Best play of 2023 - BLAST.tv Talent Awards
It's Counter-Strike awards season, and it's time for us at BLAST to look back at 2023 and celebrate the best of 2023.
For our 2023 awards, we have eight categories coming your way. Now we'll be continuing with the best Counter-Strike play of 2023.
To find our winners for this award, we have enlisted the help of four of our most knowledgeable talent members and the BLAST.tv editorial team will have a vote, too.
The best Counter-Strike play of 2023
Pimp: m0NESY Banana ace
"I think m0NESY won the best play in all of esports this year at an awards show, so I think that's a fair candidate for that, I know it was against an eco, but to do what he did with a Deagle and be so clinical with it, I think m0NESY gets that. If not that clip, then there's other plays of m0NESY's throughout the year. He's a highlight player that really brings out his best in clutch scenarios."
Launders: ZywOo 1v4 vs G2 on Nuke
"m0NESY's 1v5 at BLAST Premier World Final is actually a contender. It was a 1v5, which is super rare, on LAN, versus a top team, and it had everything in it even if it was a longer one. ZywOo's 1v4 on Nuke versus G2 at the Paris Major too. He dropped out of Heaven, hit that smoke shot versus m0NESY, that was also insane."
Photo: Michal KonkolHenryG: FaZe 2v3 defuse on Nuke
"It's going to be from IEM Sydney in the Group Stage, FaZe vs GamerLegion. It was a 2v3 situation involving ropz and rain, a Nuke bombsite retake, they were on the CT side.
The way they managed the situation, GamerLegion, they thought the round was done, they were already saving their weapons, the bomb was about to explode on the A site and then we had ropz and rain thinking they could steal the round away.
The fact that they had such decisive movement, the way they communicated and got the full defuse in with ropz defending with the AUG from above, it was the most hype moment of the entire tournament and a fond memory for me just spectating it as well."
Banks: m0NESY Banana ace
"M0nesy Inferno Deagle play, that was nuts. Watching that live, enjoying the crispiness of it, an opening AWP kill into three one-tap tap Deagle kills and then he hunts for the next one, smelling blameFs fear! The beautiful thing about this is the fact he knows after the first AWP kill that he can’t run or he will likely be caught so he just tries to take the fight and perfects them so well with the Deagle as they all try to hunt him down.
Another clip that has to be included is the 1v5 from m0nesy at the world final, sure there were a lot of mistakes made by NAVI in that situation and yes, G2 didn’t get the win, but that was just a genius moment from the baby GOAT and one that is truly special and something we hardly ever see!"
Photo: Michal KonkolBLAST.tv editorial team: m0NESY Banana ace
"Everyone loves a Deagle highlight, and it might not be as good as dupreeh on Overpass against FaZe or the Happy Deagle ace, but it's certainly up there."
Verdict: m0NESY's Banana ace is the best play of 2023
With three votes, m0NESY takes the prize for the best Counter-Strike play of 2023.
Considering he's a human highlight reel, it's no surprise this award has gone to him, and we're sure his name will be in the hat again this time next year.