The Counter-Strike franchise is one of the most popular online games in the gaming history. The action-packed gameplay of Counter-Strike provides some great background for competitive play, with the skill-intensive mechanics putting every player’s individual ability to the ultimate test.
Because of this, the biggest CS2 tournaments, including major tournaments like the PGL Major Copenhagen and IEM Katowice, often feature incredible prize pools, oftentimes with millions total in cash prizes going to the victors. With eSports growing into a worldwide phenomenon, the question of who are the best pro CS2 players is on everyone’s minds.
If you’re one of the eSports fanatics who’s also wondering who the best pro CS2 players are, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s a quick rundown of the current best pro CS2 players.
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Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut in Counter Strike
ZywOo is currently considered one of the best CS2 players in the world. His rise to prominency has only been cemented, with an incredibly bountiful 2014 run that’s left the CS2 tournament community stunned in awe.
His 2024 run with Team Vitality had shown hat this player means business, particularly when he got a 1.71 rating at PGL Major Copenhagen for over seven of the maps, the highest in the tournament that year. ZywOo’s ability to perform exceptionally during crucial moments has significantly contributed to his high ratings and success in tournaments.
With an average K/D ratio of 1.46, ZywOo will definitely give us some more impressive shows of skill in the upcoming CS2 tournaments, as his career doesn’t seem to be heading towards its end.
Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov in ESL Pro League Season
M0NESY is undeniably one of the most formidable CS2 players in the world right now. His dominance has only been reinforced with an outstanding 2024 run that left the Counter-Strike scene in awe.
His time with G2 Esports showcased just how unstoppable he can be, securing two MVP titles—one at IEM Dallas and another at the BLAST Premier: Fall Final, where he achieved a staggering 1.33 rating across 14 maps. His clutch performances against top-tier teams proved that he’s a force to be reckoned with.
M0NESY remains a true standout in the CS2 competitive scene. With 2025 ahead, there’s no doubt he will continue to deliver jaw-dropping performances.
3. Danil “donk” Kryshkovets
Donk has been one of the most popular CS2 players for a long time now, so anyone who follows he pro scene should not be surprised seeing his name in this list. Donk is one of the fastest-rising stars, as well as one of the best CS2 players in the game.
His outstanding performance as a part of Team Spirit helped his team secure the win during the IEM Katowice 2024 CS2 tournament, with a rating of 1.70, just below ZywOo. That’s not his only accolade however, as he also scored the MVP title during las year’s Shanghai major. Donk’s effective utility usage, particularly his strategic use of grenades and tactical equipment, has significantly influenced his performance and contributed to his team’s success.
One of the most dominant players during LAN matches, donk might not be at the very top, but he’ definitely following in the footsteps of others, and might soon even overtake them.
4. Dmitriy “sh1ro” Sokolov
Another member of the Team Spirit, sh1ro is one of the most notorious CS2 snipers, renowned for his use of the powerful AWP sniper rifle. With a K/D of 1.38, most of which was scored with a sniper rifle, sh1ro takes his place within the top five best CS2 players list.
Although he’s certainly up there when it comes to performance, he admitted himself to not being up to the top of his game during some of the matches, which ultimately cost Team Spirit a win. Despite that, during last year’s IEM Katowice he certainly bounced back from his bad spot and is on the roll to score more this year.
5. İsmailcan “XANTARES” Dörtkardeş
One of the veterans of this list, Xantares started his eSports adventure ten years ago, making him one of the longest-running active players on the scene. Considered by many to be the best Turkish Counter-Strike player, Xantares had some amazing performances last year, and his career is certainly on a roll.
Although his team had just scored a loss in a big tournament, last year Xantares and his teammates from Eternal Fire had scored a massive win in the CCT Season 1 Global Finals at the BetBoom Dacha Belgrade 2024. While the time will tell, we can certainly have high expectations of Xantares and the rest of his team.
Nikola “NiKo” Kovač in Major Tournaments
Another extremely notorious name on this list, NiKo is one of the most popular CS2 players ever. Known for his outstanding plays, NiKo is a legend in his own grade, known even to players who don’t follow the pro scene.
Although very popular with the community NiKo doesn’t really hold any major title yet, placing him below the other names on this list. Still, his stellar performance makes him one of the best CS2 players, and we can certainly expect a lot from him in the near future.
Jonathan “EliGE” Jablonowski and Team Success
First Northern-American on this list, Jablonowski had left his mark on the pro scene of Counter Strike some time ago and continues to be its prominent part to this day. Playing under Team Complexity, he’s been at the forefront of many competitions with his team.
While he doesn’t hold any major title, he’s one of the fastest rising starts on the scene, as well as one of the most important and influential North-American players, so he’ll definitely show some impressive performance in the nearest future.
8. Dorian “xertioN” Berman
We’re closing our list with possibly one of the most fascinating underdogs of the professional CS2 scene, Dorain xertioN Berman. While he has been around the pro scene for some time now, over the last year he had some stellar performances together with Mouz, and is on the way to be one of the best CS2 players in the world.
Over the last couple of years he helped his team secure wins in ESL Pro League Season 18, as well as Thunderpick World Championship Europe Series, both of which are high profile tournaments. While it’s not yet set in stone, many CS2 eSports fans have high hopes for xertioN.
In Conclusion
As you can see, the eSports scene features quite a lot of gamers who deserve the title of the best CS2 player. Keep an eye out for the players mentioned on this list, if you want to see the best CS2 gameplay possible!
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