m0NESY tops the ranking of the five best CS2 players in the first half of 2026
The first half of 2026 will go down as one of the busiest in the history of competitive Counter-Strike. Esports Charts has compiled its list of the five best players of the period – and the choice goes well beyond pure rating: influence on matches, collective impact and the ability to show up in decisive moments weighed as much as any individual statistic.
The podium and those who nearly made it
Before reaching the top 5, three names that narrowly missed out are worth noting. Dmitriy “Sh1ro” Sokolov closed the IEM Cologne Major 2026 with his 26th EVP award at major events, reaching fourth place on the all-time list. Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo, in his final year as a professional, was a central piece in FURIA’s good runs – including a podium in Cologne – and is still chasing a third Major title a decade after the first two. And Nikita “HeavyGod” Martynenko maintained very high figures even in an irregular half-year for G2 Esports; the 23-year-old accumulated EVPs throughout that run, finishing among the five players with the best rating in the period. The early exit in Cologne scratched, but did not erase, what he built.
Danil “donk” Kryshkovets, of Team Spirit, was the player with the highest individual rating in the entire first half. At 19, the Russian already carries a Major title on his CV and continues to accumulate EVP awards. Third place on the list reflects an external factor: Spirit failed to convert consistency into trophies, winning only one event in the first six months. That weighed against their main man.
Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut, in second place, led Vitality on a historic winning run and finished the IEM Cologne Major as the player with the highest ADR, the highest kills-per-round rate (0.89) and the best Swing (+3.80%) – even with the team’s elimination in the quarter-finals. It is the kind of figure that silences any debate.
m0NESY: the number 1 who showed up when it mattered most
Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov ended the half as the best player of the period – and did it the hardest way possible. It was his first Major final. He arrived on a run of eight consecutive defeats in major finals. Even so, he was the tournament MVP, leading Team Falcons to a 2-0 over FURIA in the decider with a rating of 1.25 and a KPRW of 1.10, the best of the competition.
At 21, the Russian not only won his first Major – he helped teammate Nikola “NiKo” Kovač finally lift CS2’s most coveted trophy after years of frustration. There is context, there is weight and there are numbers. Hard to dispute that spot.
