In the modern day, everyone knows CS:GO and CS2 legends like dev1ce, ZywOo, and s1mple. However, the history of Counter-Strike didn’t start with CS:GO’s release in 2012. Before that, we had CS 1.6, which features a slate of iconic players of its own. The best CS 1.6 players are the ones who made an impact in the game’s earliest days, putting it on an upward trajectory to gain popularity and become the title it is today.
Who are the top 10 best CS 1.6 players ever? Read on to find out – there might even be a few players you recognise from CS:GO here, too.
10. Abdisamad “SpawN” Mohamed
- Years active (player): 2000 – 2010
- Notable teams: SK Gaming and Ninjas in Pyjamas
Abdisamad “SpawN” Mohamed was one of the best CS 1.6 players during the game’s early days. His strongest period came during his time at SK Gaming, although he did also have a stint at Ninjas in Pyjamas during the game’s earliest days. A rifle by trade, SpawN took home numerous CPL titles, and represented Sweden by winning the ESL European Nations Championship in 2004 and 2006.
9. Jonas “whiMp” Svendsen
- Years active (player): 2004 – 2014
- Notable teams: The Titans, SK Gaming, alltherage, H2k Gaming, and mTw
Jonas “whiMp” Svendsen enjoyed a solid career in CS 1.6, but his peak easily came as part of a dominant mTw roster in 2008 and 2009. He was essential in winning events like the World eSports Masters 2008, World Cyber Games 2008, and IEM III European Championship Finals. From his debut in 2004, whiMp was too young to play CPL events, highlighting what a young prodigy he was at the time.
8. Ioann “Edward” Sukharjev
- Years active (player): 2001 – 2021
- Notable teams: Virtus.pro, pro100, DTS Gaming, and NAVI
Ioann “Edward” Sukharjev is a name most will remember from his CS:GO days. And yes, while he was good in CS:GO, he was undeniably one of the best CS 1.6 players ever in his prime. Edward’s time on NAVI was particularly fruitful, with the rifler helping the team to trophies towards the end of the game’s lifespan. He’s one of the game’s true legends, a player who often did the dirty work for his team.
7. Ola “elemeNt” Moum
- Years active (player): 2001 – 2011
- Notable teams: SK Gaming, NoA, 4Kings, mousesports, and Meet Your Makers
Ola “elemeNt” Moum is another CS 1.6 player you might describe as a prodigy, having been at his best during his late teenage years with multiple CPL wins. Throughout his career, he represented multiple big CS 1.6 orgs such as SK Gaming, NoA, and mousesports. What made elemeNt such a star wasn’t his top-tier mechanics, though. No, it was incredible gamesense, which is why he spent his career in-game leading teams to the very top.
6. Emil “HeatoN” Christensen
- Years active (player): 2000 – 2007
- Notable teams: Spirit of Amiga, Ninjas in Pyjamas, and SK Gaming
Emil “HeatoN” Christensen is the master of the spray. Despite a relatively short career in the early days of the game, HeatoN cemented his legacy as one of the best CS 1.6 players ever by farming CPL tournaments with SK Gaming and Ninjas in Pyjamas. He helped fly the flag for Swedish Counter-Strike, inspiring the legends who would come further down the line.
5. Christopher “GeT_RiGhT” Alesund
- Years active (player): 2003 – 2021
- Notable teams: Fnatic and SK Gaming
Christopher “GeT_RiGhT” Alesund is a rare type of talent. He’s one of the few CS 1.6 players who is also considered to be one of the best CS:GO players ever, too, thanks to his transition between the two games. His obvious greatness on the rifle became apparent during his Fnatic and SK Gaming stints – he had the innate ability to take over the server like few other players. If he had spent longer in the earlier game, GeT_RiGhT would undoubtedly be higher on the list of the best CS 1.6 players.
4. Tommy “Potti” Ingemarsson
- Years active (player): 1999 – 2006
- Notable teams: SK Gaming and Ninjas in Pyjamas
Sweden dominated the early days of CS 1.6, and Tommy “Potti” Ingemarsson is a massive reason why. He and the aforementioned HeatoN were a deadly duo on both SK Gaming and Ninjas in Pyjamas, and Counter-Strike fans have argued for years about who was better, but it was Potti who was the more clutch player overall, even if he wasn’t quite as flashy. Despite retiring in 2006, Potti more than deserves his place among the best CS 1.6 players ever.
3. Jeghor “markeloff” Markelov
- Years active (player): 2004 – 2018
- Notable teams: NAVI
Jeghor “markeloff” Markelov was an absolute monster on the server as CS 1.6 started to draw to a close. We’ve already touched on his teammate Edward, but markeloff was the true carry in the NAVI roster that took home tons of trophies between 2010 and 2012. He’s the only AWPer on this list, notable for his penchant for quickscoping combined with best-in-class movement. His qualities were nerfed in CS:GO, making for a tough transition, but he’ll always be one of the best CS 1.6 players ever.
2. Patrik “f0rest” Lindberg
- Years active (player): 2003 – 2023
- Notable teams: Fnatic and SK Gaming
You could easily make the argument that Patrik “f0rest” Lindberg deserves to be at the top of this list. Between 2007 to 2009, f0rest enjoyed his best individual stint, but he was no slouch for the remaining years of CS 1.6, either. But why so good? He was just dominant with a rifle, always playing with unbridled confidence, backing it up with results each and every time. Incredibly, f0rest isn’t just one of the best CS 1.6 players – he also continued into CS:GO, and continued to enjoy further success in the newer game.
1. Filip “NEO” Kubski
- Years active (player): 2000 – 2023
- Notable teams: Team Pentagram, Meet Your Makers, Frag eXecutors, and ESC Gaming
Filip “NEO” Kubski was the crown jewel in the Polish Golden Five lineup that won tournament after tournament over the course of 1.6’s lifespan. In truth, NEO had everything: movement, mechanics, gamesense – he was the best CS 1.6 player in just about every sense. He could even AWP, too. It’s no surprise that he was able to adapt to CS:GO and become a Major winner, before becoming a top-tier coach in CS2. NEO is a legend of the game, not just in CS 1.6, but in Counter-Strike.
