A few years ago, eSports was a niche for the elite. Cramped, stuffy computer clubs, keyboards covered in a layer of dust, guys in stretched sweaters arguing about the strategy of playing Counter-Strike 1.6. It was a world for its own. Incomprehensible, unexplored, marginal. Today, the number of viewers of eSports tournaments has exceeded the audience of NHL matches, and the best eSports athletes in the world receive six-figure fees per year. People all over the world are glued to the screens, cheering for their favorite teams and exploding with emotions during each highlight.
TOP eSports Athletes in the World
This article will introduce you to esports legends who have reached incredible heights in the esports field.
Danilo “Dendi” Ishutin
When people say Dendi, they mean Na'Vi, and vice versa. This legendary player joined Natus Vincere back in 2011 and has become one of the most famous esports players in the world. His name is familiar even to those who have only heard of Dota 2 superficially.
Danilo started his career as a member of WG, later playing for Ks.Int, but he gained real recognition in the DTS Gaming team. There he achieved his first significant achievements, including prizes at ESWC 2010 and WDC 2010. Already in 2011, Dendi became a part of Na'Vi, and this moment became a turning point in his professional career.
Ishutin's most successful years were from 2011 to 2013. In 2015, the organization temporarily disbanded the Dota 2 roster, but later brought back all the players, realizing their mistake. Some analysts claim that the updated Na'Vi is no longer as powerful as before. However, Dendi remains a real star and the best Dota 2 player. Proof of this was a documentary filmed by Valve about his journey in esports.
Clement “Puppey” Ivanov
Klement Ivanov, a native of Estonia, was born in 1990. As a child, he was fond of classical music, sang in the choir and mastered five musical instruments at once. He also showed excellent results at school. As Klement noted in an interview, musical education helped him develop strategic thinking and leadership skills, which became key in his esports career.
By 2011, Puppey had managed to play for several teams, and at Mousesports he met Kuro “KuroKy” Salehi Takasomi, with whom he later formed one of the most successful duos in Dota 2 history.
Today, Klement Ivanov is one of the most successful players in the world of Dota 2. He is the only esportsman who combines the functions of captain and manager of Team Secret, which continues to participate in the largest tournaments organized by Valve.
Cybersportsman Kuro “KuroKy” Salehi Takasomi
This player's story is like the plot of a motivational movie. An ordinary guy from Iran who had problems with his legs was able to make his way to the top of esports and go down in history as the first player to win over 1,000 professional Dota 2 victories. It took him six long years to win his first victory at The International, and only in 2017, as the captain of the legendary Team Liquid, did he achieve his dream goal.
KuroKy started his career as part of Virtus.pro, but spent most of his time on the bench. Realizing the need for change, he moved to Natus Vincere, where he won silver at TI 2013 with the team. However, strained relations with Dendi forced him to leave Na'Vi and join Team Secret. But he didn't stay there either - after a while Kuro announced the creation of his own team called Team Liquid. In less than a year, he managed to assemble the perfect team, form a close-knit team and, as a result, raise the coveted Aegis of The International champions above his head.
Yaroslav “pashaBiceps” Yazhombkovsky
This stocky Pole is far from the typical image of an e-sportsman. Tall, muscular and incredibly charismatic, he became one of the most successful players in professional CS:GO. Journalists have repeatedly called Jarosław “the Polish hero”. His passion for computer games began at the age of 14, when the first Internet cafe opened in the city. There he spent most of his time, honing the skills that later led him to the top of the world e-sports.
In 2014, he signed with Virtus.pro, which was a turning point in his career. In the following years, he was consistently ranked as one of the best snipers in the CS:GO universe, regularly entering the TOP-10 of the most productive and highest-paid players on the planet.
Marcelo "coldzera" David
Thanks to this modest guy, football star Neymar became a devoted fan of CS:GO. Marcelo David, better known by the nickname coldzera, has a phenomenal reaction and is among the most accurate snipers in the world. For a long time he had to play for numerous semi-professional Brazilian teams, until fate brought Marcelo together with Luminosity Gaming. With this team in 2016 he won the MLG Major Championship title, after which the team joined the German organization SK Gaming.
