CSGO community reacts to dev1ce’s impressive ‘top five player’ streak
ESLThe Counter-Strike community gave its proper respects to Astralis star Nicolai ‘dev1ce’ Reedtz after officially reaching an impressive milestone of consistent excellence across half a decade.
Astralis and sustained excellence go hand-in-hand, so it only makes sense that the star and driving force for their success attains his own accomplishment in the midst of their run.
Every year, HLTV does a top twenty players list of the best CSGO players based on the past calendar year. The list is a hotly contested subject within the community, and always sparks conversation when a new entry is revealed daily.
On January 18, HLTV revealed the player who finished third in 2019 – renowned Danish AWPer dev1ce. With the inclusion in the list at number three, dev1ce stands alone when it comes to consistent top annual performance.
THE 3RD BEST PLAYER OF 2019: @DEV1CE 💥
Six trophies and three MVP's secures dev1ce a top 3 placement on the Top 20 Best Players of 2019 list!
This marks his sixth consecutive time making the list – with a top 5⃣ placement EVERY year since 2015 😳
Congratulations, legend 🙌 pic.twitter.com/7pdjTlcaVR
— Astralis Counter-Strike (@AstralisCS) January 18, 2020
He has now achieved a top-five rating for five consecutive years, and finished 3rd in 2015 and 2016, 5th in 2017, 2nd in 2018 behind Na’Vi’s Oleksandr ‘s1mple’ Kostyliev, and now 3rd again in 2019.
While some fans are upset to see the pro has never claimed the top spot, numerous members of the community congratulated him nevertheless on the impressive achievement. Caster Jason ‘Moses’ O’Toole tweeted out saying that he believes one day, dev1ce will achieve the top spot.
One day he'll get that #1 spot he deserves https://t.co/Z5vqYF9DqX
— Jason O'Toole (@MosesGG) January 18, 2020
Dev1ce attracted praise from both former and current teammates. His newest teammate in Emil ‘Magisk’ Reif, who made his own appearance in the top five for this year, called him “the best player all around,” and said that the amount that the AWPer contributes to the team is “unmatched and unknown.”
For me you are the best player all around. The amount you contribute to the Team is unmatched, but also unknown. But we will keep taking home titles and I know that’s the most important thing for you aswell 😊♥️ https://t.co/bo1lBKJlbj
— Emil Reif (@MagiskCS) January 18, 2020
His former teammate in in-game leader Finn ‘karrigan’ Andersen, who now leads the red hot mousesports, called dev1ce a “GOAT player” and thinks it’s “insane” how he consistently performs so highly.
What a GOAT player, insane how he can keep performing on a high level and get top5 placings in the TOP20 list few years in a row. https://t.co/tj8OArn4t3
— karrigan (@karriganCSGO) January 18, 2020
Back when karrigan led the dominant Danish core, dev1ce first appeared in the top twenty list in 2014 as a member of Dignitas, just sneaking in at the #20 spot. The next year, he finished in the top five after a year with TSM, before obtaining his next four top-five placements all with Astralis.
During his run with Astralis, the team has won four majors, including the last three straight, and have trophy cases with other titles as well. The team has made a strong case for being the best CSGO of all time, with dev1ce’s consistent excellent play earning him consideration as the greatest player of all time.
ESLHLTV has two more spots to reveal for the 2019 best players list, which will presumably go to s1mple and the young Vitality star from France, Mathieu ‘ZywOo’ Herbaut.
Astralis will look to continue their championship run in 2020, with the BLAST Premier Spring series beginning at the end of January. They will also look to defend their title as reigning major champions at the ESL One Rio major in May.