Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) is one of the most popular games around these days, and for good reason! It’s an old school game that was released in 1996, which makes it old but classic in every sense of the word. In this article, we’ll run down the top players, picks, and bets for the upcoming matches.
The Pros
The first thing you’re going to notice about CS:GO is just how many pros are playing the game. From seasoned professionals like Tarik “tarik” Celik to young guns like Sébastien “Sebbz” Zimmer, there are a large number of incredibly skilled players diving into this online shooter. It’s not often that you see so many top tier players playing on one team, making this game truly worth watching.
Even if you’re not a sports fan, you’ll have to admit that watching pros play is usually a treat. The level of play is incredibly high, with players capable of making extremely creative use of all the weapons in the game to score incredibly efficient rounds. This is also one of the few games where it is completely acceptable to cheer for the opposite team!
While there are many talented players in CS:GO, there are a few standouts who’ve proven themselves time and time again as the best in the world. The biggest and most recognizable names in the game include:
- Sébastien “sebbz” Zimmer
- Tarik “Tarik” Celik
- Andrei “Dmity” Demidov
The Cons
While it’s always great to see so many talented players participating in CS:GO, there is one downside to this game that you have to be aware of. As entertaining as watching pros play this game can be, it can also be incredibly frustrating when things go wrong. If you’re not used to playing against teams of 7+ players, it can take some time to get used to the chaos that can ensue when so many people are on the field at once. Even experienced players can find themselves overwhelmed by the sheer volume of action, and it can be difficult to keep track of what’s going on without any kind of controls.
Another downside is the level of randomness that comes with competitive play. While there are certainly strategies that can be used to beat your rivals, sometimes things just happen for a reason that has nothing to do with skill. There is an entire book that could be written about the different statistical patterns that emerge when players compete. For now, we’ll simply have to accept that there is a bit of chaos that comes with every round of CS:GO.
The Young Turks
With all due respect to the pros mentioned above, none of them would be considered “young turks.” Even in this day and age, competitive gaming as a whole is still considered “mature” by many, and it’s been around long enough for most people to consider it a part of their everyday lives. Still, it’s fair to say that a select few have risen to the occasion and proved themselves to be among the best in the world, and it’s time to acknowledge them.
One such player is Félix “Neo” Halet, who started playing CS:GO competitively at the age of 12 and immediately took to the game. Inspired by Lee “Arrow” Jung Hoon’s performance in the 2017 Intel Extreme Masters, Neo went on to have a very successful year, winning multiple major tournaments, culminating in a top four finish at the World esports Championship. Now at the age of 13, Neo looks poised to continue his rise to the top, with multiple top four finishes already this year and multiple major tournament wins under his belt. He’s consistently one of the best young players in the world, and it’s high time that he started being considered as one of the best in the world, too.
The Undefeated
Many people who’ve played CS:GO for a long time credit the game’s longevity to its balanced gameplay. Sure, there are a few upsides to this approach (like how the weapons feel the same no matter what perk or attachment you use), but most players will tell you that the game is at its best when played with a large number of people, leading to unexpected team-mates and interesting strategies.
There’s no question that the best teams in the world dominate every aspect of the game, but it’s also a testament to the skill of the individual players on those teams. On September 14th, 2019, compLexity Gaming (previously known as Counter Logic Gaming) won their fifteenth consecutive match in a row, recording a 15-0 record. This is the type of record that can only be accomplished by a team of exceptional players.
While it’s always great to see teams continue to perform well even after many years playing together, it’s also worth noting that it takes a lot of practice to get to this point. For most teams, it takes years of practice to reach the level of excellence that is exhibited by the best in the world, and it’s always an ongoing process. There are always new strategies, new kits, and new combinations of old strategies and kits that make this game so exciting to watch and so frustrating to play against. Just when you think that you’ve seen or heard it all, along comes a new trick that confuses you and forces you to change your approach to the game entirely. It would be impossible to keep up with all of this innovation if it weren’t for the fact that the pros get paid to do this. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved!
Seldom Seen Players
While many people are familiar with the Big Three of CS:GO (Counter-Strike, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive), there are actually quite a few others who’ve risen to the occasion and done well for themselves, too.
Some of the more prominent players in the game include:
- Janusz “nauru” Gawron
- Shaolin “Pei” Zhao
- Damien “dAmelioN” Thomassin
- Damian “dmes” Madura
- Nicolás “Nicola” Moreno
- Kai “kev” Wang
- Korean Air Force
- Viktor “s1mple” Kalichkin
These are just some of the top players in the world, many of whom you may not have heard of before. Just how many more skilled players are in this game? We’d like to think that there are many, which is exactly why we’re here! We hope this article has helped you in your pursuit of finding a new game to dive into, perhaps inspiring you to try out Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. It’s been a while since the last time we wrote an article about a game, but we can’t help but feel excited about what the future holds for this game. It appears to be in a state of evolution and innovation, constantly changing and adapting as new techniques are developed and utilized by the best in the world. As long as there are challenges, there will be a thriving market for competitive gaming, and we’re confident that Counter-Strike: Global Offensive will continue to be a part of it for many years to come.