Even though we’ve seen him on the professional stage for over seven years, he’s still only 24. He’s been accused of cheating and had to fly out to play under supervision. Since 2018, we’ve seen him consistently on the list of the top 20 players each year. Today, CS.MONEY Blog will talk about Robin Kool, better known as ropz.
Ropz is a well-known skin enthusiast, and he even adjusts his game settings to make them look as cool as possible. The Estonian player understands that skins enhance the feel of the game. You can find your ideal skin without overpaying on CS.MONEY.
From CS 1.6 to Mouz via Call of Duty and Cheating Allegations
Robin Kool’s journey began long ago. He started playing Counter-Strike 1.6 when he was just seven years old. Back then, he was learning the basics and discovered the KreedZ Mode (KZ). He spent a lot of time on these servers and mastered all the nuances of movement. You could say that even then, his desire to understand every detail was evident — now we know ropz as one of the most knowledgeable professional players.
When Counter-Strike 1.6 faded, Robin tried his hand at Call of Duty, already dreaming of joining FaZe Clan, the coolest team at the time. It’s fun to look back at the 14-year-old kid and see how much he has changed over the past decade.
However, with the release of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, he returned to Valve’s creation. Unlike Condition Zero and Source, the revamped game captured his attention, and ropz began his grind. He started with regular matchmaking and eventually transitioned to the FaceIT Pro League, where he became one of the top players.
Since Robin had hardly competed in LAN tournaments and didn’t have a major team yet, many accused him of cheating. It got to the point where other players deliberately avoided him. That’s why the invitation to the FaceIT office was both a stressful ordeal and a lifeline. Under the watchful eyes of observers, using company-provided equipment, ropz proved his high level of skill, and his career began to soar from there.
Mouz: From Rookie to Star Status
Mousesports was ropz’s first major professional team. Robin chose this organization not only because of its prominence in Counter-Strike but also because it allowed him to continue his education while playing.
In his first season, ropz was still finding his footing, especially since Mousesports has always been an unstable team—known for discovering highly talented players, but often failing to convert that talent into consistent results.
Ropz went through different eras with Mouz, spending four and a half years with the team, experiencing both highs and lows. His first years were spent adapting to the schedule and the nuances of professional life. Even when the team didn’t perform well, his experience grew, making him a better player.
His first major victory came at ESG Tour Mykonos 2017. Despite the tournament not going entirely as planned, Mousesports emerged victorious, and ropz later regretted not jumping into the pool near the award ceremony.
The year 2018 was a breakthrough for ropz: victories at StarLadder & i-League Season 4 and the V4 Future Sports Festival Budapest, along with reaching the playoffs at the ELEAGUE Major Boston, solidified his confidence and showed everyone that his skill ceiling was incredibly high. Unfortunately, this rise meant that ropz had to stretch his final year of school into two, as he could no longer fully balance education and worldwide travels.
Later, ropz’s star shone even brighter. In 2019, Karrigan joined the team, building a system in which Robin became the primary firepower. The end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020 became the most successful period for Mousesports with ropz: the team won several tournaments, and this helped Robin break into the top 10 players of the year.
During the pandemic, ropz continued to perform at a high level, but Mouz hit a rough patch. Things weren’t going as planned, and ropz’s exceptional individual performances didn’t translate into titles. Thus, it wasn’t surprising when news broke of his transfer to his dream team, FaZe Clan.
FaZe Clan: Career Peak (so far)
One of the key factors behind ropz’s transfer was the presence of Karrigan in the lineup. The Danish in-game leader once again built a highly successful system, and within just four months of joining FaZe, ropz lifted the PGL Major Antwerp 2022 trophy. This marked the beginning of a golden era for the team, culminating in the Intel Grand Slam victory.
Ropz became a superstar and the team’s main firepower. This led to him being named the third-best player in the world in 2023, only behind ZywOo and NiKo.
Today, ropz is known as a super-talented player in his prime, fully aware of his gameplay. His settings have become a benchmark for many players, and he’s jokingly referred to as a developer of CS2. He shows no signs of slowing down. In Counter-Strike 2, FaZe Clan has already won the CS Asia Championships 2023, and IEM Chengdu 2024. His team enters the Shanghai Major cycle as favourites. Not too long ago, ropz fulfilled another dream by buying himself a new Porsche, and it seems that his already successful career still has many unwritten chapters filled with victories.
