With Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) taking the gaming world by storm, everyone's asking: who's the best player in CS2? Compared to CS:GO, it is pretty hard to answer this question as we need more time to see which players will rise and how many of them will manage to stay at the top. However, there are some that carried their potential and skills to the CS2 scene from CS:GO and made a great start. Here are all the best CS2 players so far!

Who is the best player in CS2?

Figuring out who's the best in CS2 is tricky because the game's still fresh. Many players are showing potential, but ZywOo is a name that keeps popping up. He's been a star player before CS2 and hasn't missed a beat moving into this new game. Another player, donk, has caught everyone's attention with some impressive play. But it's still early days, and the game's changing. To be the best, players will need to keep proving themselves.

Top 10 CS2 players

The current landscape of CS2 is filled with individuals who have not only adapted to the new game but have excelled. Here’s a brief overview of the top talents making waves:

ZywOo

ZywOo is like a wizard in CS2, making magic happen for Team Vitality. Even when things look grim, he finds a way to turn it around. He had a bit of a rough start at the first big CS2 tournament but quickly bounced back, leading his team to win some major titles. People respect his skills, and it's easy to see why.

EliGe

Jonathan "EliGE" Jablonowski is the top dog in the USA, shining bright in Complexity. Since he joined, the team has been doing way better. He's got impressive stats, but without more team wins, he can't claim the top spot in CS2 just yet.

m0NESY

Ilya "m0NESY" Osipov, playing for G2 Esports, is a young gun with a knack for landing AWP shots. Even though he's only 18, he stays cool under pressure and makes big plays when it counts. His team didn't grab a trophy this year, but m0NESY's plays have definitely made a mark.

donk

Danil "donk" Kryshkovets is another standout, especially with his record-tying performance at IEM Katowice 2024. He's been on a roll, earning MVP titles and proving he's one of the top talents in CS2 right now.

NiKo

Nikola "NiKo" Kovac is a beast when it comes to shooting and strategy. After a shaky period in CS:GO, he's come back strong in CS2, showing off his skills in major tournaments. Even though his team didn't win the big one, NiKo's performances were still top-notch.

frozen

David "frozen" Cernansky is a young player with tons of skill. He's making a name for himself in CS2, showing that he can compete with the best. His recent move to FaZe Clan has been a big deal, and he's adjusting well, keeping his performances high.

Sh1ro

Dmitry "sh1ro" Sokolov has been turning heads with his consistent play and impressive stats. He's helped his team, Gambit, to some big wins, and his efforts haven't gone unnoticed. He's definitely one of the players to watch.

electroNic

Denis "electroNic" Sharipov has been on fire since he stopped leading his team. He's been doing great in matches, showing that he's one of the top players around. His move from NAVI to Cloud9 has been big news, and he's living up to the hype.

XANTARES

Ismailcan "XANTARES" Dortkardes has made a smooth transition to CS2, helping his team reach the finals in the tournaments they've played. He's got great aim and has been a key player for his team. He is by far the best Turkish player in the scene and leads Eternal Fire since he joined the organization.

ropz

Robin "ropz" Kool, playing for Faze Clan, is known for his smart plays. He's helped his team win their first CS2 tournament, showing he's a key player in the game. Back in the days when he was only an FPL player, some of the other professionals accused him of cheating, that is how good he was. Ropz carried his abilities to the CS2 scene too. 

Who was the best player in CS:GO?

The legacy of CS:GO is filled with legendary names that have defined eras, but singling out a single "Greatest of All Time" (GOAT) is pretty hard. Players like s1mple, ZywOo, and device have consistently dominated discussions due to their incredible achievements, MVP awards, and tournament victories. However, you could also add Coldzera and GeT_Right to the list too. For now, we will concentrate these three players:

s1mple

Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev is a name that almost every CS:GO fan knows. He's been at the top so many times, it's hard to keep count. s1mple wasn't just good; he was a step above everyone else, earning the top spot on the HLTV Top 20 list three times. What's more impressive is how everyone agreed he deserved it. Even when ZywOo took the top spot from him, people still debated whether s1mple should have been number one. He's played for NAVI for years, helping them win countless games with his incredible skills. Even when his performance dipped a bit, he was still better than most players could ever hope to be.

ZywOo

Mathieu "ZywOo" Herbaut is another player who's made a huge impact. Since his rookie year in 2018, he's shown that some people are just born to do certain things, and for ZywOo, that thing is playing CS:GO. He's had a career that most players can only dream of, including winning at the BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023, a victory that had eluded him for years. At just 23, he's got a whole future ahead of him in CS2, and many believe he'll be remembered as one of the greatest.

device

Nicolai "device" Reedtz has a list of achievements that's hard to match. He's won four Majors, been the MVP 19 times, and was a two-time Major MVP. He was a key player in the Astralis team that dominated CS:GO from 2017 to 2019. Even after a short break and a move to NIP, when he returned, he proved he still had what it takes to compete at the top level. His consistency and ability to perform at the highest level for so long set him apart from many others.