The hyper-competitive world of Counter-Strike has many individual standouts. Amidst the top-tier players, two have stood out, which are Oleksandr ‘s1mple�?Kostyliev and Mathieu ‘ZywOo�?Herbaut. With their skill ceiling and dominance on another level compared to the rest of the Counter-Strike world, they created an era-defining rivalry against each other. 

Statistical consistency: S1mple and ZywOo were always brilliant

Both s1mple and ZywOo became top players because of their consistency when playing. They always found ways to outperform their opponents by getting a huge number of frags every match. At the same time, they consistently delivered and stepped up for their teams, which is why they now stand among the statistical all-time greats. 

Based on the popular Counter-Strike website HLTV, both players deserve the title of the best. In the website’s yearly rankings, both players have topped the charts, with S1mple in 2018 and 2021, then ZywOo in 2019 and 2020. 

Despite the metagame evolving through the years, these two players have consistently performed at an exceptional level. That is a testament to their consistency and skills in playing Counter-Strike. They have set the gold standard for Counter-Strike players, and are expected to remain among the top players for the foreseeable future. 

They always had spectacular matches against each other

A rivalry requires these players to succeed, which is proven by their Major victories. S1mple led Natus Vincere to the PGL Stockholm victory in 2021, which was one of the most legendary runs of any player in CS history. 

The same can be said for ZywOo when he led Team Vitality to a win at the Paris Major in 2023. It was a standout performance, which cemented his legacy alongside s1mple as the greats of modern Counter-Strike.

The two all-time greats are fantastic, but it won’t be a rivalry if they do not play against one another. They have played against each other many times, but the biggest series was at the BLAST Premier World Finals in 2022, which G2 Esports won and ESL Pro League Season 16, when ZywOo and Vitality narrowly won 2-1.

They shaped modern Counter-Strike

Beyond the stats and accolades, s1mple and ZywOo have had a lasting impact on Counter-Strike and esports. They have transitioned well from CS: Global Offensive to CS2, and they were the pinnacle of AWPers in Counter-Strike. The new generation of players once looked up to them as role models and are now competing against them.

This rivalry is competitive, but both players respect each other. It is always a clash between legends, which have elevated the game to great heights. While future star players will emerge, surpassing these two biggest names in Counter-Strike will be tough.

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Team Vitality has just claimed their sixth straight title after thrashing MOUZ 3-0 in the Intel Extreme Masters (IEM) Dallas 2025 grand final on Sunday, May 25. This win marks their 30th LAN series victory in a row, which places them in second place for the longest LAN win streak in Counter-Strike history. 

Vitality’s run at IEM Dallas showed strong teamwork and solid play. They edged past Falcons 2-1 in a tense semi-final match before beating MOUZ in the final. Their star player and tournament MVP, ZywOo, kept up his form and played a key role in the team’s success.

This is also Team Vitality’s sixth grand final win in a row. Their recent run includes final wins at the IEM Melbourne last April 27 and the BLAST Rivals Spring on May 1, both against the Falcons.

With the BLAST Austin Major just around the corner, Team Vitality is set to play with huge momentum and clear focus.

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Even the best Counter-Strike 2 esports players practice a lot at home. To play their best, they use powerful gaming gear made for esports. Their PCs are fast, smooth, and ready for anything, so have a look at the PC setups of some of the greatest CS2 legends and what makes them top of the line. 

The CS2 esports PC specs

To make sure every player has the same experience at LAN CS2 tournaments, organisers bring strong and high-performance PCs for everyone to use. Most of these PCs have powerful Intel Core i9 processors. For graphics, they used the latest NVIDIA RTX cards, the usual choice for esports events. Most CS2 tournaments 2024 used the specs listed below or something similar.

Here are its specs as of writing:

These specs are some of the best for avoiding hiccups that would affect gameplay during LAN battles. To give you more context, here’s the pro's choice of hardware: 

Stewie2k’s training PC setup

Jacky ‘Stewie2k�?Yip is a Counter-Strike 2 rifler and entry fragger for multiple teams. He is currently a free agent, meaning any team can hire him as a stand-in player and is not on any team as of current. 

In his home, he has his own PC setup for training and other personal gaming. Have a look at his desktop specs:

This setup has lots of power, similar to the ones used in LAN esports. It’s built to handle fast-paced games like CS2 without any slowdowns. With strong parts like a high-end processor and graphics card, it gives players the speed and performance they need to compete at a professional level.

m0NESY’s powerful computer

Ilya ‘m0NESY�?Osipov is a top-of-the-line AWPer for the Team Falcons. m0NESY’s computer is a strong gaming setup that can run any modern game without problems. It gives smooth and steady frame rates in CS2, even during intense parts of a match. 

The fast processor helps stop any freezing or lag. His graphics card is also good enough to run the game well on high settings in Full HD, which is great for pro-level play. Check out his PC specs:

His setup relies on its powerful processor to bring out the full power of all the other hardware. Even if his drive is only 500GB, it can still boot up any modern game on the market. 

ZywOo’s top-notch desktop

Mathieu ‘ZywOo�?Herbaut is Team Vitality’s AWPer/sniper who is known for his speed and accuracy. Besides his skill, this can be thanks to his high-quality desktop that he uses for practising and private gaming. 

His PC is built for maximum performance, so expect lag-free gameplay due to the impressive cooling system and powerful processor. Here’s the list of his computer specs:

The combination of the i9 processor and the ROG Strix motherboard powers everything to the point of incomparably silky smooth performance. The reliable hardware makes sure nothing gets in the way during important matches.

donk’s gaming PC

Danil ‘donk�?Kryshkovets is a rifler/entry fragger of Team Spirit, well-known for his aggressive yet tactical gameplay. Because of his role, he needed hardware that could keep up with his skills and speed. 

This setup is perfect for esports tournaments and practice, giving smooth gameplay and top performance without any lag. Check out his gaming hardware:

The Intel i9 processor plus the NVIDIA video card can be considered ‘the big guns,�?enough to play modern games in high settings. Together, they make sure games run smoothly, with fast loading times, high frame rates, and no stuttering �?even during action-packed moments.

NiKo’s stutter-less gaming PC

Nikola ‘NiKo�?Kovač (formerly known as NiKolinho and nIKOLINHO) is a legendary esports player who plays for Team Falcons. The rifler/entry fragger is known for one-shot headshots and impressive recoil control. 

NiKo’s PC is a top example of a pro gamer’s setup, built with the latest high-end parts. The recent upgrades and smart cooling system keep it stable during any game. Have a peek at his setup:

The combination of the four parts makes it one of the best setups for Counter-Strike 2 and many more games. The processor alone is enough for a stutter-free performance, but the other three components make it smooth. 

Exploring the PC setup of the renowned CS2 legends

These are some of the known setups of popular CS2 esports pros. Their computers are built with a purpose—to eliminate lag, stutters, and framerate drops. Every part is chosen to help them perform at their best, whether they’re training or competing on the big stage. 

These setups show that in the world of pro CS2, having the right gear can make all the difference—a second of lag can mean victory or defeat. 

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