20 Best CS:GO Players Who Never Won a Major
Competitive Counter-Strike has seen some great players and teams rise to the top. However, not every talented player has had the chance to secure victory at a major tournament. In this two-part list, we will count down the 20 best players who never finished atop the podium.
Part 1: 20-11
20. Simon “twist” Eliasson – The Lost Swede
Results at the Majors:
- DreamHack Winter 2013 (13th-16th) [Reason]
- EMS One Katowice 2014 (3rd-4th) [LGB]
- DreamHack Winter 2014 (9th-12th) [F3]
- ELEAGUE Major 2017 (3rd-4th) [FNATIC]
Twist is known for his talent and potential to have won a major. However, he chose to play with lower-tier Swedish teams instead of joining the elite teams in the scene. Eventually, he joined FNATIC, which gave him a chance to compete at a major.
Best Chance: EMS One Katowice 2014 (3rd-4th) [LGB]
19. Mathias “MSL” Lauridsen – Making the Best of Bad Hands
Results at the Majors:
- DreamHack Winter 2013 (9th-12th) [Reason]
- EMS One Katowice 2014 (9th-12th) [3DMAX]
- DreamHack Winter 2014 (13th-16th) [myXMG]
- DreamHack Open Cluj-Napoca 2015 (13th-16th) [Dig]
- ESL One Cologne 2016 (9th-12th) [Dig]
- ELEAGUE Major 2017 (5th-8th) [North]
MSL is known for his leadership skills and ability to elevate his teams to compete with the best. Although he has not had a lineup capable of winning a major, he is still considered one of CS:GO’s best in-game leaders.
Best Chance: ELEAGUE Major 2017 (5th-8th) [North]
18. Sean “seangares” Gares – Deep Thinking but Lacking Firepower
Results at the Majors:
- DreamHack Winter 2013 (3rd-4th) [coL]
- EMS One Katowice 2014 (5th-8th) [coL]
- ESL One Cologne 2014 (5th-8th) [C9]
- DreamHack Winter 2014 (9th-12th) [C9]
- EMS One Katowice 2015 (9th-12th) [C9]
- ESL One Cologne 2015 (9th-12th) [C9]
- DreamHack Open Cluj-Napoca 2015 (9th-12th) [C9]
Seangares is known for his excellent anti-strats and ability to compete with Europe’s best. However, poor roster decisions and lack of firepower on his teams prevented him from achieving success at majors.
Best Chance: ESL One Cologne 2014 (5th-8th) [C9]
17. Spencer “Hiko” Martin – NA’s Most Clutch
Results at the Majors:
- DreamHack Winter 2013 (3rd-4th) [coL]
- EMS One Katowice 2014 (5th-8th) [coL]
- ESL One Cologne 2014 (5th-8th) [C9]
- DreamHack Winter 2014 (9th-12th) [C9]
- DreamHack Open Cluj-Napoca 2015 (13th-16th) [TL]
- MLG Columbus 2016 (3rd-4th) [TL]
- ESL One Cologne 2016 (2nd) [TL]
- ELEAGUE Major 2017 (9th-11th) [TL]
Hiko was once considered one of the best players in the world. He was known for his clutch plays and lurking style of play. Although he has achieved top placements at majors, he has never won the ultimate prize.
Best Chance: ESL One Cologne 2016 (2nd) [TL]
16. Håvard “rain” Nygaard – Norway’s Secret Weapon
Results at the Majors:
- ESL One Cologne 2014 (13th-16th) [CW]
- ESL One Katowice 2015 (9th-12th) [LGB]
- ESL One Cologne 2015 (5th-8th) [Kinguin]
- DreamHack Open Cluj-Napoca 2015 (3rd-4th) [G2]
- MLG Columbus 2016 (9th-12th) [FaZe]
- ESL One Cologne 2016 (9th-12th) [FaZe]
- ELEAGUE Major 2017 (5th-8th) [FaZe]
Rain is known for his calculated and smooth style of play. He has shown great potential, especially during his time with G2 and FaZe. He is considered one of the most skilled rifle players, but has not been able to win a major.