One of coldzera's most notable achievements was being named the best CS:GO player in the world. He held this status for two consecutive years, a rare feat in professional esports. His incredible accuracy, quick reactions, and strategic thinking made David a true legend of the discipline.
Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok is the undisputed king of League of Legends
The world of esports is full of star players, but if in CS:GO or Dota 2 the title of the best constantly changes hands, then in League of Legends there is an unchanging leader – Lee Sang-hyuk, known as “Faker LoL”. He burst onto the professional scene in 2013 and immediately declared himself as a unique player, capable of confidently performing at any championship. His ability to play any character with equal skill makes him a universal fighter, and his aggressive style, combined with unpredictability, often puts opponents in a dead end.
Faker's SK Telecom T1 team achieved global dominance largely thanks to Lee's contributions. Without him, the team would hardly have been able to maintain its dominance. Since 2016, Lee Sang-hyuk has become the highest-paid player in League of Legends.
Kirill “Likkrit” Malofeev (League of Legends)
Kirill Malofeev has become a real Chatsky in the world of esports. He was once a key figure in the strongest League of Legends team in the post-Soviet space, playing as a support for Albus Nox Luna. Thanks to his outstanding play, the team made it to the quarterfinals of the world tournament. However, Likkrit's career, which was developing at lightning speed, faced a serious obstacle - a conflict with representatives of the Russian office of Riot Games. During one of his streams, he spoke sharply about the state of the esports industry, which led to a six-month suspension.
Despite fans' requests to return to the professional scene, Malofeev announced the end of his career. However, he did not leave esports completely - he founded his own club CrowCrowd, whose teams achieved success not only in League of Legends, but also in World of Warcraft.
Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostylev (CS:GO)
Another legendary figure in esports is Alexander s1mple CS:GO Kostylev, a player for the Na'Vi team. His popularity is impressive: he has over 1.6 million followers on Instagram, which exceeds the audience of many professional football players. In the fall of 2021, he finally won the coveted title of the best CS:GO player and, according to analysts, he did it absolutely deservedly. At that time, he had practically no equal in this discipline.
s1mple has eight MVP awards and ten finishes at the world's most prestigious tournaments, including a major. Fans call Alexander the GOAT — "Greatest of all time" — and this definition seems quite justified.
Jae Ho “Moon” Chan (Warcraft 3)
Jae Ho Chan is a name synonymous with mastery in Warcraft 3. His strategic genius and analytical thinking allowed him to prove that the Night Elves were more than just a faction. Thanks to Moon, the race began to be called the "heel" of the game. An eight-time finalist in major tournaments, he lost only twice, an exceptional achievement.
Chan has won numerous titles and awards over the years of his professional career, and his name is immortalized in the ESL Hall of Fame. Despite his age - he recently turned 35 - and his service in the South Korean army, Moon is still the best Night Elves player in the world.
Johann “n0tail” Sundstein (Dota 2)
Johann Sundstein is an esports player whose path to the top was difficult. He repeatedly faced changes in the team composition, experienced high-profile failures in Secret and OG, as well as a conflict with a close friend with whom he played for seven years. However, all the difficulties only tempered Johann. In the end, n0tail assembled his own team and became the captain.
Among Sundstein's achievements:
- The first player to win The International twice in a row.
- The leader in the amount of prize money won in esports is $7 183,917.
Two years ago, Sundstein announced his temporary retirement from the professional scene. He is now sharing his experience with young players and, unexpectedly for many, has become passionate about creating content about gardening, his long-time hobby.
Many have made their fortunes in esports simply by playing video games. Some of the players sign multi-million dollar contracts, collaborate with leading brands, and perform in arenas filled with thousands of spectators. Their streams garner millions of views, and victories in prestigious tournaments bring them worldwide recognition.
