10 MVP medals in that period. He had a 14-year career before calling it quits in 2021 and was one of the key forces in driving the popularity of CS:GO.
Source: ESL
GeT_Right is most well-known for his stint with Ninjas In Pyjamas (NIP), with whom he won one Major and made it to five finals. He also went on the famous 87-game winning streak during his time with NIP at the beginning of CS:GO, a record that stands to this day. While GeT_RiGhT’s form fizzled out beyond those early years of the game, it’s impossible to make a list of the best CS:GO players ever without him.
4. Nikola “NiKo” Kovač
As the helm of one of the strongest rosters of the current era, G2’s Bosnian entry fragger NiKo is always under close scrutiny. Although NiKo’s quality has never been in doubt, until 2023, his career had lingering questions over his lack of trophies. IEM Katowice 2023 and IEM Cologne 2023 put those concerns to bed, with NiKo picking up two of the biggest prizes the game can afford him.
The genius of NiKo comes as he frequently puts up AWPer statistics using only a rifle. His mechanics are arguably second to none, and he has the ability to carry his team over the finish line in any given match. Haters will always point to his lack of a CS:GO Major, but for us, the numbers don’t lie. Not only is NiKo one of the best CS:GO players ever, but he’s also the best rifler the game has ever produced, period.
3. Nicolai ‘dev1ce’ Reedtz
The record of dev1ce speaks for itself. No one in CS:GO history received so many honors. He has won an astounding four Majors, been a 19-time MVP, and a two-time Major MVP. He defined the Astralis era, with the team from 2017-2019 changing the way CS:GO’s meta was played forever. No one else on this list can compare in this regard.
Credit: IEM on Twitter
A short, unsuccessful dalliance with NIP, alongside a year-long break from the game in 2022 threatened his legacy. His return to Astralis has only cemented it further. No player has ever returned from a break so long and still looked like one of the best CS:GO players in the world. There’s no doubt that dev1ce can compete at the very top for years to come, but his CS:GO record will be hard to beat.
For his longevity, versatility, and consistency at the very top, it’s hard to compare anyone else in the CS:GO pro scene. The amount of silverware he has won in that time only adds to his legacy.
2. Mathieu ‘ZywOo’ Herbaut
The Chosen One – the player who shares a birthday with the original Counter-Strike (November 9th, 2000 to be exact). Ever since ZywOo had the best rookie year of all time back in 2018, the French AWPer has never looked back. Very few of the best CS:GO players look like they were born to play the game, but ZywOo is the exception.
Credit: IEM on Twitter
His crowning achievement came at the BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023, where he finally achieved the one thing that had eluded him in five years of competition. At just 23 years old, ZywOo easily has another decade at the top. The only thing stopping him from being at the very top of this list is experience. When we’re a few years into Counter-Strike 2, we have no doubt that ZywOo will be considered the best player ever to play the game.
1. Oleksandr ‘s1mple’ Kostyliev
What can we say about s1mple that hasn’t already been said? The Ukrainian AWPer has been the heart of NAVI for years now, writing his story alongside one of the best CS:GO teams ever seen. For years, s1mple’s abilities defied belief, collecting the most tournament MVPs of any player in history.
After years at the top, s1mple’s form took a slight dip in late 2022 to 2023. Even then, s1mple’s slump is still much better than 99% of professional CS:GO players.
Credit: Luc Bouchon | © ESL
Heading into CS2, s1mple has recently taken a break from competition. It remains to be seen if and when he’ll return to leave his mark on the new game. When it does, the community will be waiting to see the next chapter of the undisputed greatest CS:GO player of all time.
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