Top 5 Best CS:GO Teams: A Journey Through Time

Over the years, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) has seen incredible teams that have dominated the competitive scene and made history, but when it comes to the best of the best, there are some teams that have set themselves apart with their impressive performances, innovative tactics, and remarkable players. Here’s a look at the top five CS:GO teams of all time.

Before we dive into the top five teams, it's worth mentioning a few that just missed the cut. These teams were all incredibly successful and dominant during their respective eras, but ultimately didn't quite make our list.

• Cloud 9 (2018)

• Team Liquid (2019-2020)

• SK / Luminosity (2016)

• Natus Vincere (2018-2021)

Here are the top 5 CS:GO teams of all time:

ㅤ#5. ㅤFaZe (2022)

Coming in at number five is FaZe Clan, a European team that has seen a great deal of success in recent years. The team was formed in 2016 and has undergone a number of roster changes since then. In 2022 the firepower of rain, ropz, Twistzz and broky under karrigan’s leadership constituted one of the most powerful lineups in the competitive scene. One of the things that sets FaZe apart from other teams is their ability to adapt to new playstyles and strategies. They have a reputation for being able to play a wide variety of maps and their players are all incredibly versatile.

Their run at the PGL Antwerp 2022 Major was an iconic one, with their veteran star player rain walking away as the tournament MVP. Winning a Major is one thing but sweeping the defending champions, Natus Vincere, 2-0 in the grand final to win their first Major is domination on another level. They won the ESL Pro League 17 in early 2023 with ropz awarded the tournament MVP and and the tournament was a culmination of FaZe's dominance in 2022, which saw them take home first place finishes at IEM Katowice 2022, IEM Cologne 2022, ESL Pro League Season 15 amongst other S-tier tournaments and it was the win at ESL Pro League 17, that confirmed their Intel Grand Slam.

ㅤ#4. ㅤVirtus.Pro (2014-2018)

Next up is Virtus.Pro, the Polish team that was dominant in the early days of CS:GO. Virtus.Pro was founded in 2003 and since then has been one of the most well-renowned esports organisations till date. Their CS:GO team quickly rose to the top of the competitive scene, winning a number of high profile tournaments and establishing themselves as one of the top teams in the world. What made Virtus.Pro so impressive during their peak was their aggressive playstyle and map control.

Virtus.Pro's most notable achievement came in 2014, when they won the EMS One Katowice championship in front of a home crowd in Poland. The team went on to win numerous other tournaments during this period including the Copenhagen Games 2015, ELEAGUE Season 1, DreamHack ZOWIE Open Bucharest 2016 and DreamHack Masters Las Vegas 2017.

ㅤ#3. ㅤFnatic (2014-2016)

At number three on our list is Fnatic, the Swedish powerhouse that has been a mainstay in the CS:GO scene for years. Fnatic entered CS:GO in 2012 and immediately became a force to be reckoned with, winning multiple Major championships and establishing a legacy that still stands today. One of the things that set Fnatic apart during their peak was their incredible teamwork and coordination. Their players were all incredibly skilled individually, but they were even more impressive when working together as a unit.

Fnatic's most notable achievements include winning 3 Majors- DreamHack Winter 2013, ESL One Katowice 2015 and ESL One Cologne 2015. They have reached the quarter-finals of every Major they have attended except the FACEIT London Major 2018. Heading into the final CS:GO Major in Paris, Fnatic are the only team that can end the CS:GO era tied with Astralis for the most Majors (four), if they win the BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023.

ㅤ#2. ㅤNinjas in Pyjamas (NiP) (2012-2014)

At number two on our list is Ninjas in Pyjamas, another Swedish powerhouse that was one of the most dominant and influential teams in the early days of CS:GO. Ninjas in Pyjamas (NiP) competed in Counter-Strike till 2007 and then made a return to CS:GO in 2012. NiP immediately began their run of dominance, going on a historic map winning streak of 87-0 that lasted for months and remains untouched and unparalleled even to this day. NiP won 10 LAN events without dropping a single map! It almost seems unrealistic even today and this was one of the things that made Ninjas in Pyjamas so impressive during their peak - their consistency. They were incredibly dominant for months on end, winning tournament after tournament and establishing themselves as the undisputed best team in the world. Known for their incredible clutch play NiP also revolutionised the way the game was played, with players like GeT_RiGhT and f0rest changing the way the game was played.

Their greatest feat after the 87-0 streak came in 2014, when they won their first Major, ESL One Cologne 2014. Till date they have appeared in 5 Major finals (including their successful Major campaign).

ㅤ#1. ㅤAstralis (2017-2019)

And finally, at the top of our list, it's the Astralis roster between 2016 and 2020, which is regarded as the greatest ever CS:GO team. This Danish team was an example of what was to be, if everyone and everything clicked at the same time in a team game. 2016-2020 was when Astralis was at their peak. It was 2016, device’s AWPing was coming in to shape, dupreeh and Kjaerbye’s raw fragging potential was taking off complimenting and enabling device’s conventional playstyle, Xyp9x was just a mastermind when it came to setting up his teammates to take fights and clutching 1vX rounds. Combined with gla1ve’s flawless and relentlessly innovative calling which was ahead of its time, Astralis were dominating on another level at that time. 5 out of 5 players from the Astralis lineup were among the HLTV top 20 in 2018 and 4 out of 5 in 2019.

Following the signing of Magisk in 2017, Astralis went on to achieve further greatness and the Danes end the CS:GO era with 4 Major titles (ELEAGUE Atlanta 2017, FACEIT London 2018, IEM Katowice 2019, StarLadder Berlin 2019 ), the most by any team and 3 of them back to back, something which no team has done in the history of CS:GO. One of the things that made Astralis so impressive was their incredible teamwork and coordination. Their players were all incredibly skilled individually, but they worked together in a way that was truly awe-inspiring. Astralis changed the meta of CS:GO forever, taking utility usage to a whole new level, which has now become standard practice for almost every team. They have set the bar for what it means to be a dominant CSGO team, with achievements and records that will likely stand for years to come.