Best Chance: DreamHack Open Cluj-Napoca 2015 (3rd-4th) [G2]
15. Braxton “swag” Pierce – The Banned Game-Sense Star
Results at the Majors:
- DreamHack Winter 2013 (3rd-4th) [coL]
- EMS One Katowice 2014 (5th-8th) [coL]
- ESL One Cologne 2014 (9th-12th) [iBP]
- DreamHack Winter 2014 (9th-12th) [iBP]
Swag was considered one of the best players in the early years of CS:GO. Known for his game sense, he was banned from competitive play, which prevented him from achieving major success. With the right team, he could have been a key player in a championship-winning side.
Best Chance: DreamHack Winter 2013 (3rd-4th) [coL]
14. Tyler “Skadoodle” Latham – The Game’s Best Turret
Results at the Majors:
- DreamHack Winter 2013 (13th-16th) [iBP]
- EMS One Katowice 2014 (13th-16th) [iBP]
- ESL One Cologne 2014 (9th-12th) [iBP]
- Dreamhack Winter 2014 (9th-12th) [iBP]
- ESL One Cologne 2015 (9th-12th) [C9]
- Dreamhack Cluj-Napoca 2015 (9th-12th) [C9]
- MLG Columbus 2016 (13th-16th) [C9]
Skadoodle quickly emerged as one of the brightest talents in NA CS while playing for iBUYPOWER. Although he became the best player in NA and competed in international finals with C9, he has not been able to achieve major success.
Best Chance: ESL One Cologne 2015 (9th-12th) [C9]
13. Denis “seized” Kostin – Masterful Support
Results at the Majors:
- DreamHack Winter 2013 (13th-16th) [Na`Vi]
- EMS One Katowice 2014 (13th-16th) [Na`Vi]
- ESL One Cologne 2014 (5th-8th) [Na`Vi]
- DreamHack Winter 2014 (3rd-4th) [Na`Vi]
- ESL One Katowice 2015 (5th-8th) [Na`Vi]
- ESL One Cologne 2015 (5th-8th) [Na`Vi]
- Dreamhack Cluj-Napoca 2015 (2nd) [Na`Vi]
- MLG Columbus 2016 (2nd) [Na`Vi]
- ESL One Cologne (5th-8th) [Na`Vi]
- ELEAGUE Major 2017 (5th-8th) [Na`Vi]
Seized has shown versatility throughout his career and has been a valuable support player. Although Na`Vi has come close to victory in several majors, they have often fallen short against all-time great teams.
Best Chance: MLG Columbus 2016 (2nd) [Na`Vi]
12. Finn “karrigan” Andersen – The Cursed Leader
Results at the Majors:
- DreamHack Winter 2013 (9th-12th) [n!]
- EMS One Katowice 2014 (9th-12th) [Reason]
- ESL One Cologne 2014 (9th-12th) [CW]
- ESL One Katowice 2015 (5th-8th) [TSM]
- ESL One Cologne 2015 (3rd-4th) [TSM]
- DreamHack Open Cluj-Napoca 2015 (5th-8th) [TSM]
- MLG Columbus 2016 (3rd-4th) [Ast]
- ESL One Cologne 2016 (5th-8th) [Ast]
- ELEAGUE Major 2017 (5th-8th) [FaZe]
Karrigan has been labeled as a problematic leader but has demonstrated his skills as an IGL. Unfortunately, his teams often fell apart in the playoffs, despite having the potential to become an all-time great lineup.
Best Chance: DreamHack Open Cluj-Napoca 2015 (5th-8th) [TSM]
11. Philip “aizy” Aistrup – The Missing Danish Great
Results at the Majors:
- DreamHack Winter 2013 (13th-16th) [Xapso]
- EMS One Katowice 2014 (9th-12th) [3DMAX]
- ESL One Cologne 2014 (3rd-4th) [Dig]
- DreamHack Cluj-Napoca 2015 (13th-16th) [Dig]
- MLG Columbus 2016 (9th-12th) [FaZe]
- ESL One Cologne 2016 (9th-12th) [FaZe]
- ELEAGUE Major 2017 (5th-8th) [FaZe]
Aizy has faced challenges throughout his career, often finding himself on teams that were not able to compete at the highest level. However, he has shown immense skill and potential, and with the right team, he could have been a major winner.
Best Chance: ESL One Cologne 2014 (3rd-4th) [Dig]