All-Star Counter-Strike Duos: The Best Pairings in History

What makes a Counter-Strike All-Star? I’ve been taken by the idea recently, comparing it to something akin to the NBA All-Star Game, which takes place annually. It can take many forms. Raw individual numbers, longevity, personality, or silverware. All considerations to be made when looking at Counter-Strike’s list of undoubted All-Stars across the years. But while individuals are excellent, we have been blessed with some remarkable duos. Pairings that seem to be connected with one brain in perfect synergy. It’s a rare thing, and it’s what makes these players so unique and memorable.

So I pose the question, and attempt to answer it here: who are Counter-Strike’s All-Star duos? The pairings that, across the years, have left the most significant impact inside and outside the server? Let’s take a trip down memory lane, and try to find the answers.

dev1ce and dupreeh

Even in the best Counter-Strike team of all time, dev1ce and dupreeh stood out as a fearsome pair. Although prime Astralis were a five-man unit, it’s inarguable that this duo were a leading factor in their success. You had dupreeh to open up the rounds as an explosive entry-fragger, and dev1ce to round them out on the AWP, consistent as anyone else in the world. Across their time together on Dignitas, TSM, and finally Astralis, they played a total of 1647 maps together – the most of any pair on this list. During that time, they managed to lift a remarkable 29 trophies, putting them among the most decorated Counter-Strike players of all time. And what about those four Major wins? If you’re talking about any list of All-Star Counter-Strike duos, dev1ce and dupreeh will always be at the top of the conversation.

f0rest and GeT_RiGhT

Towards the end of CS 1.6 and right at the start of CS:GO, there was no better rifling duo than f0rest and GeT_RiGhT. Two of the greatest players of all time, and Ninjas in Pyjamas were lucky enough to have them both at the peak of their powers at the same time. It’s an All-Star Counter-Strike pairing that will be talked about for the rest of the game’s history. While GeT_RiGhT may have stolen the headlines, f0rest was capable of putting out some absurd highlights of his own. You can see this in f0rest’s eight MVPs to GeT_RiGhT’s 10 – when NIP won trophies, you would always find these two at the scene of the crime. They exist nowadays almost as a relic of Counter-Strike’s earlier days, but it’s crucial we continue to pay tribute to one of the game’s finest All-Star duos.

FalleN and coldzera

Sometimes, a perfect Counter-Strike is a case of “right players, right time.” That’s how you would describe FalleN and coldzera. Their respective peaks aligned at the perfect time, with 2016 and 2017 dominated by Brazilian Counter-Strike. FalleN was the AWPer and IGL all in one, writing the book on how to combine these roles. Meanwhile, coldzera was setting a new ceiling for riflers, with one of the most exhilarating peaks of all time. While playing together at Luminosity, SK Gaming, and MIBR, they’d collect 13 trophies together, including two Major titles. Realistically, FalleN and coldzera needed each other. FalleN would spend the rest of his career looking for another coldzera, while coldzera would never reach the same heights as he did during his time with The Professor. To this day, many will claim FalleN and coldzera to be the ultimate All-Star Counter-Strike duo.

donk and sh1ro

Although donk and sh1ro are a modern Counter-Strike duo, they’ve already cemented their place among the all-star pairings in the game. On the one hand, you have donk, a statistical anomaly with raw firepower beyond anything we’ve ever seen in the game. Absolute golddust. On the other, there’s sh1ro, who backs up his teammate’s ridonkulous numbers with sheer consistency. Throughout their time together on the Spirit lineup, donk has averaged a 1.39 rating, with sh1ro’s 1.19 rating still that of a true star AWPer. And while donk may pick up all the MVPs, sh1ro won’t complain as long as he’s adding to his own trophy cabinet along the way. Remember, this is a duo that has already completed Counter-Strike, winning Katowice, Cologne, and a Major in two years.

s1mple and electroNic

Sometimes, “All-Star” is a status. An aura. And s1mple and electroNic? They had aura to burn. When electroNic joined NAVI, he joined a roster in need of consistency. They had the X-factor in s1mple, but that wasn’t enough to get over the line in a scene filled with talent. That’s exactly what electroNic brought to the table, putting together consistently excellent numbers, enough to make NAVI true contenders in every tournament. 2021 was their pinnacle, emerging out of the online era with trophies galore. Their respective ratings in NAVI (1.29 for s1mple and 1.15 for electroNic) tell the story of how important they were for each other’s careers. And while s1mple spent more time with NAVI overall, there’s no denying that their best times on the team came when they played together. Nowadays, they still play together on BC.Game, but it just isn’t the same as in their heyday.

