As one of the oldest esports to exist, Counter-Strike has delivered countless plays that have inspired young fans and even altered the game’s meta over the years, and we’ve gathered some of the most iconic CSGO and CS2 plays of all time.
Compared to some modern tactical or hero shooters, CS2 might seem simple at first glance. However, mastering it requires significant time and effort. That’s because the game has been shaped by a long history in competitive play and esports, with a meta that’s now been refined over multiple decades. For players coming in from other games, it’s worth watching some of the most classic CSGO and CS2 plays in the game’s history to get a better sense of the game’s roots and why it remains as popular as it does today.
While there are more than five such moments that deserve to be mentioned, these are our best picks for the top 5 Counter-Strike plays of all time.
During MLG Major 2016, with Marcelo “coldzera” David was anchoring B-site and handling AWP duties for Luminosity Gaming, he pulled off the unthinkable. The star player leapt from the bench on Mirage and landed a mid-air double kill to stop a Liquid push cold. This was a huge play, as before this, mid-air AWP shots were mostly written off as being down to pure luck and none had been seen in such a big moment.
UNBELIEVABLE Jumping AWP Double Noscope by Luminosity Coldzera vs Liquid at MLG CS: GO Major
After this iconic play, other players began experimenting with more movement-based AWPing, especially in clutch situations.
Stewie2k is no longer as active in the CS2 esports, but this play is the perfect one to show a new CS fan wondering why he’s sometimes considered to be among North America’s best. During a winning CSGO Boston Major run in 2018, Stewie2k denied FaZe Clan the bomb plant by pulling off a last-minute 4K. This was a do-or-die situation, as the team was in overtime and on the verge of elimination in the grand final.
CSGO Boston Major 2018 final Stewie2k b Hold
His AWP hold on the B-site forced the game into double overtime, giving Cloud9 the momentum needed to eventually win the match and the Major, marking the first modern Major victory for a North American team.
In 2015, Vincent “Happy” Schopenhauer pulled off what’s still considered one of the best Deagle plays in Counter-Strike history. During a match against TSM, EnVyUs was struggling economically and forced into using pistols against SMGs.
Happy Deagle Ace
On Inferno, where Banana rushes often share the same fate, Happy didn’t have much to expect from his Deagle. But he flipped the round on its head with a clean ace, turning a desperate eco into a highlight that continues to be replayed to this very day.
It’s not every day you see an S-tier event end with a match-stealing clutch, but Casper “cadiaN” Møller made it happen. In recent years, this is easily the closest we’ve come to a play that matches the intensity of the game’s all-time great moments. The clutch remains iconic for a couple of reasons: first, it was the round that secured Heroic the ESL Pro League Season 13 championship, and second, it included a knife kill in the middle of a 1v4 scenario.
CADIAN INSANE 1v4 CLUTCH + TEAM REACTION
Fans loved it so much they even pushed for Valve to add a commemorative graffiti for CadiaN’s knife, but it seems the play just missed that particular mark. Still, to this day, fans bring up CadiaN’s clutch as one of the greatest finishes to a match in CS history, and one of the top plays ever seen in the game.
Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyljev didn’t become synonymous with the AWP in Counter-Strike by accident. His double no-scope against Liquid at ESL One Cologne 2016 remains one of the most iconic AWP moments in CS history and one of the game’s best plays..
IS THIS REAL LIFE? 2v1 – S1MPLE JUMPING DOUBLE NO SCOPE on fnactic! ESL Cologne Semi Final(Falling)
Dropping into the heaven area on the map Cache, s1mple landed two crisp AWP shots in mid-air. The clip went viral instantly after the replay confirmed that both frags were no-scope kills. To this day, this is still considered by many fans of the game to be the gold standard for highlight-reel AWP plays, and it’s a major part of why s1mple is so often considered to be among the best players ever to compete in Counter-Strike esports, from CSGO to CS2.
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