CS 2
Now that Counter-Strike 2 is out, we invite all players to look back at the game's history and its best players.
Legends have written their names into this history since the game's release in 2012, but what separates them is whether they did it with a rifle in hand or an AWP.
This time around, we take a look at those who have shot with a rifle. Meet the TOP-5 players who have left their mark on CS:2 history. To start with, let's go over some honorable mentions!
Highlights
- Information on the best rifflers in CS2 history since 2012
- Interesting facts about awards, biographies, and ranking of cyber athletes
- An expanded version of the TOP-5 best rifflers in history
Honorable Mention
Christopher “GeT_RiGhT” Alesund
Christopher “GeT_RiGhT” Alesund
The best player in the world in 2013, GeT_RiGhT was highly effective for an NIP team.
A Lurker who defined the meta of lurking, he was one of the team's key members who would go on to play in the final of the first five Majors in CS:GO.
He remained a decent player for a few years, but as his ability waned, his being kept around by NIP for far too long is why he doesn't deserve a place on this list.
Jonathan “EliGE” Jablonowski
Jonathan “EliGE” Jablonowski
One of the greatest players to ever come out of the North American region, he was part of the Liquid team that became one of the greatest of all time as they won an Intel Grand Slam in 63 days.
One of the best players to never win a Major, EliGE came painfully close twice in 2016. He easily could have made the final five, but the lack of Major and tournament victories outside of 2019 prohibits him.
However, the player was the runner-up in the second season of the Intel Grand Slam - and that's a little short of the prestige of winning the Majors.
Denis “electroNic” Sharipov
Denis “electroNic” Sharipov
When electroNic burst onto the scene as part of FlipSid3, it quickly became apparent that he would bring big things to his region. The transition to NAVI was secured over a year later, and Denis has never looked back.
Now a Major and Intel Grand Slam winner, electroNic can be credited as the man who saved Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev's sanity. At the same time, the Undertaker was still stuck with teammates like Loann "edward" Sukhariev and Danylo "Zeus" Teslenko.
A rifler with an incredible peak, electroNic has won it all in CS:GO. He only narrowly misses out on the list, but that's only a testament to how strong the names ahead of him are.
Russel “Twistzz” van Dulken
Russel “Twistzz” van Dulken
Twistzz is an absolute headshot machine.
The only player in CS:GO to win two Intel Grand Slams, he also had the brains to leave North America and go and win a Major with FaZe Clan.
A player whose playstyle will never ultimately earn him the plaudits he deserves, his ability to link the gap between FaZe's aggression and their more passive stars is critical to making their whole game plan work.
If this list were created on pure skill alone, he'd be in the top two, but some players have had higher individual peaks than he has.
Lotan "Spinx" Giladi
Lotan "Spinx" Giladi
Lotan "Spinx" Giladi has been announced as the best CS:GO lurker of 2023. But more remarkable is that he got the same title in CS2. The Israeli-born player is precious to Team Vitality, and he and Mathieu "ZywOo" Herbaut complemented each other perfectly at last year's championships.
Spinx is known for his aggressive and intelligent play; in a word, he can be described as calculating.
TOP-5 Best Riflers in CS2
№5: Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen
Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen
Just like with NiKo, we expect the placing of dupreeh to ruffle some feathers.
The only player in CS:GO history to attend every Major and win five Majors, dupreeh lifted himself above his former Astralis teammates with Vitality's win at the BLAST.tv Paris Major.
It's his time with Astralis we'd like to focus on more, however, as it's there that he featured on the most incredible team of all time. After finally winning his first Major with the Danish squad at ELEAGUE Atlanta 2017, it wasn't until the departure of Markus "kjaerbye" Kjaerbye and the arrival of Emil "Magisk" Reif that Astralis indeed became the best team.
From there, Astralis would win three consecutive Majors, a feat never seen, and an Intel Grand Slam. Dupreeh would play a major role in those successes, with his Entry Fragging carving open for Astralis' meta-redefining T sides.
