Sulfur
2021 has come to a close, and HLTV has steadily announced their Top 20 players throughout the month. It was an exciting year, as the CS:GO world started to make their transition from the doomed world of online CS to the bright LANs and fan-filled arenas. And believe it or not, it was a little more than just a NaVi, Gambit and NiKo show.
So to sum the year up, here’s HLTV’s Top 20 players of the year!
20. broky
The ropz-inspired newbie AWPer of FaZe Clan makes his debut in the Top 20 of HLTV this year.
Due to the roster changes, broky had a bad start to the year but soon found his footing, as he consistently put up elite performances, regardless of how FaZe performed. He never posted a below average rating further in the year, shining brightly in Cologne and the Major.
The youngster has lived up to the challenge of playing for FaZe thus far and has deservedly found a spot on this list. The young blood of FaZe is clearly ready to completely take over the international squad.
19. EliGE
The American veteran of Team Liquid had another splendid year. Though he managed a place in this list, EliGE has set very high standards in the previous years, as he’s finished in Top 10 in the past 2 years. 19th rank this year is his personal worst in the previous 5 years.
Liquid never truly found their gear in 2021, with EliGE revealing that there were deep cracks in the squad. Despite such problems, EliGE maintained a high level throughout the year. He posted a 1.10 rating against top-five teams, a stat that set him apart from other competitors.
EliGE opened up about his rank and vowed to perform better in 2022, under old pal and IGL nitr0.
18. ropz
FPL’s famous golden child, ropz had some exceptional performances in 2021, despite MOUZ’s unstable state throughout the year. After taking the heavy blow of veteran IGL karrigan leaving the team, ropz put in his only below-average performance of the year in IEM Katowice. But he quickly put that behind him, as he started shining again under new IGL dexter.
But he didn’t really reach his previous heights, as MOUZ’s downfall took its toll on ropz. This year, ropz joined FaZe Clan and reunited with karrigan. It will be interesting to see how FaZe perform with the duo back together. ropz, too, has vowed to reach new heights in 2022 and make it 5 years in a row in HLTV’s Top 20.
17. Twistzz
A key star in Liquid’s historic 2019 season, Twistzz left Liquid for FaZe Clan in 2021. After having a terrible 2020 year where he missed out on HLTV’s Top 20, the Canadian was back on the scene with a vengeance.
Despite FaZe’s inconsistency, Twistzz maintained his high levels in top-tier tournaments, having above-average ratings in all but one tournament. Despite his strong performances, FaZe Clan couldn’t reach the playoffs of any S-Tier tournament except one, IEM Cologne.
Twistzz also maintained his position of the sharpest rifler in the world by being the headshot king of CS:GO for the fourth consecutive year. Had FaZe performed well as a team in the topmost tournaments, both broky and Twistzz would’ve been much higher up the list.
There’s always 2022 to look forward to for the two youngsters, though.
16. stavn
Heroic have the rare case of being a great team but not having a clear standout performer. Everyone in the team shows up, and that’s the reason why Heroic have hit a purple patch in 2021, proving haters wrong by placing high ranks in LAN tournaments.
stavn was a VP in almost all the tournaments, and capped it by being the EVP in the Major and both the EPL seasons. The insane clutcher found the perfect balance between consistency and peaks, assuring him a place in HLTV’s Top 20.
15. KSCERATO
The Brazilian rifler of FURIA had a great year, as he find a spot in HLTV’s Top 20 for the second year in a row. KSCERATO was the team’s highest performer in every single event FURIA played.
He posted a rating of 1.13 against the top 10 teams. He was almost always a VP in every tournament he played in, but the lack of tournaments took their toll on KSCERATO’s rank. With only 8 events attended and 86 maps played, KSCERATO has played the least amongst other Top 20 players.
Hopefully, FURIA can turn the tide around and KSCERATO’s talents get noticed furthermore.
14. NAF
The most chill person in the CS:GO pro scene today, NAF is a highly consistent Team Liquid veteran. Despite Liquid’s chaotic madness of 2021, NAF managed to thrive in it, as he remained above average in every single tournament. His insane clutch statistics make him the 5st best clutcher in the world. He was Liqiud’s top performer in all but two tournaments.
Though a 14th spot must feel good though after missing out on the list altogether in 2020, he must definitely yearn to get back into the Top 10 list.
13. blameF
2021 must be one of the greatest years of blameF’s career, despite the fact that he has a lower rank than he had in 2020. After strong performances for Complexity for years, the big muscle Danish IGL found his huge break when the Astralis core disbanded in October.
blameF was amongst the top 2 performers in his team and put in great performances against strong opposition. After moving to Astralis alongside COL buddy k0nfig, blameF didn’t halt his form, as he became the highest performer in two of the three tournaments he played in.
blameF and k0nfig have inherited the guns of serial winners, and with how they’ve performed, there’s still a lot of hope for the new Astralis.
