These are the best CS2 IGLs in the world right now

Counter-Strike has seen no shortage of legendary IGLs over the years, and when it comes to CS2, the world’s best may be better than ever before.

Over the past several years, Counter-Strike esports has undergone major changes. The game looked starkly different half a decade ago. Astralis’ previous dominance prevented other teams from entering the spotlight for a time. And while Danish CS was among the first to feel the shake-up of Astralis finally fading away from its top spot, these changes have echoed across every region.

Before Valve revamped the RMR format in 2025, the system had already played a key role in fishing fresh talent. As a result, many of the IGLs who once ruled unchallenged now find new names alongside them at the top of the heap.

These are the best CS2 IGLs in the world right now.

Dan “apEX” Madesclaire

apEX is a fan-favorite in the CS2 community known for his fun interactions with live crowds and as the face behind countless CS memes. And when it comes to the best IGLs in the world, apEX’s name remains on the top.

In 2020, Vitality was left scrambling after Alex “ALEX” McMeekin stepped down as IGL. With just three days to find a replacement before ESL Pro League Season 11 kicked off, head coach XTQZZZ made a bold call. He handed the role to apEX, who had zero prior experience as an in-game leader at the time. It was a risky, last-minute decision when it was made, but some years later, it’s clear that the gamble has paid off.

apEX may have been new to the role, but he quickly adapted, bringing Team Vitality to the top of the world rankings. Under his leadership, Vitality secured numerous S-tier titles, including the BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023, the final CSGO major. Few teams have managed to remain so consistently strong across multiple years and roster changes, but apEX has turned Vitality into one of game’s most reliable powerhouses.

While showing himself to be an excellent IGL, apEX also maintained a strong individual performance to boot.

Finn “karrigan” Andersen

Karrigan is currently hailed as one of CS2’s most transformative IGLs for his ability to turn underdog rosters into true contenders. In 2019 he was dropped from FaZe Clan at its peak, and the pro player joined Mouz. At that time, Mouz was a squad of raw, unproven talent, but Karrigan was able to turn it into a title-contending roster, winning multiple international events between 2019 and 2020. That run rebuilt his reputation and earned him a return to FaZe in 2021.

By 2022, karrigan had already earned his stripes as one of the game’s most respected IGLs, but his true legendary run kicked off when he returned to FaZe Clan that same year. Under his leadership, the team finally lifted a Major trophy at PGL Antwerp, with karrigan becoming the oldest player to ever win a Major title. Now well into his 30s and with two decades of experience behind him, he’s still showing why he’s one of the best ever to do it.

Fans applaud him for leading the likes of Robin “ropz” Kool, Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken, Helvijs “broky” Smilts, Håvard “rain” Nygaard, and he’s since added heaps of praise for fitting Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyljev into an active roster after the legendary pro player took a long break. Guiding a talent like s1mple while keeping team chemistry intact is no small feat, and it’s only added to karrigan’s reputation as one of the most composed IGLs in CS history.

Aleksi “Aleksib” Virolainen

Aleksib has a long history of successful IGL work with S-tier teams and is known as one of the best to do it. He rose to fame with Finnish team ENCE, leading the underdog squad to a surprise grand final appearance at the IEM Katowice Major 2019. Since then, he’s captained some of the biggest international lineups in CS, including OG, G2 Esports, and Ninjas in Pyjamas.

In 2023 he joined Natus Vincere, stepping into the pressure-packed role of leading one of CS’s most high-profile teams. When he joined Navi, the CS division looked starkly different than how it did in 2022. The roster had been completely rebuilt, and Aleksib was handed a fresh lineup with the expectation to restore the team’s name in the CS2 scene.

And that’s when everything clicked. Under his leadership, Navi won PGL Major Copenhagen 2024, which was quite a big deal considering this was the first ever CS2 Major. While fans always knew Aleksib has the best strat-book in the CS2 ecosystem, he was also named the best IGL in 2024.

Thanks to his shot-calling, NaVi was later able to make it to the playoffs of the BLAST Austin Major in 2025.

Garidmagnai “bLitz” Byambasuren

bLitz is a new contender in the race for the best IGLs in the world, and it won’t be a surprise to any big fan of the game to see his name here. MongolZ has existed as a team in some form or another since 2016, but constant changes in ownership made it tough for the roster to find stability. That changed in 2023, when a new roster surfaced under the MongolZ banner with bLitz leading the charge. The team was able to pull off upsets against squads like Tyloo, Virtus.pro, and others, turning heads at escalating levels of pro play.

In 2024, things really took off. bLitz led MongolZ to a first-place finish in the PGL Major Copenhagen: East Asian Qualifier, kicking off a run of strong showings that turned heads worldwide. The team went on to win IEM Chengdu 2024, but that was just the beginning. The MongolZ were only getting started on what would become a massive campaign heading into the BLAST Austin Major 2025.

Under bLitz’s leadership, The MongolZ have consistently punched above their weight, climbing all the way into the top five of the global rankings.

Engin “MAJ3R” Küpeli

Turkish veteran MAJ3R is now becoming a better-known name in the CS2 era, but he’s been around since the early CS 1.6 days. He became part of the global conversation when he returned to the scene in 2023 after nearly calling it quits. At age 32, when many players would step down, MAJ3R decided to join Aurora Gaming and make another push for championship glory.

Under his leadership, Aurora went from an under-the-radar squad to a legit top-10 team in the world, pulling off massive wins over other top-tier teams. Before Aurora, MAJ3R was already known for putting Turkish Counter-Strike onto the global map while leading Space Soldiers, including making the playoffs at ELEAGUE Major: Boston 2018. He spent years leading mixed rosters across Turkey and France, including notable time with Eternal Fire, but it was Aurora that marked his full-circle moment and marked his spot as one of the best CS2 IGLs in the world.