Electronic sports, also known as esports, has bred and is still breeding a pantheon of virtuosos whose skills transcend mere gaming. Though digital, the competition’s pulse beats with an intensity that threatens the foundation of a skyscraper.
Men and women who are keyboard titans have greeted this space, etching their names in its hall of fame. Many of these heroes are no strangers to pro sports bettors, especially in New Zealand and many parts of Europe.
The first national esports team in New Zealand debuted on the international scene in 2016, where it participated at the Jakarta’s IESF World Championship. Since then, players and fan base have increased exponentially. Today, many NZ fans, including VIPs, stake a lot on their favorite Esports player via finest vip sports betting sites New Zealand. Since these sites are curated by informed reviewers, users are safe and entitled to many juicy offers and promotions.
But who are these maestros of mouse clicks and sovereigns of strategy that qualify as esports’ greatest? This article examines a few of them and their impacts on the esports world.
Who are the Finest Ever eSports Players?
Below are some of the best esports players with the greatest impacts ever.
Faker
Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok is undoubtedly one of history’s greatest (if not the greatest) esports players. His tournament victories and other achievements in the competitive scene of League of Legends are second to none. Some of his notable achievements include
- Four World Championship titles
- Two Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) titles
- Several MVP awards, including World Championship MVP and MSI MVP
Faker was the first inductee for the Lol Esports Hall of Legends
Commenting on the contributions and achievements of Faker to esports, Kate Richardson, an esports player and expert reviewer, submitted that “the player has become a symbol of excellence and an inspiration to gamers worldwide.”
Flash
Once the competitive game in question is StarCraft: Brood War, there’s no way any informed person can skip Flash. The South Korean, born in 1992, earned the nickname “The Ultimate Weapon” because of his exceptional skills and achievements in this esport game. Flash’s real name is Lee Young-ho, and his professional exploration of StarCraft began in 2007.
Flash has played for the Korean Pro gaming team, KT Rolster, winning championships such as World Cyber Games (WCG) and numerous Starleague titles. Because of his contributions to esports and achievements, this gamer has become a legendary figure, particularly in South Korea.
f0rest
Since 2005, Patrik “f0rest” Lindberg has consistently performed well in the competitive Counter-Strike game, winning almost every challenge. He is from Sweden, and his favorite esports game is Counter-Strike.
If any Swedish will be recognized as great in this game, it’s f0rest. He’s succeeded in registering the European country as one of the forces to record with in esports. f0rest once played with teams such as Fnatic, SK Gaming, and Ninjas in Pyjamas.
Daigo
Daigo Umehara is a Japanese esports champion in fighting games. For more than twenty years, Daigo competed in Street Fighting titles and won six EVO Championships, the world’s most prestigious fighting game tournament.
To his amazing record, Daigo was one of the first esport gamers to emerge from Japan and one of esports’ global stars. Many fans around the globe cherish his iconic moments, especially the EVO Moment 37. Today, his legendary status is celebrated with a Manga series, books, and a statuette.
GeT_RiGhT
The HTLV ranking of players in 2010 and 2011 placed Christopher “GeT_RiGhT” in second, while he came first in the 2013 and 2014 editions. Talk about performance consistency, and this player comes head and shoulders high. Contemporaries praise him for his strategic mind, clutch plays, and ability to read games.
During his 14-year career, he had several major and historic winning streaks. These include winning ESL One Cologne with his team, Ninjas in Pyjamas, and achieving the historic 87-0 map win streak on LAN with the NiP team. The team dominated for quite a while, and he was one player instrumental in that record.
Lim “BoxeR” Yo-hwan
Dubbed “The Emperor” or “The Terran Emperor” by his fans and fellow gamers, Slayer_’BoxeR’ is a known name in real-time strategy games, especially StarCraft. He’s a South Korean with Lim Yo-hwan as his real name. Thanks to his strategy prowess and innovative gameplay, The Emperor now holds special recognition in SrarCraft as one of the greatest players ever.
1999 was the year he first won his major tournament, but since then, it has been streaks of winnings. Some of his lifetime achievements as a competitive StarCraft player include
- Two OnGameNet Starleague titles
- World Cyber Games gold medals
- Establishment of team SlayerS
- Coaching SK Telecom T1
Upon retirement, Slayer ventured into poking and endorsement deals.
Johan “N0tail” Sundstein
The extraordinary achievements of Johan “N0tail” Sundstein in Dota 2, his leadership skills, and multiple wins are why he’s indisputably numbered among esports players of all time. The Dota 2 player has twice won the most prestigious Dota 2 tournament, The International, in 2018 and 2019.
Sundstein has also won four Dota Major championships in Frankfurt, Manilla, Boston, and Kiev. As his team’s captain, N0tail deployed his strategic gameplay and leadership skills that were pivotal to their success. From the teenage year of 15, N0tail began a career that saw him transition from Heroes of Newerth to Dota 2, where he stamped his authority.
Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev
S1mple’s greatness in esports is largely due to his superb performance in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS: GO). However, beyond this, he has also won 21 HLTV MVP medals, exemplifying his brilliance and impact on the game.
Of course, any CS-oriented person knows that claiming a player is great without a Major Championship win is controversial. S1mple fulfilled this requirement, coming first in 2018, 2019, 2022. As per ranking, he was first in 2018, 2021, and 2022. Also, in 2019 and 2020, he was ranked second.
Sumail “SumaiL” Hassan
SumaiL is another famous esport player in esports history. He made his name in Dota 2 and was among the Evil Geniuses team that won The International 2015. He began his gaming career early, and it didn’t take long before he became the highest-rated player in the North American Elite League.
His victory at the 2015 The International made SumaiL the youngest player ever to win over 1 million dollars at an esport event. The amount was the prize money for winning the Championship, and SumaiL was only 15 years old then.
Johnathan “Fatal1ty” Wendel
Last on this list but not least is Fatal1ty, an American known for his exploits in First-Person Shooter Games (FPG). He debuted at the 1999 Cyberathlete Professional League (CPL), coming third and winning $4.000. In 2005, he won his fifth world title in as many video game titles, securing an unprecedented $150,000 prize. He’s one of the most popular esports athletes in the world to have amassed over $450,000 in prize winnings.
Johnathan Wendel’s contributions to esports have earned him widespread recognition, such as Lifetime Achievement awards and induction into the International Video Game Hall of Fame and ESL Esports Hall of Fame.
Esports Players of All Time: Conclusion
Not all pro players qualify as the best players of all time, and this list is by no means exhaustive. However, those on this list have paid the price. They are among the most successful players ever to have wielded the keyboard to their fans’ admiration and nation’s pride.