Rankings · 2026-07-29 · By PlayoffPixels Editorial · 13 min read
Best CS2 Players of All Time
ZywOo holds the all-time record with four HLTV No. 1 rankings. s1mple is the player most professionals point to when asked who had the highest ceiling the game has ever seen. Those two names anchor any honest debate about the greatest Counter-Strike players, but the full picture stretches across more than a decade of CS:GO competition and into the CS2 era. This list ranks the 10 players who defined what elite Counter-Strike looks like, judged on peak form, longevity, tournament impact, and how they shaped the game for everyone who came after them.
Updated July 2026.
- ZywOo has claimed the HLTV No. 1 ranking four times (2019, 2020, 2023, 2025), a record in Counter-Strike history. (Source: HLTV.org)
- s1mple held the HLTV No. 1 ranking three times (2018, 2021, 2022) before ZywOo surpassed that mark. (Source: HLTV.org)
- Astralis won four CS:GO Majors with device as their AWPer, the most Major titles won by any organization in CS history. (Source: Liquipedia Counter-Strike Wiki)
- Ninjas in Pyjamas (NiP), featuring f0rest and GeT_RiGhT, recorded an 87-map winning streak in the early CS:GO era in 2012. (Source: HLTV.org)
How This Ranking Was Built
Four criteria shaped every placement. The first is peak HLTV ranking, specifically the number of years a player claimed the No. 1 spot on the annual top 20 list. The second is Major impact, meaning how a player performed when the title was on the line. The third is longevity: being consistently excellent over multiple years is harder than a single brilliant season. The fourth is historical weight, accounting for whether a player changed how the game was played or how future stars approached their craft.
This list covers the full Counter-Strike competitive history from CS:GO through CS2, treating the two as the single continuous competitive thread they are.
1. ZywOo: The Record Holder
Mathieu "ZywOo" Herbaut of France is the most accomplished individual player in Counter-Strike history by the clearest available metric. He has been named HLTV's No. 1 player four times (2019, 2020, 2023, and 2025), surpassing s1mple's previous record of three. Playing for Team Vitality, ZywOo operates as both a rifler and an AWPer, a level of versatility that makes him uniquely difficult to prepare for.
What separates ZywOo from every other player is not just the peak: it is the consistency. He has remained at the top of the HLTV rankings across multiple roster changes, different team contexts, and the transition from CS:GO to CS2. Players often fade when a game updates or when their supporting cast shifts. ZywOo has not. His ability to perform in the highest-leverage moments of deep tournament runs has kept him at the summit longer than anyone before him.
2. s1mple: The Most Gifted Player the Game Has Produced
Ask any Counter-Strike professional who had the highest individual skill ceiling, and the answer is almost always the same: Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev of Ukraine. His AWP play redefined what was possible with the weapon, and his rifling was good enough to make him a threat with any gun on any map. Three HLTV No. 1 titles (2018, 2021, 2022) reflect a peak that few players sustain for even one year, let alone across half a decade.
s1mple also answered the only real knock on his career. At the PGL Major Stockholm 2021, he led Natus Vincere (NaVi) through the entire event without dropping a single map, one of the most dominant Major runs in CS history. The image of s1mple finally lifting the trophy resolved a long-running debate about whether he could deliver when the stakes were highest. The answer was emphatic.
3. coldzera: Back-to-Back Dominance
Marcelo "coldzera" David of Brazil was the best player in the world for two consecutive years. His HLTV No. 1 finishes in 2016 and 2017 came alongside two CS:GO Major victories with the Brazilian squad that competed first under Luminosity Gaming and then SK Gaming. In an era when Brazilian Counter-Strike was the dominant force in the scene, coldzera was the engine driving it.
His single most famous moment, a jumping no-scope on two consecutive targets in a clutch during a Major semifinal, became one of the most replayed clips in the game's history. But coldzera's reputation was built on far more than highlight plays. His positioning, discipline, and ability to execute under pressure made him the most complete player of the mid-CS:GO era.
