Update: The poll is now closed. Here are the Esports Player Of 2017 results

We celebrate the best performances in pro gaming throughout the year with Esports Player Of The Month, but now it's time for the big one. Who is the best esports player of 2017?

Our panel of casters and esports experts have each picked a player for their chosen competitive game, and with a number of world champions competing for your votes, it should be tight.

Matthew 'FormaL' Piper (Call Of Duty)

Nominated by Phil 'Momo' Whitfield

Momo says: My player of the year is FormaL from OpTic Gaming. He won the console player of the year [at the Esports Industry Awards] and also won champs. He has been the most dominant slayer all year and the most impactful player on his team.

Phil Whitfield is a caster for ESL. Follow him on Twitter: @PhiWhi7

Coldzera (CS:GO)

Nomated by CS:GO caster Hugo Byron

Hugo says: In 2017, history repeated itself. The core four players of SK Gaming, the Brazilian lineup that rose to the top in 2016, have enjoyed the same success this year.

When it comes to $200,000+ events in 2017, SK won six of them, and placed in the top four almost every time. During this dominance, one of the standout names on this roster was Coldzera. The 23-year-old Brazilian was instrumental in SK’s success – his individual prowess and consistency is envied by even the best of players.

Hugo Byron is a CS:GO caster. Follow him on Twitter @HugoooTV

Kuro 'KuroKy' Salehi Takhasomi

KuroKy had a stellar year with Team Liquid © ESL - Patrick Strack

Nominated by Doug 'Zambrella' Todd

Doug says: KuroKy is undoubtedly my player of the year. Not only does he have a rich history in the Dota scene – playing on teams such as Na’Vi and Team Secret – but this year he captained Team Liquid to victory at The International 7. This earned him the rank of the highest-earning Dota and esports player in the world.

Having played Dota 2 for so long, his hero pool is massive. He can play almost any position and any hero, so his understanding of the game gives him an edge over the competition. What I find the most impressive, though, is his ability to stay cool in and out of the game. This resilience must be a driving factor when keeping his team under control in tricky situations. Team Liquid have a lot to live up to after their TI7 win, but if there’s a captain to lead a team to a two-time International win, it’s KuroKy.

Spencer 'Gorilla' Ealing (FIFA)

Gorilla scored more goals than anyone else at FIWC © David Huber

Nominated by RedBull.com's games and esports editor Tom East

Tom says: From Tass Rushan to Vitality_Rockyy and Marcus 'ExpectSporting' Jørgensen, there were multiple FUT champions during the FIFA 17 season, but one player showed his skills when it mattered the most – at the FIFA Interactive World Cup. With $200,000 on the line, this was by far the biggest FIWC yet and Gorilla entertained viewers with an incredible display of attacking football. He won the tournament, having scored the most goals in the competition. Now he just has to keep it up for FIFA 18.

Jon 'Orange' Westberg (Hearthstone)

Jon 'Orange' Westberg © YouTube

Nominated by Excoundrel

Excoundrel says: Orange, who qualified for worlds, is probably one of the nicest guys in Hearthstone. He's been a huge theory crafter for new builds, and is a real contender for the world title in January.

Excoundrel is an esports caster, covering League Of Legends, Hearthstone and Vainglory. Follow him on Twitter @excoundrel

Paul 'Snakebite' Duarte (Halo)

Nominated by Mark 'Onset' Hatcher

Onset says: OpTic gaming dominated in 2017, taking home four major LAN championship events, including the World Championship.

Their consistency has been a key factor in their success, and a huge part of their achievements can be attributed to their captain, Paul 'Snakebite' Duarte. A strong leader both in and out of the game, he has also been an incredible individual performer for the team. With numerous clutch moments and game-winning plays, he has an amazing ability to stay calm in pressure situations.

Snakebite has proved he has what it takes not only to become a champion, but more importantly what it takes to stay there.

Mark 'Onset' Hatcher is a caster for the Halo Championship Series and the Gfinity Elite Series. Follow him on Twitter @EsportsOnset

Faker (League of Legends)

Faker © lolesports.com

Nominated by League Of Legends caster Aaron 'Medic' Chamberlain

Medic says: This is the first year in a while where this accolade is even up for debate. With SSG winning the World Championships, many people will argue that one of their players should be in the running. Once again, for me, it’s Faker who defines what it means to be a ‘solo-carry’. He alone can be given credit for dragging an underperforming SKT to the world finals.

Still the best player in the world, Faker continues to excel. His challengers are better than ever, but the unkillable demon king is still top dog.

Medic is a League Of Legends caster at the EU LCS. Follow him on Twitter @MedicCasts

Willkey (Rainbow Six: Siege)

Nominated by caster and streamer Chris 'Panky' Pankhurst

Panky says: As a player, Willkey has been at the top of Rainbow Six competition for its entirety. As a captain he has been at the helm of GIFU/ENCE just as long.

With a season championship just out of their grasp for the past two years, ENCE finally took it home in São Paulo, Brazil. Team captain Willkey is a star player, pulling off fantastic clutch rounds and making excellent on-the-fly decisions to help his team win. This consistency, along with his team's final victory in Brazil, makes Willkey my player of the year for 2017.

Panky is a streamer and Rainbow Six: Siege caster. Follow him on Twitter @Panky and Twitch

Kaydop (Rocket League)

Kaydop © Twitter

Nominated by Rocket League caster Mike 'Gregan' Ellis

Mike says: Kaydop had a fantastic 2017. Starting the year off playing alongside FairyPeak, he was one half of Rocket League's deadliest duos. Kaydop and Mockit went on to be EU RLCS regional champions and world runners up in Season 3. It was a huge achievement, but Kaydop strived for more – he joined Turbopolsa and ViolentPanda on Gale Force, a roster that was feared by their rivals as the greatest team ever in Rocket League history.

During the summer, they were runners up at X Games, Dreamhack Sweden and Atlanta, losing each final to a different team. However, in the RLCS Season 4, GFE not only won the EU region, but went on to dominate worlds to become Season 4 champions.

I believe that Kaydop has been the best player in Rocket League due to his speed and ability to shoot with incredible precision and power. He is smart, dedicated to improvement and has had the best results of 2017 of any individual.

Mike 'Gregan' Ellis is a Rocket League coach, caster and analyst. Follow him on Twitter @Gregan25

MenaRD (Street Fighter)

Nominated by Street Fighter caster Logan Sama

Logan says: When it comes to Street Fighter , the whole year is geared around the Capcom Cup finals held at the PlayStation Experience in December. Months of travelling around the world competing in order to qualify for this 32-man bracket and fight for a $250,000 first prize. Whilst there have been players who have had extended periods of dominance throughout the year and achieved a lot, it would be remiss to not put forward the name of our champion, MenaRD of team RISE.

RD stands for the Dominican Republic, and is not the most obvious home for a scene dominated by American, Japanese and Korean players for so long. However, this 18 year old took an unfavoured character in Birdie and defeated former Evo champ Xian, former Capcom champ Kazunoko, the legendary Daigo Umehara (in one of Birdie's worst match ups), Itabashi Zangief, Nemo – who was on an INCREDIBLE run after winning the last chance qualifier to end up third overall – and the reigning Evo champion Tokido twice on his way to claiming the 2017 Capcom Cup crown.

I really cannot stress enough what an incredible achievement this is. After NuckleDu's win last year, this continues what is an unprecedented era for worldwide competitive Street Fighter and the Capcom Pro Tour as young talent is springing up in every corner of the globe.

Logan Sama is a Street Fighter caster. Follow him on Twitter: @WSOLogan