CS:GO is a worldwide gaming phenomenon. Its Majors sit atop the competitive pyramid, and millions of international players want to take part in them. But there are truly outstanding players even among the official tournaments’ hundreds of participants. In this article, CS.MONEY Blog recalls all most valuable players of all nineteen CS:GO majors in one list. As bonus: peculiar stats and their favourite skins at mentioned tournaments. All in infographics!
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JW — MVP DreamHack Winter 2013
The first major in CS:GO significantly differed from what we are used to now. It took place during the DreamHack festival in Jönköping, Sweden; moreover, Dota 2 and StarCraft II championships were held alongside. Now it seems wild, but it was possible to get into the tournament through a special BYOC qualifier, which took place right there at the event. This opportunity was used, for example, by CadiaN, who won the Qualifier together with Xapso, but this didn’t really help him avoid finishing last in the group.
But our hero here is JW. The Swede was one of the brightest players in the early days of CS:GO, and DreamHack Winter was a proper stage to showcase his talent. Fnatic outplayed the seemingly invincible NiP. JW became the key to his team’s victory at the first CS:GO major, claiming the title of the first ever MVP in CS:GO’s history.
PashaBiceps — MVP EMS One Katowice 2014
Valve introduced the Legends system at the second major: the top 8 teams from the previous Major got direct invites for the next tournament. The Polish Five of Virtus.pro in 2014 was at its peak, and they did not leave anyone a chance on their home turf. Throughout the tournament, they lost only one map.
PashaBiceps was exceptional even in this Golden Five. At the tournament, he showed an impressive rating of 1.38 and was the main star.
Friberg — MVP ESL One Cologne 2014
Nowadays, it seems shocking that Ninjas in Pyjamas could win only one Major. We all remember the legendary photo of GeT_RiGhT bending over the title, but Friberg was recognized as the most valuable player.
Fun fact: if we consider ratings only, Friberg won’t make it even in the top 10 players of that tournament. Nevertheless, his contribution turned out to be serious, and the structure of the Swedes’ game showed that numbers are senseless. Finally, for his ace, Friberg received a nameplate on Inferno: Via Adamo.
Happy — MVP DreamHack Winter 2014
A year later, CS:GO Majors got back to DreamHack Winter. Since Titan and Epsilon got banned, there were only six legends invited, and the newcomers could show themselves in full glory. Team LDLC, a super-star gang from France, took full advantage of this chance.
Were they the strongest team in the tournament? The question is open because due to the infamous Olofboost, the match between Team LDLC and Fnatic has not found its resolution on the server. But even if you’re not dominating, it still requires tons of skill and composure to grab that trophy. And the one player who stood out among the champions was Happy.
Olofmeister — MVP ESL One Katowice 2015
The Genius of CS:GO got his revenge at the next Major. Fnatic lost only one map during the tournament, and Olofmeister was definitely the best player there in terms of both statistics and contribution. Never forget his coolness!
Flusha — MVP ESL One Cologne 2015
Fnatic was the most successful team in the first three years of CS:GO. Winning three of the first five tournaments was an outstanding achievement. It is also noteworthy that there were three different MVPs in each of the three victories. We have noted JW and Olofmeister, but it’s time for Flusha and his performance in Cologne.
Tons of people within the community suspected him of cheating, but Robin showed an outstanding performance at LAN. It’s a pity that the Swede preferred default skins at this tournament, but we respect his choice. It’s not a unique thing, though: EliGE sticks to this style as well.
Skins show your personality, and our 3D builder will help you create the dream craft and choose the skin that best suits you.
KennyS — MVP DreamHack Cluj-Napoca
From the person who preferred stamping highlights on default skins to one of the first skins fashionistas. His Magic Stick made a lot of CS:GO fans fall in love with AWP Asiimov, and the Major in Cluj-Napoca became the place for this skin to shine.
Ah, the times. Cluj-Napoca showed us one unbelievable sniper duel between kennyS and GuardiaN. Two best snipers of the year at their peak, but only one could became the champion. Kenny deservedly received the title of MVP and the love of the community!
Coldzera — MVP MLG Columbus 2016 & ESL One Cologne 2016
Brazilian Marcelo David became the first player to become the most valuable player of two Majors. In 2016, no one could stop Coldzera, and his legendary Mirage highlight became one of the most famous moments in CS:GO.
