“Who’s the best player in CSGO?”
Ever since the release of CSGO, this question has sparked debates and controversies across social media platforms and forums relevant to the game. While there doesn’t seem to be a conclusive answer to this, the question was enough to send me down through to a guided field trip down the overthinking alley. After going through videos of years’ worth of professional games, the light that dazzled me the most was NiKo, the current IGL of FaZe clan.
No, it wasn’t a sudden epiphany. The name NiKo has since long been carved in stone in the history of CSGO alongside the likes of s1mple, ZywOo or coldzera. As long as CSGO lives, these names will forever be luminescent in the skies of professional Counter-Strike. But there are some reasons why NiKo can be given an edge over his counterparts in Na’Vi or Vitality.
Nikola “NiKo” Kovač is a 23-year-old professional Counter-Strike player and the current IGL for FaZe clan. Being born in the country of Bosnia, NiKo was first introduced to the world of Counter-Strike through a local net café. Ever since he lay hands on Counter-Strike, he aspired to be the best in the world. Soon he reached towards the top levels of professional CS 1.6 and was picked up by iNation and later switched to team Refuse.
His major breakthrough occurred in Counter-Strike: Global offensive after he joined mousesports in 2015. From there onwards he started proving to the world why he was considered as a prodigy of CS and showed exceptional proficiency with not only rifles, but also the Deagle.
While he couldn’t attain much success in mousesports, his career was pretty much a steady climb when he was picked up by FaZe in 2017. His coordination with FaZe was perfect and his marksmanship also saw a significant improvement in his new clan.
The current roster for the FaZe clan includes rain, olofmeister, coldzera, and broky with NiKo as the IGL of the team. Their most recent achievements include landing first-place finishes in both the BLAST Pro Series at Copenhagen and Miami in 2019 and in EPICENTER 2018.
So what constitutes the definition of “the greatest in the world”? What makes me put NiKo at the metaphorical throne of CSGO?
Aim
Calling NiKo an aim god would be an understatement. Flawless? Precise? Impeccable? My vocabulary falls short of words which can be used to accurately describe the aiming of this player. His mouse movements give the impression that his wrist was built for Counter-Strike. The muscle memory of NiKo is exceptional even for the professional scene and he is rarely seen missing his mark.
“But s1mple also has great aim”
While it’s true that some other players like s1mple are renowned for their brilliant aim, what puts NiKo a step further is the fact that he can make plays out of nothing. A NiKo with just a deagle can be far more lethal than many others equipped with rifles.
This clip showcases one of the most iconic deagle aces in CSGO history, and it’s by none other than NiKo.
Gamesense
Aim alone isn’t enough to be a complete CS player; Movement and gamesense are equally important aspects. NiKo has been playing Counter-Strike professionally for more time than most players have even started getting into the game. As a result, he has developed a gamesense that’s better than many other pros in the scene. His ability to read opponents’ plays made him the IGL of FaZe. As an IGL, he is the one who calls out shots for his team and leads his team to success. His profound knowledge surrounding the game has helped him get away from intense scenarios without losing a nerve. While some pros like N0thing are also known for reading their opponents like a book, it is NiKo’s acute marksmanship in combination with his gamesense that makes him a deadly force to reckon with.
This clip shows a classic mind game coming from NiKo to get the best out of NEO in a 1v1 situation.
The Statistics
Numbers will speak a lot more than words when it comes to proving who’s the best player in the world. The HLTV profile for NiKo puts him at 25,642 kills with an insane 0.80 kills per round. His headshot percentage stands at a whopping 50.3% and that too, as an IGL which in itself is a major achievement. His impact rating is 1.30 and he holds a KDR of 1.20, both of which are impressive numbers in the top levels of competitive play.
Achievements
The team achievements of NiKo are remarkable, but still lack to an extent when compared to that of some other pros. But he has managed to shine as a player regardless, as his personal achievements are still impressive to say the least. NiKo was crowned as the 2nd best player of 2017 just behind coldzera by HLTV and the 3rd best in 2018 behind s1mple and dev1ce.
It’s true that CSGO is a dynamic game and the title of the best player in the world can’t be conclusively decided due to varying perspectives. But it’s undeniable that judging by raw skill, few, if any player can come even remotely close to NiKo’s levels. Combine the aspect of being an IGL of his team at that, and it clearly shows why he is often regarded as the greatest of all time.