12. huNter-
The Bosnian star of G2 has been playing second fiddle to his brother ever since NiKo joined G2. But overlooking huNter’s individual prowess is a mistake, for at any given point, either of the Kovac brothers could turn the tide of the round.
huNter’s exceptional performances in the Major and in Cologne sets him apart from the rest of the players before him. huNter- had a 1.09 rating against the top 20 teams, a solid output.
huNter- said he doesn’t exactly have personal goals for 2022, and just wants to contribute to the team and help them win a major trophy. With the arrival of m0NESY, that might just come to fruition!
11. device
The Danish legend had a year to forget in 2021. Though he managed to get placed 11th on HLTV’s list, it’s a far cry from his top 5 appearances in every single year after 2014.
device was the first player to leave the legendary Astralis team. But the move didn’t exactly pay off, as his new team, NiP, did not win a tournament for over half a year. After finally winning one, though, it was another downhill trip for the Swede, one that ended with him taking a break from CS:GO to focus on his mental and physical health.
Despite such problems, the AWPer managed to maintain high individual levels. He didn’t put in a single below-average rating, even after switching teams and systems. But he only averaged a 1.02 rating against big teams, which is an unignorable low from a player of his standards. Eventually, all stats pointed for him to be just outside the Top 10.
I hope he recovers soon and goes back to his former self in 2022.
10. Jame
The Russian has been placed Number 10 in his debut in HLTV’s Top 20. VP look revitalized after YEKINDAR joined, and Jame has admitted how his arrival pushed him to the next level.
Jame is the epitome of a play-safe AWPer. His survival skills shine brightly in his clutch stats. He also was statistically the best AWPer of 2021, posting the highest AWP kills per round in 2021 (0.48). But for all his non-aggressive tactics, he was still a boon for VP, as he has some of the highest flash assists in 2021.
His peaks weren’t astoundingly high, but his consistent appearance as a VP in almost all the events he attended meant he’s deservedly placed in the Top 10 of HLTV’s list.
9. b1t
Arguably the greatest rookie in CS:GO history, the 18-year-old Ukrainian quickly became the final ingredient that NaVi needed to go to the next level. NaVi’s achievements in 2021 needs no mentioning, but it was not a s1mple-show out-and-out. b1t was a key factor in some of the most dominating stretches we’ve seen in CS:GO.
As the months ticked, b1t’s ability aged in dog years, as he quickly became NaVi’s 3rd best player, sometimes even 2nd. He was an EVP in almost all big events later in the year. His rifling ability is unquestionable, as he has become the player with the highest headshot percentage (67.1%) in his very first year of top-tier CS.
Going forward, NaVi will come to heavily rely upon b1t, given s1mple and electronic’s age and eventual departure.
8. YEKINDAR
The Latvian entry fragger for Virtus Pro is one of the essential keys to Virtus Pro’s success, beside Jame. The rifler’s endless aggression clearly explains his 1.30 opening kill rating, the highest amongst all players. A plethora of stats accounts for his 1.36 impact rating, third highest amongst all players.
YEKINDAR’s greatest asset is his ability to mould himself into a player that the team needs. The World Number 8’s versatility will be a key asset for the future of Virtus Pro, a squad I have high expectations for 2022.
7. electroNic
NaVi’s veteran rifler was their go-to player if s1mple was not present in the vicinity. electronic’s numbers remain beyond world class, despite playing second fiddle most of the times.
He posted an astonishing 1.21 rating in the elite tournaments in the later half of the year. His first half was not as spectacular, but he barely made it below 1.10, simply magnifying his elite standards.
electronic has made it into the Top 10 of HLTV for the fourth consecutive year now, and given his personal and his team’s form, there is no doubt that he’ll show up in next year’s Top 10 too.
6. HObbit
Gambit’s veteran rifler is like the gaming father of the 4 young kids of Gambit. The CIS side couldn’t have reached the heights they reached without the experience that Major-winner HObbit brought with him.
HObbit’s rifling and lurking shouldn’t be taken lightly, either. Despite being 27, he still maintains his elite levels. Apart from his utility usage and high damage outputs, what really set him apart from the rest is his performance in big matches, conjuring a 1.14 rating.
2022 will be an exciting year for the CIS squad, as the younger players have gained enough experience. If HObbit could fight old age, there is no doubt that Gambit has the potential to become NaVi’s Kryptonite.
Read on in the next part to find out about the Top 5 players of 2021!