Kjaerbye — MVP ELEAGUE Major Atlanta 2017
Everyone knows The Era Of Astralis, and remembers the three Majors won in a row. But not a lot of people knows that Astralis climbed to first place a little earlier in Atlanta. The most valuable player was the person who would leave the organization a year later.
Kjaerbye was not the most valuable player of Astralis in that period. Still, sometimes it matters who clutches at the critical moment. Marcus became exactly the reason to snatch the trophy from Virtus.pro and launch the epoch.
AdreN — PGL Major Krakow 2017 MVP
Gambit Esports’ story is a true gem in the history of CS:GO Majors. And it has a redemption arc: Zeus, after leaving Natus Vincere, became the champion before his ex-teammates. It was also the first trophy for the CIS region in CS:GO!
One of the leading architects of this triumph was AdreN. Dauren was both spectacular and effective and deservedly received the title of the tournament’s most valuable player.
Tarik — ELEAGUE Major Boston 2018 MVP
There are tournaments when one team destroys everyone else, leaving no chances to others. There are tournaments with a confrontation of two favourites as the main storyline. And there are tournaments with not enough rounds on three maps to determine the champion so they have to keep going for a couple more overtimes.
Such moments forge your soul. If we look at the finals’ participants, both NiKo and GuardiaN were best and most valuable players in Boston. But sometimes it’s the last map that decides everything. Tarik, with the support of his teammates and home stands, carried his team to victory in a match later labelled a CS:GO Classic.
device — FaceIT Major London 2018 & StarLadder Major Berlin 2019 MVP
When we talk about the Astralis Era and their hat-trick, we have to mention their star sniper. Unfortunately, in 2018 and 2019, he individually remained in s1mple and ZywOo’s shadows. Maybe he wasn’t a gamechanger like KennyS; maybe he wasn’t as good as Sasha or Mathieu; but he performed excellently and helped his team reach the Hall of Fame.
Fortunately, he got at least MVPs for two Majors as recognition. These days, we just want him and Astralis to shine again as they once did! Maybe, in CS2?
Magisk — IEM Katowice 2019 MVP
Between Device’s First and Third Majors, there was also a tournament in Katowice. Surely, Astralis’ sniper was doing great again in Poland, and his tournament rating was the best. But it was impossible not to note how much Magisk added to the team’s performance during the tournament playoffs. In a situation where you have several players close to each other at once, this becomes a decisive factor.
s1mple — PGL Major Stockholm 2021 MVP
Everyone was waiting for Majors to return after the pandemic. And it seems that NAVI’s fans and players were waiting more than others. One of the most famous teams in not only CS:GO but esports history and the best player in the world have been there sitting without a trophy for ages. Therefore, the tournament in Stockholm turned out to be truly triumphant. NAVI didn’t lose a single map, and s1mple couldn’t be stopped. A historic performance by both the team and its leader!
Rain — PGL Major Antwerp 2022 MVP
Another team waiting for its triumph was FaZe Clan. CS:GO legend Karrigan has assembled a stellar line-up with everything you need to win. Surprisingly, it wasn’t the superstar Twistzz, the mindblowing Broky, or the amazing Ropz to become the main star of the major in Belgium. It was Rain, a CS:GO veteran, pouring his might on others. The Norwegian had a stellar tournament, and no one could beat him in the average rating.
Jame — IEM Rio 2022 MVP
The Outsiders’ story at the tournament in Brazil surprised many, and while some people respected Jame as a captain and a sniper, his team wasn’t considered a serious contender. However, at the end of 2022, things magically came together, and we saw an amazing story of underdogs becoming winners. Jame made this happen in all senses, both mentally setting up his team, and shooting precisely where need on the server.
ZywOo — BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023 MVP
The last major in CS:GO history was held in the capital of France. Who esle if not Team Vitality was destined to lift the trophy? While other favourites stumbled, ZywOo carried his teammates to the top, showing an impressive 1.39 tournament rating. One of the best players in the history of CS:GO deservedly got the right to raise the trophy and the MVP medal.
By the way, there were a lot of interesting crafts from professional players at the last major. You can read about the skins ZywOo and his teammates played with in a separate article.
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