The AWP sniper is considered the most important weapon in Counter-Strike, and only one player in a team can be tasked as the primary AWPer. Because the weapon is so expensive, the primary AWPer is shouldering huge responsibilities to make the investment pay off.
CS:GO: Who Is The Best AWPer?
With over a decade of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, we’ve had the honor to witness some of the most talented players ever touching the sniper rifle. In this list, we’ll celebrate the ten best AWPers throughout the game’s history!
10. Tyler “Skadoodle” Latham
Skadoodle is easily the best AWPer the North American region has ever produced. He started his career in CS:GO relatively early and found himself on the best American squad then, iBUYPOWER.
He isn’t the flashiest AWPer, but he is incredibly consistent. Skadoodle isn’t one to display much of a personality, rarely showing any signs of emotion. But his “ice cold” character makes him very reliable in high-pressure situations.
Skadoodle and Cloud9 pulled off the greatest upset in CS:GO history, winning the ELEAGUE Boston Major in 2018. With this Major title under his belt, the now-retired player made the most unthinkable play in his career – shedding tears of joy and showing feelings for the first time.
9. Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov
One of the leaders of the new generation, m0NESY, has already shown his capabilities as a top-tier AWPer in his teenage years.
Born in 2005, the Russian prospect already had over 18,000 hours recorded in Counter-Strike, meaning he spent 11% of his entire life playing the game! However, the time he put into CS:GO has already paid off, as he is now the star AWPer of the legendary esports organization G2 Esports.
Watching the 18-year-old wield the AWP is as entertaining as it gets. His young and ripe reaction time helps him land the sickest shots. Unfortunately, his inexperience has shown in numerous events, holding back his full potential.
8. Jesper “JW” Wecksell
Jesper Wecksell is nothing other than the best AWPer Sweden has seen. Calling himself “JWonderchild,” you wouldn’t argue about his self-proclaimed name if you watched him use the AWP at his peak.
JW dominated the early days of CS:GO, putting himself on the map while playing under the Fnatic organization. With his legendary teammates, flusha and olofmeister, JW became the first group of players to win three CS GO Majors.
The Swede is known to be one of the most incredible angle holders in the game. If he has his sights on a corner, you bet nobody is going through. He has also shown versatility with his AWP play style, as he can also be incredibly aggressive.
7. Ladislav “GuardiaN” Kovács
Players who have joined the CSGO community recently wouldn’t understand how good GuardiaN was during his time. He had been pursuing Counter-Strike since 2006. He was already a Tier 1 AWPer during the release of CSGO and never fell off.
The Slovak became famous for being one of the most consistent AWPers. He would never miss. GuardiaN was immediately scouted by the prestigious organization Natus Vincere, where he started ramping up his capabilities.
After four years with the Ukrainian organization, karrigan personally invited GuardiaN to join CSGO’s first superteam, FaZe Clan. Unfortunately, his dreams of winning a Major were shut down by Skadoodle and Cloud9 in a heartbreaking final.
6. Dmitriy “sh1ro” Sokolov
Russian AWPer sh1ro is another rising star looking to be a household name in the next generation of players.
The “online era” of CSGO was when sh1ro began making a name for himself. He and Gambit Esports dominated all competition, raking in title after title. From 2021 to 2022, sh1ro was rivaling s1mple and ZywOo, often claiming third place in HLTV’s Top 20 Players.
With most of his success being found from online events, most fans doubted sh1ro could replicate his mastery of the AWP on LAN. Despite lacking experience on offline stages, sh1ro could still prove the doubters wrong by showing impeccable consistency with the big green, recently winning IEM Katowice 2024.
5. Kenny “kennyS” Schrub
Some might argue that he’s too high on the list, but we thought placing kennyS in sixth place is fair. Let’s begin by praising Kenny as the most entertaining AWPer to watch.
The Frenchman is notoriously known for his iconic lightning-fast flicks and incredible reaction time. At his prime, kennyS was so good that Valve had to step in and nerf the AWP because of him! He also holds the record for the most AWP kills in LAN tournaments, with 9,259 kills.
In 2015, kennyS etched his name into Counter-Strike history by winning a Major. Unfortunately, his peak was relatively short, which is why he isn’t too deep on this list.
4. Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo
Brazilian captain FalleN is not only one of the most entertaining personalities to follow but also one of the meanest AWPers during his golden era. He often taunts live crowds and silences the haters, hence his nickname, “The Librarian.”
What made FalleN so special is that he was the pioneer of combining the AWP and in-game leader roles. Normally, in-game leaders are the weakest players on the team mechanically. But FalleN took on two of the hardest roles simultaneously and still managed to put incredible numbers on the scoreboard.
FalleN brought home two Major titles and was recognized as the second-best player in 2016, only losing to his teammate, coldzera, who took first place. Unfortunately, he didn’t remain at the top for very long, but he became Brazil’s most popular player.
3. Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut
It couldn’t be more of a coincidence that ZywOo was born the same day Counter-Strike was released. When the child of the game was grinding his way to the top, everyone thought he was cheating.
Legendary in-game leader apEx took ZywOo under his mentorship and quickly turned him into a monster. In his first year of professional play, the French AWPer was crowned the best player of 2019, dethroning s1mple! Since then, the lowest HLTV ranking ZywOo has received was second place.
In 2023, he “completed” Counter-Strike by winning a Major in his home country. Sadly, ZywOo is known to go missing in important matches, but it is undeniable that he is the player with the highest skill ceiling in the world and still has a long career ahead.
2. Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz
The nickname “Mr. Consistent” should already give you an idea of what dev1ce was. He was part of the legendary Astralis roster that won four CSGO Majors, making him the most accomplished AWPer in the world.
Though dev1ce doesn’t land crazy shots like his peers, the most remarkable thing about him is his read of the game. He would always be at the right place at the right time, always making calculated moves. On top of his unmatched mechanical skill, nobody could stand against dev1ce in the Astralis dynasty.
The Dane is a very traditional AWPer and holds his angles really well. Throughout his career, dev1ce was awarded two Major MVPs, 19 tournament MVPs, and dozens of trophies to display in his cabinet.
1. Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyljev
The best AWPer in the world shouldn’t be too much of a surprise. It’s s1mple, widely recognized as the greatest player to ever touch Counter-Strike. The Ukrainian wasn’t originally a primary AWPer, choosing to become a hybrid player in the early years of his career.
After joining his dream organization, Natus Vincere, s1mple took on the role as the main AWPer, and we all knew what happened next. The superstar was improving rapidly, and after a few years, he became the best player in the world.
From 2018 to 2022, s1mple was named either the #1 or #2 player on HLTV’s rankings, showing his dominance over six years. No player, even dev1ce, could consistently achieve those achievements.
With 21 tournament MVP awards and a long-awaited Major victory at the PGL Stockholm Major, s1mple has achieved all there is to get in Counter-Strike.