NiKo and m0NESY

The pairing of NiKo and m0NESY perhaps falls under the iconic bracket, rather than successful. At least so far. The pair crossed paths when m0NESY joined G2 as a teenager in January 2022, and it quickly became clear that they’d become an inseparable duo. Their time together on G2 resulted in six total trophy wins, including an IEM Katowice and an IEM Cologne. They were also the driving force behind the legendary GStew run, perhaps the greatest example so far of the heights they can reach when both are firing on all cylinders. It’s clear that the pair are hanging their hopes of winning a Major on one another, with m0NESY making the move to Falcons alongside NiKo earlier this year to continue their career together. After 585 maps together across their two teams, there’s still so much life in the NiKo and m0NESY partnership yet.

ZywOo and apEX

Over his storied career, apEX has had many teammates. None more special than ZywOo. When Vitality was putting together its French Counter-Strike roster in 2018, both of these players were obvious candidates. At that point, apEX was already a veteran with Major-winning pedigree, while ZywOo was clearly a prodigy with serious GOAT potential. Seven years and 1353 maps later, it’s fair to say that this partnership has been a success. Three Majors, a Grand Slam, Katowice, Cologne – you name it, they’ve done it. You could even say they’ve put together the first real team era since prime Astralis. Their team-up has been mutually beneficial for different reasons. For apEX, having a star with ZywOo’s overwhelming firepower was crucial to helping him make the transition from entry-fragger to in-game leader. And while ZywOo would have been successful in just about any team, having a been-there-done-that veteran like apEX by his side to quite literally help him grow from a boy into a man is priceless. apEX’s impact on ZywOo undoubtedly stretches outside the server, and has played a massive role in the player he is today. A legendary duo, but the story isn’t finished yet.

Shox and ScreaM

Shox and ScreaM were a prime example of what Counter-Strike could be. In Shox, you had the outgoing personality, the one who got the people onside. And with ScreaM, you had the player who got people excited inside the server, frying people with his legendary one-taps. Love them or hate them, you can’t deny that Shox and ScreaM made Counter-Strike more interesting. Their CS:GO careers together spanned across VeryGames, Titan, and G2, and while it only produced four trophies across 517 maps total, individually Shox (1.15) and ScreaM’s (1.11) ratings tell the story of how feared this All-Star Counter-Strike duo was at their peak.  There are more decorated CS pairings throughout history, but let me tell you right now – there are none nearly as entertaining.

karrigan and rain

For years and across two stints, karrigan and rain were the identity of FaZe Clan. The pair first joined forces in late 2016, when karrigan left Astralis to join FaZe. The organization put a superteam around them, including GuardiaN, NiKo, and olofmeister. And though karrigan eventually left in 2019 for a two-year trip to mousesports, rain was still waiting for him on his FaZe return in 2021. Though their first stint together had its share of trophies, it was during the second that they picked up all of Counter-Strike’s biggest trophies. Throughout 2022, they won an IEM Katowice, Cologne, and PGL Major Antwerp, rounding it out with an Intel Grand Slam in 2023. Though perhaps not the most individually gifted of these All-Star Counter-Strike duos, karrigan and rain stand out for their remarkable longevity across 1344 maps together. FaZe Clan isn’t the same without both of them together, showing the young’uns how to do it. Considering it wasn’t all smooth sailing for karrigan and rain, a total 58.71% map win rate together makes for particularly ridiculous reading. When they were good, they were dominant.

TaZ and NEO

Last (but by no means least), there’s TaZ and NEO. Legendary members of the famous Virtus Plow Virtus.pro roster, they had stints of dominance in both CS 1.6 and CS:GO. It’s pretty generally agreed that NEO is the best CS 1.6 player of all time, and he made the jump to the newer game fairly easily. TaZ brought a similar tenacity to the server, although there’s no doubt that their prime came in Counter-Strike 1.6. That makes the fact that they still managed 11 trophies together with VP all the more impressive. They had a longevity that is just unheard of in modern CS, with NEO spending almost five years in the active roster. And while NEO outlasted TaZ in Virtus.pro thanks to the famous Mercedes incident, looking back, it’s easier to appreciate what this All-Star Counter-Strike duo brought to the table.