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Top 5 CSGO Players at the Biggest Events of the Spring 2023 Season

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Top 5 CSGO Players at the Biggest Events of the Spring 2023 Season

HLTV.org tweeted out a list of the top 5 CSGO players at the biggest events in 2023 thus far 

As the first half of 2023 draws to a close, HLTV.org released a list of players who statistically outperformed others at the biggest CSGO events of this year so far. These individuals have proved their mettle in the grandest stage of CSGO. Join us as we go through the names and assess each of their performance at the most prestigious events that took place this year. 

1. Mathieu “⁠ZywOo⁠” Herbaut (Vitality) 

Big Event Stats in 2023

  • Maps Played: 56
  • Rating: 1.32
  • Deaths Per Round: 0.58
  • Kills, Assists, Survived, and Traded: 76.8%
  • Impact Rating: 1.36
  • Average Damage per Round: 85.1
  • Kills Per Round: 0.83

IEM Rio 2023 and Paris Major 2023 MVP Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut leads the pack. The Vitality AWPer recorded an average rating of 1.32 across 56 maps in S-tier events this year. Throughout IEM Rio 2023, ZywOo played a pivotal role for his team, with an outstanding average rating of 1.31 across 15 maps. 

ZywOo showcased his exceptional skills by recording ratings above 1.00 in all the maps he participated in. Notably, he delivered exceptional performances in eight maps, achieving ratings higher than 1.30. ZywOo's impact was particularly significant during Vitality's lower bracket run and subsequent playoff matches, demonstrating his ability to perform exceptionally when it truly counted. The 22-year-old was even better at Paris Major in front of his home crowd. ZywOo topped the chart with a brilliant 1.39 rating.

2. Dmitriy “sh1ro” Sokolov (Cloud 9)

Big Event Stats In 2023

  • Maps Played: 43
  • Rating: 1.21
  • Deaths Per Round: 0.56
  • Kills, Assists, Survived, Traded: 74.8%
  • Impact Rating: 1.13
  • Average Damage per Round: 77.2
  • Kills Per Round: 0.79

Cloud9 have had a rather disappointing year, with their most notable achievements being a loss to FaZe Clan in the ESL Pro League Season 17 Grand Final and a semifinal appearance at IEM Rio 2023. Despite the team's struggles in top-tier competitions, their AWPer Dmitriy “sh1ro” Sokolov has consistently performed exceptionally well. 

sh1ro was nearly unplayable at times at the ESL Pro League Season 17. In his first map in the competition, he posted a perfect 2.0 rating against Evil Geniuses. He nearly replicated that feat in the following series, as he demolished G2 with a 1.83-rated performance. In the second map of that matchup, played on Inferno, sh1ro delivered a 27-10 kill-death ratio and hit a 1.99 rating, finishing off the series with an overall score of 1.83. 

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His rampaging form almost got him the MVP award, but he narrowly lost out to FaZe Clan’s Robin “⁠ropz⁠” Kool. At IEM Rio 2023, sh1ro posted an average score of 1.29 in 9 maps, but unfortunately, his efforts weren't enough to carry his team to the final.

3. David “frozen” Čerňanský (MOUZ)

Big Event Stats In 2023

  • Maps Played: 36
  • Rating: 1.20
  • Deaths Per Round: 0.55
  • Kill, Assist, Survived, Traded: 76.3%
  • Impact Rating: 1.06
  • Average Damage per Round: 82.8
  • Kills Per Round: 0.71

IEM Katowice 2023 marked Mouz's first big tournament of the year, but they experienced a quick exit by failing to win any of their matches against OG and Complexity. David “frozen” Čerňanský, however, caught the eye with his impressive showing in both series. Moving on to the ESL Pro League Season 17, the team fared much better, reaching the quarterfinals. In their EPL opener against SAW, which resulted in a comfortable 2-0 victory for Mouz, frozen, along with Dorian “⁠xertioN⁠” Berman, played vital roles in leading the team to success. They both achieved remarkable individual stats, boasting a rating of 1.65 and contributing over 100 ADR each. 

During their quarterfinal match against Cloud9, frozen emerged as a key player, often saving his team in crucial moments. Despite his strong performance, Mouz couldn't advance further in the competition. After a disappointing start at IEM Rio 2023, frozen showed improvement in the match against 9INE. Yet, once again, he couldn't single-handedly carry his team to victory. Redemption came for the Slovakian player at IEM Dallas 2023, where he delivered multiple standout performances, particularly against OG and Fnatic. He performed exceptionally well in the grand final against ENCE, although his team had to settle for the silver medal. 

4. Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyljev (Natus Vincere)

Big Event Stats In 2023

  • Maps Played: 46
  • Rating: 1.19
  • Deaths Per Round: 0.62
  • Kill, Assist, Survived, Traded: 71.0%
  • Impact Rating: 1.24
  • Average Damage per Round: 79.6
  • Kills Per Round: 0.76

Even though Natus Vincere did not enjoy a phenomenal start to 2023, Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyljev continued to impress donning the yellow and black. The reigning HLTV Player of the Year could not lead his team to glory in any of the four big events he participated in this year, but his overall numbers remain incredible.

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s1mple had an explosive start to IEM Katowice 2023, leading his team to victories against Cloud9 and Team Liquid. Although his performance dipped slightly in the remaining matches of the tournament, NAVI managed to reach the semifinals. The AWPer’s performance took a slight dip in the remaining matches of the competition, but the Ukrainians managed to make it to the semifinals.

NAVI would make semifinal appearances in both of their next two big events, and s1mple was his team’s best player on both occasions. The PGL Major Stockholm 2021 MVP, however, could not make his and his team’s final CSGO Major memorable as they crashed out of Paris Major 2023 from the Legends Stage. s1mple cut an underwhelming figure at the competition as he averaged 1.07 in 8 maps, which is well below his career average. 

5. Kaike “KSCERATO” Cerato (FURIA)

Big Event Stats In 2023

  • Maps Played: 32
  • Rating: 1.19
  • Deaths Per Round: 0.57
  • Kill, Assist, Survived, Traded: 74.8%
  • Impact Rating: 1.13
  • Average Damage per Round: 80.6
  • Kills Per Round: 0.71

FURIA's performance in major events this year has been largely forgettable, with few standout moments. One positive aspect they can take away from their showings is the remarkable form of Kaike “KSCERATO” Cerato. 

Their season began with ESL Pro League Season 17, where, similar to the previous season, their journey ended in the round-of-12. Despite this, KSCERATO recorded an impressive 1.23 rating over 14 maps in the competition. His numbers were marginally inferior at IEM Rio 2023, but not far off. He would average 1.20 across 9 maps on home soil, but his efforts could only bring FURIA as far as the quarterfinals. 

The IEM Rio heartbreak took a toll on KSCERTO and his team as they failed to win any of their three Paris Major Legends Stage matches and got eliminated with an embarrassing 0-3 record. KSCERTO averaged only 0.97 in 4 maps. The 23-year-old experienced an uptick in form at IEM Dallas 2023, as he maintained a 1.22 rating across five maps. FURIA, nonetheless, could not make it past the lower-bracket semifinals in Texas.