4. device: The Most Decorated Major Winner
Nicolai "device" Reedtz of Denmark will never be the most exciting name in any conversation about Counter-Strike greatness, and that is precisely the point. While others accumulated individual accolades, device was collecting Major medals. As the primary AWPer for Astralis, he won four CS:GO Majors, the most by any player in Major history, as Astralis cemented what commentators called "the Astralis era" between 2017 and 2019.
Device was never the flashiest player on his team, but he was always the most reliable. His positioning, survival instincts, and ability to control rounds without taking unnecessary risks made Astralis's system function at its highest level. Players who win four Majors do not do so by accident.
5. NiKo: The Greatest Player Never to Win a Major
Nikola "NiKo" Kovac of Bosnia has been one of the top three riflers in the world for the better part of a decade. He finished second in the HLTV rankings multiple times and has been a top-four finisher in years where both ZywOo and s1mple were active. His mechanical skill, particularly his aim and movement, is referenced by coaches and analysts as a near-perfect model of the modern rifling style.
The absence of a Major trophy defines how NiKo's career will be argued for years. He has been in contention, including a stint as a player-IGL for FaZe Clan, but the championship has not come. He currently ranks among the strongest active players in the game, which means the story is still being written.
6. GeT_RiGhT: NiP's Cornerstone and an HLTV Hall of Famer
Christopher "GeT_RiGhT" Alesund of Sweden was the standout performer on the Ninjas in Pyjamas roster that reshaped how teams thought about early CS:GO competition. NiP's 87-map winning streak in 2012 is a record that has never been approached, and GeT_RiGhT was the engine of that run. His entry fragging and ability to open up sites gave NiP a tempo no other team could match at the time.
GeT_RiGhT was inducted into the HLTV Hall of Fame, a recognition reserved for players who left a permanent mark on the competitive scene. His influence extended beyond his own performances; the aggressive entry-fragger role that is now a standard part of every tier-one team's structure owes a direct debt to how GeT_RiGhT played it in CS:GO's formative years.
7. f0rest: Twenty Years at the Top
Patrik "f0rest" Lindberg of Sweden is the most enduring figure in Counter-Strike history. A legend in CS 1.6 before CS:GO existed, f0rest carried that reputation into the new game seamlessly and remained competitive for over two decades in total. He was the other half of NiP's dual-threat core alongside GeT_RiGhT, and his ability to hit shots that seemed impossible from positions that seemed untenable became his trademark.
f0rest officially retired from competitive play after more than 20 years of competing at the highest level. No other player in Counter-Strike history has remained relevant for anywhere near that long. His place in any all-time list is not about one season or one tournament: it is about representing what longevity and love of the game look like at their absolute extreme.
8. kennyS: The AWPer Who Rewrote the Rulebook
Kenny "kennyS" Schrub of France played the AWP in a way that had not been seen before. In the 2014 to 2016 period, he used the rifle aggressively, peeking corners and taking duels at timings that conventional wisdom said should not work. They worked. His peak period, playing for EnVyUs and later G2 Esports, produced HLTV top-five finishes and convinced a generation of young players that the AWP was a weapon for aggressive players, not just passive ones.
kennyS also matters in the French Counter-Strike context: he was the figurehead of a scene that would later produce ZywOo. The connection between kennyS's aggressive AWP philosophy and how ZywOo plays the role today is not coincidental. It is lineage.
9. donk: The New Generation's Standard Bearer
Danil "donk" Soldatov of Russia claimed the HLTV No. 1 ranking in 2024 while playing for Team Spirit, becoming one of the youngest players to hold that distinction. His performance in CS2, where his mechanical skill and game-sense placed him above every active player for a full calendar year, announced a new era for the game.
donk's career is in its early stages, which is why he ranks ninth rather than higher. What is already clear is that he belongs in this conversation. If he sustains this level across the CS2 lifecycle the way ZywOo and s1mple sustained theirs across CS:GO, he will move up this list in future revisions.
10. GuardiaN: The AWP Duel Standard of an Era
Ladislav "GuardiaN" Kovacs of Slovakia was the defining AWPer of the 2014 to 2018 period. Playing for Natus Vincere and later FaZe Clan, he was the player every other team had to prepare for when planning their AWP duels. His head-to-head matchups against kennyS were appointment viewing during that stretch, representing two different schools of AWP play at their highest expression.
