Nothing is more impressive in professional Counter-Strike than an ace in which a player takes down each and every member of the opposing team, and we’ve put together a list of the very best aces in all time from CSGO and CS2.
Getting an ace is the easiest way to secure a game MVP award, but sometimes, it’s not just about earning the title. High-tier pro tournaments come with a lot of pressure, and sometimes a single player is burdened with a task that’s supposed to be carried out by a team of five. Aces are not entirely rare in Counter-Strike. But whether an ace is highlight-reel worthy or not depends heavily on circumstances, the enemy economy, and the overall impact it has on the match.
These are some of the best CSGO and CS2 aces of all time, judged by timing, impact, and the significance of the esports event at which they took place.
In 2018 at ESL One New York, ChrisJ wrapped up Team Liquid’s business in fewer than 10 seconds with his trusty AWP. On Mirage, with Mousesports down in a 2v5 and teetering on the brink of the game, ChrisJ calmly dismantled the entire Liquid squad, first picking off two players in quick succession, then repositioning to mop up the remaining three.
chrisJ awp ace vs. Team Liquid | ESL ONE NEW YORK 2018
This was no regular event, but rather the grand final of ESL One New York. Thanks to ChrisJ’s ace, Mouz was able to secure the 29th-round win, ultimately closing out the map to win the entire tournament and notch arguably the biggest accomplishment in Mouz’s proud history.
At 77 ADR, dev1ce wasn’t having his best day during the ESL One Cologne 2019 semifinal against Team Vitality. So when ALEX and the rest of the Vitality squad rushed dev1ce in the A bomb site, even the casters voiced concern that Astralis might drop the overtime round. But dev1ce silenced all doubts with a swift five-kill ace, bringing the game score back to level.
Device ace vs Vitality + collateral
In the middle of the kill streak, dev1ce also hit a satisfying collateral, leaving fans shocked. The jaw-dropping ace reaffirmed the Danish star’s reputation as one of the best AWPers in the game.
NAVI started the CS2 Copenhagen Major 2024 playoff semifinals against G2 on shaky ground. After trading maps back and forth, it all came down to the decider where NAVI initially looked lost, failing to win a single round as G2 jumped ahead 3–0. With no money and only pistols to work with, NAVI faced a fully equipped G2 lineup and things were looking bleak.
jL UNBELIEVABLE ACE vs. G2 on Ancient | PGL CS2 Major Copenhagen 2024
The circumstances weren’t in jL’s favor as he was guarding B site with only a Deagle to work with. But when G2 pushed in, jL shut the entire enemy team down with precise shots, pulling off a clean ace with just his trusty pistol. That round became a turning point, and NAVI went on to ride that wave all the way to a CS2 Major victory.
At the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 playoffs, Danil “donk” Kryshkovets quickly flipped the script on a round that had looked all but lost. After being forced off of the B bomb site, only Boris “magixx” Vorobiev and Donk were left standing against five Heroic players who had just secured control of A.
CS2 – donk INSANE 1vs5 CLUTCH to keep the game ALIVE – CLUTCH OF THE YEAR
A 2v5 wasn’t necessarily impossible, but the odds took a nosedive when René “TeSeS” Madsen and Rasmus “sjuush” Beck combined to quickly pick off magixx, leaving Donk alone and likely weighing whether to save his rifle. Instead, the young star player stayed locked in and wiped out the remaining Heroic players to complete a swift and impressive ace.
JDM’s ace against EnVyUs at the ELEAGUE Major: Atlanta 2017 is still one of the most talked-about aces in all of Counter-Strike history, from CSGO to CS2. At the ELEAGUE Major: Atlanta 2017 event, Team Liquid was on the brink of defeat as EnVyUs had reached match point with a 15th-round win. But thanks to JDM’s wild heroics, Liquid held on for at least one more round.
JDM 1v5 ace clutch against EnVyUs at the ELEAGUE Major
Liquid was hanging by a thread, and JDM’s ace halted EnVyUs’ momentum, giving his team a lifeline. Though it didn’t shift the series outcome, it solidified JDM’s legacy in Counter-Strike as a clutch performer at the game’s highest levels and someone capable of claiming one of the best aces in all of CSGO and CS2 histroy.
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