Pro CS:GO - The Personalities
This is the third part of a series detailing the esports scene within Counter Strike: Global Offensive. Check out part one, on the structure of the competitive circuit, and part two that details the teams to keep an eye on. In this edition, we will be exploring some of the personalities who crop up time and time again within the scene, whether because of their gameplay or their impact outside of the game. A great resource to check out if you are new to the scene and want to find out more about the biographies of players is Valve's Player Profiles, which have been helpfully curated into a YouTube playlist here. Although seemingly discontinued for the majors, ESL have picked up the baton and continued to produce videos in the same vein, for example Smooya’s story can be found here.
s1mple
Let us start with perhaps the most explosive and talented player to ever pick up the game. Aleksandr ‘s1mple’ Kostyliev currently plays for Natus Vincere, and was ranked as HLTV’s #1 player for 2018. Although now upheld as a paragon of hard work, constant practice and long hours of training, his rise to the top was not a smooth one. He has been greeted with controversy for, among other things: xenophobic comments made during streaming, an ESL ban and toxic behavior towards previous teammates. His career started in the talent farms of HellRaisers and FlipSid3, playing with all of the old guard of CIS Counter Strike; ANGE1, markeloff, Dosia, bondik and B1ad3. It was with this last player, B1ad3, that s1mple had his most tumultuous relationship, the two often seen fighting bitterly during games. However, after his move to the United States to join Team Liquid, and the following bromance with Spencer ‘Hiko’ Martin, his personality started to shine through. His return to Europe, and his #NewSimple image drive to become a more rounded, level headed player have all developed s1mple into a more well liked and a universally respected player. His falling noscope double at ESL One Cologne cemented his place within the game itself, commemorated with graffiti. Our piece on Natus Vincere highlights the trials and tribulations of that team, with a seemingly good roster move overshadowed by rumours of unrest within the team. With other players, such as Zywoo, quickly coming for his crown, is time running out for s1mple to finally take a major trophy home with his hometown team?
Anders Blume
Perhaps no person who has not played competitively is as treasured as much within as Anders Blume. Known simply as Anders, the Danish commentator has become not only the voice of the game, but a beloved figure by viewers. Starting out with his late night NiPTV broadcasts with fellow legend of the game Auguste ‘Semmler’ Massonnat, his career has progressed with that of the game itself, commentating on all but one of the Majors as they grew in strength and viewcount. His transition to work alongside new casting partner Jason ‘Moses’ O’Toole has reinvigorated the old formula, with Moses’ analysis allowing Anders to instead focus on a more play-by-play style, leading to many more “Are you kidding me?” moments. His long tenure at the helm of broadcasting CS:GO has lent him credibility and respect throughout the industry, and earned him a Golden Joystick award in 2015. Away from casting, his passion for the game is evident in side projects such as Skybox, a programme to allow tactical innovation for pro teams.
ZywOo
Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut seems destined to make it to the very top of the scene. Already considered by some to be locked in contention with s1mple for that title, the 19 year old French AWPer is walking in the footsteps left by his countryman KennyS. It is hard to properly analyse ZywOo without getting carried away with what might be in the future, as he seems destined to continue setting the scene alight with his immaculate precision, positioning and cheeky grin. A quick glance over his trophy cabinet reveals that he has not yet achieved all that he could have, yet, the four MVP awards that he has managed to get his hands show something of the promise of this player. Parallels can be made to s1mples own career, with suggestions that his teammates are perhaps piggybacking on his success to propel Vitality into contention for top three in the world. With little game time after the removal of Nathan ‘NBK-’ Schmitt to facilitate superstar shox, the jury is still out on how true these claims are. So much is still to be seen from Mathieu, all the more reason why he deserves a spot on this list.
Duncan ‘Thorin’ Shields
No list of the personalities surrounding the game would be complete without mentioning perhaps the most decisive, marmite-ian figure of the scene. Duncan Shields has been in and around the game since the very beginning, working as a journalist and, at points, an analyst since the inception of the series as a whole. His long career primes him with expert knowledge on the scene, its players, and especially its history; allowing him to label himself ‘The esports Historian’ with little opposition from anyone else. However, as I have alluded too, Thorin is definitely a controversial figure. His banterous, cheeky and off-the-cuff persona can, and has, rubbed many people the wrong way over the years. What is undeniable is his deep and sincere love for the game, his ability to communicate the storylines within the game, and his vast knowledge. This is best seen, I believe, on his YouTube channel. Through his ‘Thorins Thoughts’ series. Although it has seemingly drifted away from its every day upload schedule recently, it is still worth, I believe, going back and watching some of his analysis if you would like to know more about the scene, its teams and its players through a more historic lens. Within these videos, Thorin has the time to do a deep dive into the subject matter away from the time and production constraints of event broadcasts. Here Thorin really shines, no longer constantly playing the devils advocate or playing a persona to heighten the entertainment value.
These are, of course, only one or two of the personalities that make the Counter Strike: Global Offensive scene so rich and entertaining to watch. Despite that, I hope that these short summaries can help new players getting into the scene understand better the backgrounds of the players and some of the onscreen talent, and the hard work and many hours that they have put in to be where they are now.
If you liked this round up of personalities, you might like our piece on the teams that you should be looking out for, check it out here.