GuardiaN never claimed an HLTV No. 1 or a CS:GO Major, which is the honest reason he ranks tenth here rather than higher. What he did do was operate at a top-five global level for the better part of five years, a run that earns a permanent place in any fair accounting of the game's greatest players.
All-Time Rankings at a Glance
| Rank | Player | Country | HLTV No. 1 Titles | Defining Achievement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ZywOo | France | 4 (2019, 2020, 2023, 2025) | All-time record for HLTV No. 1 rankings |
| 2 | s1mple | Ukraine | 3 (2018, 2021, 2022) | PGL Major Stockholm 2021, flawless run |
| 3 | coldzera | Brazil | 2 (2016, 2017) | Back-to-back No. 1 titles, 2 CS:GO Majors |
| 4 | device | Denmark | 0 | 4 CS:GO Majors with Astralis (most in history) |
| 5 | NiKo | Bosnia | 0 | Multiple HLTV top-3 finishes over 10+ years |
| 6 | GeT_RiGhT | Sweden | 0 | HLTV Hall of Fame; part of NiP's 87-0 run |
| 7 | f0rest | Sweden | 0 | 20-plus years at the top; 1.6 and CS:GO legend |
| 8 | kennyS | France | 0 | Redefined aggressive AWP play in the 2014-2016 era |
| 9 | donk | Russia | 1 (2024) | One of the youngest HLTV No. 1 holders in CS history |
| 10 | GuardiaN | Slovakia | 0 | Top-5 global AWPer from 2014 to 2018 |
Where These Players Sit in the Broader Esports Conversation
Counter-Strike's longevity as a competitive title makes its player history unusual. Most esports games rise and fall within a decade. CS:GO ran for over 11 years before transitioning to CS2, and the skill of players like f0rest and GeT_RiGhT bridged the CS 1.6 era through to the modern game. That kind of continuity is rare. For a comparison with other titles and their greatest players, see the rankings for the best League of Legends players of all time and the best Valorant players of all time.
HLTV's annual top 20 ranking, tracked consistently since 2014, provides the most reliable longitudinal data for this kind of comparison. The complete HLTV No. 1 player history is documented at HLTV.org, and player career profiles are maintained at Liquipedia Counter-Strike Wiki.
The rankings here will be reviewed annually. If donk sustains his 2024 form across CS2's lifespan, he moves up. If a new player claims multiple HLTV No. 1 titles, they enter the conversation. The list reflects the game as it stands in mid-2026, with those future updates already built into how each player was placed.
For context on the broader world of competitive careers in gaming, including what drives players to compete at this level, see the best Overwatch players of all time for a look at how greatness gets built in a different competitive ecosystem.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the greatest CS2 player of all time?
ZywOo holds the strongest statistical case, with four HLTV No. 1 rankings, the most in Counter-Strike history. Many fans and analysts also make a case for s1mple, who held the title three times and is widely regarded as the most mechanically gifted player the game has ever produced.
Has s1mple ever won a CS Major?
Yes. s1mple won the PGL Major Stockholm 2021 with Natus Vincere, completing one of the most celebrated Major runs in CS history. NaVi went through the entire event without dropping a single map.
Why is ZywOo ranked above s1mple?
ZywOo's four HLTV No. 1 titles give him a statistical edge that no other player in Counter-Strike history can match. Both players are legitimate candidates for the top spot and a reasonable argument exists for either. ZywOo's sustained consistency across more calendar years tips the balance here.
How many CS:GO Majors did Astralis win?
Astralis won four CS:GO Majors, which is the most by any single organization in Major history. Their AWPer device was present for all four victories, making him the most decorated player in terms of Major titles.
Who was NiP and why do they matter in CS history?
Ninjas in Pyjamas (NiP) were the dominant team in early CS:GO competition. Their roster, anchored by f0rest and GeT_RiGhT, went on an 87-map winning streak in 2012, a run that has never been matched in Counter-Strike history.
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