Strafe Selections: Best Duos in Counter-Strike history

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

27 Jan

Ganesh Jadhav

Counter-Strike is a 5v5 tactical first person shooter, and to win a game, all five players have to come through together. It is essential that the five players play as a team to win an event.

But occasionally, two players are enough, ‘One duo to rule them all’. A duo is a set of two players, who have developed intimate chemistry with each other.

Such duos make the game exhilarating and fun to watch. If the duo is alive, the round is far from over, some of the best examples of such duos are.

S1mple and electroNic

S1mple and Electr0nic at PGL Major (credits: PGL)

Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyljev is the undeniable G.O.A.T. of Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. He was the ‘Sun’ that carried Natus Vincere to multiple victories. During these trying times Denis "electroNic" Sharipov became the ‘Moon’ that illuminates the world when the sun was missing.

The duo that came together in 2017 became the centerpiece of the new age NaVi roster. When young pieces joined the roster and struggled, s1mple and electroNic supported them and their efforts culminated in a 2021 win at the PGL Stockholm Major.

With the win, s1mple cemented himself as the best CS:GO player and electroNic supported him with full force. The duo unfortunately separated after NaVi dropped electroNic in 2023. S1mple also stopped competing shortly after, taking a leave of absence with the launch of CS2.

Dev1ce and Dupreeh (and Xyp9x)

In a list of two players, it is unfair to mention a trio, but it would be a shame to not mention the Greatest CS:GO roster of all time.

The Three Musketeers of Danish Counter-Strike, Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz, Peter "dupreeh" Rasmussen and Andreas "Xyp9x" Højsleth might just be the best set of players to ever play a competitive shooter. The trio first started playing together on Copenhagen Wolves in 2013. A proficient awper, a clutch minister and dextrous entry-fragger, together became a piece.

They just needed two more players to win the competition. Realizing this, they stayed together. They transitioned to Uber Geekz, Team Dignitas, Team Solomid, Question Mark (?) and before finally landing on Astralis, where they rose to prominence.

While they enjoyed moderate success in their earlier years, they struggled to close the competition until Astralis. Where they won a total of four Majors together and still sit atop the list of the most successful CS:GO players of all time.

Astralis win their fourth major (credits: Starladder)

The trio went their separate ways after dev1ce transitioned to Ninjas in Pyjamas in 2021. Dupreeh and gla1ve both had an emotional message for their long time partner.

FalleN and fer

The Brazilian Duo - FalleN and fer (credits: IEM)

The Godfather of Brazilian Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo has played the game for many years and alongside numerous Brazilian legends including FNX, Gaules and more. But Fernando "fer" Alvarenga has to be FalleN’s best teammate. The duo played together often and played well off one another.

Playing with each other since 2013, together fer and FalleN took Brazilian Counter-Strike to greater heights than ever seen before. Alongside TACO, Coldzera and fnx they became the first American team to win a Major.

They transitioned to SK Gaming and won another Major and became a two-time winner, putting Brazilian Counter-Strike on the map. In the following years the Duo continued playing together and won multiple S-tier tournaments.

The duo separated after their MIBR stint. FalleN joined Team Liquid soon after and fer went on to play for Imperial Esports.

NEO and TaZ

Neo and TaZ at Dreamhack Masters Las Vegas (credits: Dreamhack)

The pride and joy of Polish Counter-Strike, Filip "NEO" Kubski and Wiktor "TaZ" Wojtas are the oldest Duo on the list.

NEO and TAZ played together for fourteen years. Starting in Counter-Strike 1.6 with Team Pentagram, they both were part of the Golden Five of Polish Counter-Strike. They were top contenders throughout their careers and have won multiple tournaments in Counter-Strike 1.6.

Alongside their teammates, they also transitioned to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. With Pasha, the duo joined Universal Soldiers and later joined Virtus Pro with Snax and Byali.

During their time on Virtus Pro, the team was colloquially referred to as Virtus Plough for the squad’s ability to run through their competitors. The Virtus Pro squad also won a Major together in 2014.

They played together until 2018. The duo has since retired and both of them are currently coaching Tier 1 teams. NEO is with Faze and TaZ with G2.

GeT_RiGhT and f0rest

GeT_RiGhT and f0rest at GFinity Championship 2015 (credits: Gfinity YouTube)

Arguably the most renowned duo on the list, Christopher “GeT_RiGhT” Alesund and Patrick “f0rest” Lindberg are also a duo forged in CS 1.6 who later transitioned to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

After meeting on the Fnatic 1.6 squad, Get_RiGhT joined f0rest’s squad, not knowing it was the start of a partnership that would last decades.

Playing together under the Fnatic banner in 2009, the duo realized their potential and transitioned to SK Gaming in 2010. They were one of the strongest teams in 2011-12 and the first of many legends to transition early to Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

With the new game, GeT_RiGhT and f0rest dominated the competition. They won 87 straight maps and won a Major together. The duo played together until 2019 when GeT_RiGhT stepped down from the roster. They reunited for a brief period in 2020 but it soon concluded.

The duo’s shenanigans can still be enjoyed on the stream alongside Olof, Friberg and other CS legends.

This concludes our list of Best Duos in Counter-Strike. Do you think we missed someone? Do let us know in the comments!

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