In the modern state of competitive Counter-Strike, firepower is as important as ever. No matter how structured or tactically disciplined, each team needs all its pieces to be individually potent and capable of game-changing plays when it matters most. And yet—structure is required. Even teams like Team Spirit need to have the proper structure and provide the necessary support for the best player of 2024 and the best rifler of 2025—donk. Teams like Aurora and TheMongolZ, as much as they depend on their firepower, need a base level of order if they want to set their individuals up for success.
It might be fair to say that CS has never been more “strict” for the top teams, especially if they want to compete for trophies. But as much as hyper-intelligent players like ropz or ZywOo—who are equal parts skilled and reasonable—are a joy to watch, sometimes craziness is what makes the difference in big games. Crossing the line of normality at the right moment is not a skill available to all.
Some players see the game in their own way. Whether it’s their incomprehensible level of creativity, unique perspective on the game, or ability to completely shatter their super-charismatic nucleus and dive into the most obscene plays without a single drop of doubt, these players produce some of the most miraculous moments the game has ever seen. And sometimes—some of the noisiest fails. So, in this article, we’ll take a look at two players who were always great at being unconventional, entertaining, and, at times, silly. Players who could easily make you believe that being reckless is, indeed—a superpower.
Kristian “k0nfig” Wienecke
For many modern Counter-Strike fans, k0nfig is nothing but a fading, unremarkable, or even highly mediocre player. You could argue that the 28-year-old’s career ended after his one-year-long stint on a struggling NIP and the events that led to his removal from an improving—yet still success-starved—Astralis lineup. But the k0nfig of old was something else. Not just a good player, but a great one. One of the most mechanically talented riflers to touch the game between 2015 and 2021. And he wasn’t famous for his incredible understanding of the game or leadership qualities—no. k0nfig was the type of player who would loudly and in style give figurative middle fingers to all of his opponents, both in-game and outside the server.
After joining the MSL-led lineup of Dignitas—later to become North—in 2015, k0nfig quickly showed the world that there weren’t many players who could go toe-to-toe with him aim-wise. But regardless of his incredibly crisp aim and ability to pull off the most extravagant headshots that would make all fans feel miserable about their own individual skill, the Dane’s true superpower was his willingness to go berserk. I am pretty convinced that if there had been a therapist or psychologist watching him play while on North, they would’ve instantly diagnosed him with the highest form of delusion. k0nfig was the type of player who wouldn’t reload his AK-47 in a 1v1 while having a single bullet in the clip, or who would go for the knife kill in a 1v1 situation in overtime on an elimination map at a Major. And in case those examples sound familiar to some of you, that’s because they are factual situations from his career—he really did those things, and much more.
By the way k0nfig played the game, you could easily tell that he had no fear. No fear of failure, no fear of making the wrong play. God, the thought of him losing a 1v1 fight was probably never present in his mind—and maybe that’s what made him so good. He was so good that in 2017, he ended up being the #14 player in the HLTV Top 20, regardless of North winning only one LAN event at DreamHack Open Montreal 2017. Sure, the Danish team reached the playoffs of both Majors that same year and made the Grand Final of the EPL S5 Finals and DreamHack Masters Malmö, but those were also strongly correlated with his best events of the year.
In modern CS terms, it would be silly to say a player is so good you couldn’t stop him without utility, which is an essential part of Counter-Strike. But back then, those players existed, and individual duels were as important as ever—and that was what k0nfig was one of the best at.
As per the words of famous Counter-Strike historian, analyst, and pundit—Duncan “Thorin” Shields:
k0nfig is one of the most underachieved prodigies in the history of Counter-Strike.” A player who could’ve easily been part of one of the best teams in the world and lifted many trophies. A player whose recklessness and incapability of doubting himself for a second could quite literally break the game.
Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev
This is not the type of article that looks at all of the achievements of the G.O.A.T. of CS:GO and arguably—the best player to ever touch Counter-Strike. With the immense presence and success of players like ZywOo and donk in modern Counter-Strike, and the previous success of Astralis legend Nicolai “device” Reedtz—we’re not going to try and prove whether s1mple is indeed the greatest to ever do it, regardless of the humble author of this article supporting that claim. Instead, we’re here to remember not only how insanely skilled s1mple was and has been throughout his entire career, but what mindset helped him build the legacy we all remember and cherish today.
From a very early age, it was obvious that the young prodigy of HellRaisers and FlipSid3 had something that many players never achieve—unshakable confidence. The difference between himself and k0nfig, though, was that s1mple not only had insane belief in his individual ability but was also insanely convinced that no one could see or play the game better than him. s1mple always had his opinion on how the game should be played and would never hear otherwise. His arrogance and refusal to take criticism were often the reason behind his teams’ lack of success or even the frantic desire to remove him from the lineup—ultimately leading to his being kicked by his future NaVi coach, Blad3, while at HellRaisers, and to ELiGE reaching the point of wanting to leave Team Liquid because of the flamboyant Ukrainian superstar. And s1mple would never be an easy teammate to have, but one thing cannot be taken away from him—he is an absolute Counter-Strike genius.
While other AWPs like device or ZywOo needed stunning in-game leadership, solid team structure, and a near-perfect playbook to lift trophies and be among the best, s1mple was not only extravagant, but efficient in carrying his teams through the most intense games and against the best teams in the world—pretty much alone.
The year is 2015, and the titan that was Natus Vincere—led by GuardiaN and Zeus—is facing the 18-year-old s1mple and his FlipSid3 in the Grand Final of the CCS Kick-off Season Last Chance LAN qualifier. An online game that became one of the first and strongest cases of s1mple’s X-factor. The flamboyant teenager started the series with a record-breaking 32-10 performance on Cache and ended up rounding out the 3:1 win with a 114-63 score and a 1.68 rating. And what about the time when s1mple dropped a 31-9 score with a 2.28 rating against FaZe on Inferno in EPL S7 Europe, or when he dismantled G2 Esports in the Grand Final of IEM Cologne 2021 with a 75-49 score and a 1.37 rating, or all the other times when he blew the minds of everyone watching with his unholy highlights at Majors and LAN events over the years? The truth is—even 10,000 words wouldn’t be enough to mention every phenomenal game s1mple has played in his career. But the most impressive part of it all was how unique his playstyle was.
Running around with the AWP as if it were a shotgun, switching between it, pistols, and rifles—s1mple could make something out of nothing with any gun in the game. For many young players who were trying to go pro between 2017 and 2020, the rules were quite simple. If you wanted to learn how to play proper Counter-Strike—watch device. If you wanted to watch a demo you’d most likely never be able to replicate—watch s1mple. A unique vision for the game, everlasting belief in himself, and the capability to not only break the game but do it at will. In s1mple’s case—you could never dispute or argue his decision, no matter how unconventional or wrong it might’ve seemed, because he would almost always make it work.
Conclusion
In retrospect, many other names could be brought into this conversation. arT, whose unshakable vision of aggression made him a wildcard tactician. YEKINDAR, still searching for the perfect version of his old Virtus.pro self. These players, as volatile as they are electrifying, often reflect their in-game recklessness in their personalities. They’re difficult to tame, harder to structure—but when they explode, they leave an imprint no playbook can replicate. They’re the heartbeat of chaos in a game that increasingly leans on control. And sometimes, they prove that recklessness isn’t just a flaw—it’s a superpower.
