A follow-up to our analysis of Group A’s best performers
Games for another group in the 17th edition of ESL Pro League are over, and with it, we have five more players who excelled. These players didn’t just dominate the easier opponents they faced, but stood tall against even the most lethal foes. It takes a lot to perform consistently, but these in-form guys have done all that and more at this event, and with most of them heading to the Playoffs, it’s important to know just how well each player did. As before, we’ll only be including one player from each team.
Kaike “KSCERATO” Cerato
- Maps Played: 10
- Rounds Played: 294
- Total kills: 224
- HLTV Rating 2.0: 1.29
- Impact Rating: 1.26
- Kill/Assist/Survived/Traded: 77.6%
- Average Damage Round: 87.4
- Kills Per Round: 0.76
The most reliable Brazilian CSGO player this side of the old Luminosity/SK Gaming quintet, KSCERATO has found new life in this iteration of FURIA. It’s a pity that his teammates don’t always measure up, because this man deserves a lot more silverware. An eager, hardworking and razor-sharp rifler, KSCERATO can make entries, clutch, anchor, and everything in between. The only real downside he has is that he can sometimes let the pressure of a difficult situation for his team get to him, but hey, we’re all human at the end of the day.
The Brazilian racked up a solid 224 kills in just 294 rounds, and while his KPR isn’t the most impressive, just about every other stat is. An excellent 1.29 rating is the second-highest for Group B, while an impact rating of 1.26 shows that he wasn’t just picking up exit frags or busy getting anti-eco aces. Arguably the most impressive stat is his ADR, which at 87.4 is pretty ridiculous and speaks volumes for just how dangerous KSCERATO has been. FURIA may only have made the Playoffs as third seed, but this Brazilian is the main reason they even did so.
David “frozen” Čerňanský
- Maps Played: 6
- Rounds Played: 155
- Total kills: 117
- HLTV Rating 2.0: 1.28
- Impact Rating: 1.08
- Kill/Assist/Survived/Traded: 80.6%
- Average Damage Round: 88.0
- Kills Per Round: 0.75
The pride of Slovakia has improved greatly over the last year or so, with the guidance of his leader and the company of his talented team helping him reach new heights. frozen’s talents don’t often stand out as much as they should on account of his incredibly talented cohorts, but make no mistake — this 20-year-old is an absolute beast. With enough highlights in his already surprisingly long career for several world-class reels, the bar for the boy is sky-high by now, and the only thing missing in his (and MOUZ’s) coffers is a second ESL Pro League trophy.
While the 1.28 rating is top stuff, what attracts our attention more is that incredible 88.0 ADR. It’s no secret that frozen is one of MOUZ’s most consistent players, and that kind of a performance that keeps you on a team for 4 years long after everyone else you joined has left. Frozen also has a fantastic KAST of 80.6% — the highest on this list — which highlights both his skills and the kind of teamwork and cohesion MOUZ currently has.
Martin “stavn” Lund
- Maps Played: 7
- Rounds Played: 195
- Total kills: 152
- HLTV Rating 2.0: 1.27
- Impact Rating: 1.22
- Kill/Assist/Survived/Traded: 77.4%
- Average Damage Round: 84.0
- Kills Per Round: 0.78
The bright-eyed youngster has been one of Heroic’s five pillars for quite a while now. The team famously doesn’t rely on stars, but on excellent players who seem to always exceed expectations. stavn is one such example, and he is as consistent as they come. It’s not easy to top a team with the likes of Casper “cadiaN” Møller and Rasmus “sjuush” Beck just to name a couple, but stavn does this on a regular basis and is an indispensable part of the Danish side.
Take everything else out and just focus on the kills. At over 21 kills per map, stavn has an incredible average at this edition of EPL, with his stats only dipping once — but not by much. In this age of save-heavy Counter-Strike, such numbers are nothing short of top-tier. The Dane’s impact rating is also not far behind his base rating, and that kills per round is also the tied-highest on this list. stavn is a distinguished member of an excellent team, and it’s a treat to watch him play.
Karim “Krimbo” Moussa
- Maps Played: 17
- Rounds Played: 489
- Total kills: 362
- HLTV Rating 2.0: 1.19
- Impact Rating: 1.09
- Kill/Assist/Survived/Traded: 75.9%
- Average Damage Round: 80.0
- Kills Per Round: 0.74
It’s remarkable when a player whose team has failed to qualify makes it to these lists, because it shows just how good their individual performance was. Krimbo has had some absolutely nutty performances at this event, with only 3 maps out of a whopping 17 that can be called subpar. The fact that BIG couldn’t qualify for the Playoffs is more of a blemish on the rest of the team than Krimbo’s failure, because the German youngster tried his hardest and played his heart out for his embattled, struggling team.
As far as numbers go, Krimbo’s aren’t exactly exceptional, but when you factor in how little support he got from his allies, it’s truly amazing that he was able to do what he did. The 80.0 ADR is decent under any circumstances, as is the 75.9% KAST. The 362 kills in 489 rounds is also a major point in this, as that’s quite superb over such a long stretch of matches over such a long amount of time, and like stavn’s before him, totals in at over 21 kills/map. Krimbo may be out of the running, but there are bright things in the future of this brilliant Bavarian.
Håkon “hallzerk” Fjærli
- Maps Played: 11
- Rounds Played: 322
- Total kills: 251
- HLTV Rating 2.0: 1.16
- Impact Rating: 1.22
- Kill/Assist/Survived/Traded: 69.9%
- Average Damage Round: 78.9
- Kills Per Round: 0.78
Speaking of players who have punched above their weight despite their teammates not being there for them, Norwegian AWPer hallzerk has been a beast for Complexity. He may not have played nearly as many maps as Krimbo, but the fact that he was able to make this list despite being relatively inconsistent for the most part shows how good he can be when he pops off. An excellent 251 kills from 322 rounds is fantastic for any sniper, but the fact that hallzerk pulled this off while his team managed to lose games 16-1 and 16-8 is pretty crazy.
The Scandinavian is the only player on his team to have done consistently well at this event, with most of COL falling flat. hallzerk had a decent rating, an excellent impact rating with everything considered, great ADR and KPR scores considering the fact that he’s an AWPer, and a subpar but decent KAST. What’s not shown here is that he almost single-handedly won his team at least two matches, with excellent numbers on others as well. AWPers usually have good numbers due to their playstyle, but make no mistake — hallzerk was top-class.
Keep an eye on our site for more regular ESL Pro League Season 17 updates, and make sure to check out our vast collection of other CSGO pieces as well.
