5 best CS2 players of 2023

With the advent of Counter-Strike 2 (CS2), we have entered a new era for the franchise. Its gun mechanics slightly differ from the previous iteration, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. Aside from that, a new source engine, map lighting, sub-tick rate, and a premier ranking system have also been introduced. Although the game is struggling to get into good shape and players are still experimenting with the new mechanics, CS2 has already delivered numerous tournaments.

While players are having problems transitioning, many have shown their true potential since the game’s arrival in September 2023. Besides, those from different FPS scenes are also returning to this competitive scene to test themselves.

So, in this article, we’ll discuss the five best CS2 players who made their mark in 2023.

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ZywOo, NiKo, and more emerge as the best CS2 players of 2023

1) ZywOo

French talent ZywOo in CS2 (Image via HLTV)

Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut is a French professional player who currently competes for Team Vitality. A combination of exceptional aim and good positioning makes him an extremely dangerous opponent. ZywOo thrived in 2023, as he’s one of the few pros who effortlessly transitioned to the latest iteration.

The French star had a rough start in CS2’s first-ever tournament, IEM Sydney 2023, and lost to Faze Clan. However, the multiple-time HLTV MVP award winner made an amazing comeback by winning both BLAST Premier Fall Final and BLAST Premier World Final in 2023. ZywOo's ability to hold the bomb sites on the CT side was mesmerizing. He even took some crucial frags on the T side to secure trophies.

ZywOo has an average rating of 1.4 in BLAST tournaments, making him this year's best player. He was in perfect form and holds high hopes for 2024.

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2) mONESY

mONESY is the primary AWPer of G2 Esports (Image via HLTV)

Ilya “mONESY” Osipov is a Russian CS2 professional who competes under the G2 Esports banner. He is best known for his exceptional AWPing skills and aggressive plays. The wonder kid joined G2 in early 2022 and has impressed fans with his impressive plays ever since.

mONESY is renowned for remaining calm and composed at the tender age of 18. As a primary AWPer, he took some crucial frags throughout the tournaments and kept G2's hopes alive. He reached the semi-final of IEM Sydney 2023, but the North American powerhouse broke their dream.

In BLAST Premier, mONESY and his teammates got a headstart after winning against MOUZ but fell to favorites Faze and NAVI. Although G2 didn’t win a trophy this year, the Russian prodigy greatly impacted the Counter-Strike 2 competitive scene with his beautiful plays. His most memorable highlight is when he executed an impeccable 1v5 clutch against NAVI in the BLAST Premier World Final 2023.

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3) NiKo

NiKo is a key player of G2 Esports (Image via HLTV)

Nikola “NiKo” Kovac is a Bosnian player, competing for G2 Esports as their main entry fragger. He’s known for his exceptional aim, and his Deagle plays have already captivated the CS community over the years. Before the advent of CS2, many doubted him due to his poor performances in the mid-season in CS:GO tournaments.

However, as soon as Counter-Strike 2 arrived, NiKo flourished and dispelled all doubts. He got a headstart by vanquishing Grayhound and ENCE but lost against Complexity Gaming in the Semi-final. The Bosnian professional performed well in the BLAST Premier World Final 2023 against Faze Clan and dropped a total of 63 kills in three maps. However, they lost to NAVI and failed to qualify for the Semi-final in the BLAST Premier World Final.

Despite NiKo's exceptional performance and crucial frags throughout numerous tournaments, he has yet to hold a shiny trophy in CS2 tournaments.

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4) frozen

Frozen joined the FaZe clan in December (Image via HLTV)

David “frozen” Čerňanský is a Slovakian CS2 player who competes for Faze Clan as their primary rifler. Due to his clutch plays and exploits, he is renowned as a reliable and ever-present asset.

Those exceptional clutches got Faze Clan’s attention, as they recruited him to replace Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken in December 2023. In FaZe, frozen was reunited with his former MOUZ teammates, Karrigan and ropz.

Before joining Faze Clan, frozen was a key member of MOUZ. However, luck wasn’t on their side as frozen, and his teammates fell to FaZe in the semi-finals of the IEM Sydney 2023, Thunderpick World Championship quarter-finals, and the grand finale of the CS Asia Championship 2023.

However, after reuniting with his former MOUZ teammates, frozen dominated in the BLAST Premier World Final 2023 and embarked on an unbeatable run until they got smashed by the French Powerhouse Team Vitality. The Slovakian star had an amazing season and hopes to grab some trophies in 2024.

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5) ropz

ropz is an exceptional lurker in CS2 (Image via HLTV)

Robin Kool, also known as “ropz,” is an Estonian CS2 professional who plays for Faze Clan as a rifler. Aside from being one of the best mechanically gifted support players, he is renowned for his exceptional lurking skills. When Valve launched the new Premier system, he was among the few to touch a 25,000+ rating despite the rating system being broken. After flourishing in matchmaking, he had high hopes regarding the competitive scene.

ropz lived up to expectations as he won their first-ever Counter-Strike 2 tournament, IEM Sydney 2023. He powered them to two more tournaments (Thunderpick World Championship 2023 and CS Asia Championships 2023) and helped cement Faze Clan as a dominant force. Owing to these exploits, he was awarded the MVP award in both tournaments.

However, luck wasn’t on ropz’s side as Faze lost both finals in BLAST Premier against the French powerhouse Team Vitality. Faze Clan have high hopes for 2024 and will continue to dominate the Counter-Strike competitive scene.

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Honorable mentions

Players like Håvard “rain” Nygaard and Lotan “Spinx” Giladi have delivered tremendous displays throughout the year. Despite their exclusion, they are bound to flourish in the upcoming CS2 major in 2024.

For more news related to CS2, stay tuned to Sportskeeda.