His ability as an Entry Fragger is also crucial to his placing on this list. While many players have been touted as the best Entry Fragger in the world at some point in time, with names like Will "RUSH" Wierzba, Havard "rain" Nygaard, and dupreeh's current IGL Dan "apEX" Madesclaire all featuring, dupreeh is the only one who has always been up there with them.
Longevity in the Entry Fragging role is nearly impossible, but dupreeh has cracked the code unlike anyone else.
№4: Robin „ropz” Kool
Robin „ropz” Kool
Robin "ropz" Kool is one of the FaZe Clan players who can be considered a star player. Throughout the past year, Robin has shown stability and exceptional skills. His patience and impeccable aiming make him a precious FaZe Clan player.
Things could have gone better for this player. At the beginning of his career, Kool was considered a cheater and accused of foul play. Robin, playing in mousesports, won at ESL One New York 2018, CS:GO Asis Championships 2019, and ESL Pro League Season 10.
In 2020, ropz was ranked seventh on HLTV's list of the best players in the world, and in 2023, he was ranked 3rd.
№3: Olof “olofmeister” Kajbjer
Olof “olofmeister” Kajbjer
The best player in the world in 2015, olofmeister was part of a legendary fnatic team that won two of the three Majors that year.
A player with an exceedingly high peak level, olofmeister is one of the best players ever to touch the game.
Capable of single-handedly carving a round open like an elite Entry Fragger while lurking, olofmeister's performances were vital to many of fanatics' early successes in CS:GO.
Later, becoming part of the FaZe superteam, olofmeister wouldn't be able to reach his peak performances with the organization. However, his decision to leave the Swedish scene would lead him to more consistent glory than any of his compatriots.
№2: Marcelo “coldzera” David
Marcelo “coldzera” David
Placing coldzera on this list was one of our most complex decisions. He is the only player on this list to have been ranked as the best in the world by HLTV for more than one year; his time on Luminosity and SK in 2016 and 2017 is the stuff of legend.
Also credited with one of, if not the most, iconic AWP clip of all time, coldzera was an exceptional Lurker whose part in that legendary Brazilian lineup that won both Majors in 2016 was the X factor in their success.
He was great in the clutch and superb on the CT side, too, coldzera consistently bailed LG/SK out of difficult situations and won them rounds they had no business winning thanks to his ability to bait Epitacio "TACO" de Melo better than anyone else could ever have dreamed of doing.
He could have easily been in first place, but he could have easily been placed lower. A drastic drop off in performances from 2018 onwards and even after a high-profile move to FaZe Clan, overshadowed his earlier peaks and soured his legacy, so for that reason, he has been placed second.
№1: Nikola “NiKo” Kovac
Nikola “NiKo” Kovac
Without a doubt, Nico is the most mechanically gifted riffler ever to touch the game. Putting him number one at this top is a significant risk. But on the other hand, he's the most stable riffler in the game's history. He's been in the TOP-20 for seven years, and no one can drop him there.
With some of the crispest, snappiest aim in the world and a phenomenal ability with the Desert Eagle (except for one round we won't mention further), Niko's ability speaks for itself, and considering he was just behind simple and Nicolai "device" Reedtz, his has arguable the highest rifle peak of any player ever.
Unfortunately for NiKo, at the BLAST.tv Paris Major earned himself the title of the most outstanding player to never win a Major.
Nikola Kovac finished 2023 with a 1.20 rating, according to HLTV. As part of G2, he won IEM Katowice and IEM Cologne and placed 3rd at BLAST Premier: Spring Final, Gamers8, and IEM Sydney.
Updated 28.01.2024
Summary
We should have mentioned frozen and blameF in our TOP. Benjamin "blameF" Bremer is a player without whom Astralis would not have had such success. His stability in many games has earned him a 1.23 rating for 2023.
And David "frozen" Slovakian player who was excellent on an individual level!
