AWPers have always been the stars of any Counter-Strike team. From kennyS, to GuardiaN, s1mple, and now newer stars such as ZywOo, SunPayus, and moNESY, AWPers have always been the flashiest players that create the greatest sense of anticipation within their adoring fans.
The last few years have seen the rise of academy prospects to tier one, with m0NESY, torzsi, and regali all now having homes with tier-one organisations, but who will be the next to make the step up?
With a whole host of names to choose from, we chose to speak with an upcoming CSGO expert Freddie "GrimmyRannarr" Pritchard to get his views on some of the up and coming AWPers to look out for in the coming years.
Despite only being 18 years of age, r1nkle has already earned plenty of plaudits since joining B8.
He almost qualified for the BLAST.tv Paris Major with his team, only losing out due to a loss to Cloud9 in the decider bracket that would see FaZe qualify for the main event.
As a Ukrainian, r1nkle is one of many young stars coming through the ranks on the big green in Eastern Europe, although, given what NAVI have done recently with their roster, it may give us a clue as to where his future lies in terms of needing to leave his home scene to grow truly.
GrimyRannarr: "r1nkle showed incredible talent from only a young age within the Ukrainian scene and was given a spot on B8 at just sixteen. Throughout 2022 the team grinded their way up the rankings and qualified for the RMRs at both of the last two Majors. They may have been unsuccessful, but with the coming changes to the partner system, r1nkle could spearhead them to more appearances at big events very soon."
One of the latest players to graduate from the MOUZ NXT production line, sl3nd is now starting to make a real name for himself on Endpoint.
An excellent home for development in recent years with the likes of Nertz, BOROS, and mhL all going on to bigger and better things, sl3nd could be the next name to use Endpoint as a stepping stone in his career.
GrimyRannarr: "After making a name for himself regionally on Onyx, he stepped up into MOUZ NXT as part of a new roster that was set to face the pressure of living up to the expectations of the most successful academy project thus far. Sl3nd himself hit the ground running, with impressive results all across his time in MOUZ NXT.
Their most impressive performance came with them taking the victory in CCT North Europe Series 5 where they beat the likes of 9INE, Endpoint and Sprout. Sl3nd was one of the main reasons they took the crown, boasting a 1.18 HLTV rating.
As his contract was coming to an end Endpoint scoped him up with their new-look roster and he has not disappointed there either. Sl3nd is a player who has changed rosters frequently this year, but every time he settles in instantly, showing off his explosive playstyle and making everyone dread facing up against him."
The oldest player on this list at 22 years of age, deko has been threatening to break through to the highest level for a while now.
Currently playing for 1WIN where he has been since December 2020, the recent additions of Boombl4 and NickelBack have seen the team climb to its highest ranking on the HLTV rankings at 27.
With a new game on the horizon and more opportunities bound to come his way, it won't be long before deko becomes more of a household name for Counter-Strike fans.
GrimyRannarr: "deko can rival tier one AWPers in no time. He came out of nowhere, but during his time with 1WIN, he has never had a negative HLTV rating in a tournament and boasting a staggering 1.23 rating since joining is something that can't be ignored.
With the recent changes to the team, deko is in the best position he has ever been to shine and he is not disappointing in the slightest. It is only a matter of time before the 22-year-old who seems to never miss gets scooped up."
Brazilian nqz is one of the brightest prospects in the region and definitely the brightest prospect on the AWP.
Having made a name for himself on the 9z team that qualified IEM Rio last year, he was the key player and became part of a bidding war between Fluxo and 00NATION.
Eventually deciding to join up with coldzera and Co., the young AWPer continues to impress in one of the most competitive regions in the world.
GrimyRannarr: "South America is an AWPer's paradise and nqz shines above most other players in the region. Considering he's also impressed internationally, it shows he isn't just good domestically. He might have made the wrong move considering the team's dip down the rankings, but with that much talent, they're sure to be on the rise again soon and he will be key to that. The biggest hope is that the recycling of talent within the region doesn't prevent him from ever truly reaching his potential."
The only currently tier-one player on this list, headtr1ck has been a revelation for NIP in recent months.
Now fully bedded into the team, the former NAVI Junior player continues to grow from strength to strength and will remain a key figure for NIP for years to come.
Still raw, it's unclear how good headtr1ck will end up being, but on his current trajectory, he could very well be one of the best players in the world in the early years of CS2.
GrimyRannarr: "Whether it was down to IGL changes or just adapting to tier one, headtr1ck struggled at first on NIP but now seems well past that. What's most impressive about headtr1ck is that he only started AWPing when m0NESY left for G2, but that is only a strength for him now as all top AWPers need to be good riflers too. He will be a huge player in CS2."
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