The release of Counter-Strike 2 is right around the corner, with many fans getting access through an early invitation from Valve. The Pros are beginning to make the transition from Global Offensive to this new competitive medium of CS2 with an updated engine, graphics, and gameplay features.
At a basic level, Counter-Strike 2 is effectively the same game as its predecessor, CS:GO, meaning we will probably see the same names in the pro scene at the first major tournament. Right now, there are a few names standing out from the rest. Here are the top 5 professional players in CS2.
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Ropz
Full Name: Robin Kool
Nationality: Estonia
Current Team: FaZe Clan
Role: Rifler (Lurker)
Total Winnings: $1,181,327
Ropz spent years trying to conquer CS:GO. Through cheating accusations and tough tournaments, this incredible player’s talent shone through even at times when his team fell short. A win at the PGL Antwerp Major in 2022 set his name in stone as one of the greatest to ever touch the Counter-Strike franchise.
Robin Cool represents a new generation of CS players. He started playing at 15 and found inspiration watching tournaments and saw that the original players starting to get… “old”. With a start making content in Call of Duty and the original Count-Strike, he showed he was able to compete with the best through Faceit.
Ropz now competes alongside his FaZe clan teammates and dominates the pro scene, whilst creating awesome content on both YouTube and Twitch.
broky
Full Name: Helvijs Saukants
Nationality: Latvia
Current Team: FaZe Clan
Role: AWPer
Total Winnings: $827,615
If you’re a fan of Counter-Strike, it’s likely you will have heard broky’s name. He broke onto the pro scene at only 19 and quickly became one of the most dominant players in the game. As an AWPer, he plays his best in clutch situations where every shot counts. However, before he made a name at the top of the professional ladder, he was dominating in lower-tier CS tournaments and Faceit games.
Like many other Counter-Strike pros, broky began to make a name playing in local tournaments and competing for amateur teams such as Wolfsung Esports, a Latvian team.
Broky now plays alongside Ropz on FaZe Clan‘s roster. The team recently won the Intel Grand Slam Season 4 and the ESL Pro League Season 17. We can’t wait to see this young star transfer over to CS2 and show off some of his incredible skills in this new era of Counter-Strike.
ZywOo
Full Name: Mathieu Herbaut
Nationality: France
Current Team: Team Vitality
Role: AWPer
Total Winnings: $811,974
ZywOo may be the fastest-growing player in Counter-Strike history… maybe even the history of Esports. The French Counter-Strike scene quickly became a force to be reckoned with and names like Kenny S and screaM put the French rosters on the map. However, constant news of internal problems led to a lot of teams collapsing the the French scene became stagnant and changes were simply a case of “too little, too late”.
This left a vacuum in France for small teams to fill. This is where ZywOo made his name. Hailed as “The Chosen One” expectations were extremely high for him to be the best of the best and compete at the top.
It’s safe to say the recent dominance of Team Vitality at the BLAST.tv Paris Major and Gamers8 2023 has cemented ZywOo as one of the GOATs of Counter-Strike.
m0NESY
Full Name: Ilya Osipov (Илья Осипов)
Nationality: Russia
Current Team: G2 Esports
Role: AWPer
Total Winnings: $393,022
m0NESY plays for G2 Esports, one of the biggest organizations in Esports to date. However, the young pro started playing on the NAVI junior roster and was expected to join the main roster alongside S1mple. Unfortunately, Ilya had other plans to define his own path.
The Russian pro was quickly told he would be the next S1mple. Although this may be a lot of pressure, he was confident in his skills. As a Global Elite at age 10, it’s easy to see why.
S1mple
Full Name: Oleksandr Kostyljev (Олександр Олегович Костилєв)
Nationality: Ukraine
Current Team: NAVI (Natus Vincere)
Role: AWPer
Total Winnings: $1,708,047
S1mple is quite literally the greatest Counter-Strike player ever. When S1mple joined NAVI, he began to grow as one of the best and in 2020 he was expected to win his first Major tournament alongside a dominant roster. Unfortunately, the COVID lockdown put a halt to this chance and the community thought it may be over for him.
This couldn’t be more wrong. During PGL Stockholm 2021, S1mple dominated G2 in the finals with a 2-0 win. He then went on to win the BLAST Premier Fall Finals and the World Finals in that same year.
NAVI and S1mple will return in CS2, but only time will tell if he can continue to be the GOAT of Counter-Strike.
