Everyone is currently looking through the past year and is breaking down the best players, teams, plays. I have decided to look to the future of our wonderful esport and more specifically the young guns of the future. In this list, I took a few factors into account (Age, Current achievements, Relevance internationally & recognition in the scene. Within this list, I have plucked out 5 players whom I feel are ready to have a breakout 2019 and show the Counter-Strike community what they are made of. This is my list of the top 5 can’t miss players of 2019.

5. Matthew 'WARDELL' Yu

Coming in at number five I have Wardell this dynamic AWP player has flown under the radar in the international scene but his rise is significant as of recent. Wardell made his LAN debut in May 2016 just a few months before his 18th birthday. Wardell has never been inconsistent by any means with him being active in the lower tier North American scene now rising to Pro League. Wardell now playing for the rising Ghost Gaming lead by current Valve banned Canadian IGL Steel. Wardell was a key part in Ghost Gaming taking 2nd in the North American EPL Online Season advancing to the EPL LAN Finals. Dreamhack Masters Stockholm was another LAN Wardell will be looking to build on in his rise into what he hopes will be a crazy 2019.

4. Tsvetelin 'CeRq' Dimitrov

At number four I have Bulgaria's very own AWP superstar currently playing for NRG.This 19-year-old looks to continue on his current pace to become a core player for NRG and the in the eyes of other teams that I am sure are watching from both North American & Europe. Cerq had an exceptional 2018 managing to only have a negative HLTV Rating in a single event (ESL Belo Horizonte NA Qualifier) through the entire 2018 season (Both Online & Offline). CerQ now has over 150 maps under his belt in offline competitions still holding a 1.10 HLTV Rating for offline events. Winning 54 of 79 clutches in 2018 (68%) for reference Xyp6x of Astralis is also sitting at a 68% win rate in 1v1 situations in 2018. With all these Reasons in mind, I have him pegged at number four.



3. Jere 'Sergej' Salo

Sergej is a future Finish superstar in the making his International debut at just 16 is the next generation of future superstars. Sergej made his LAN debut at just 14 with Skitlite at the ASUS ROG GameXpo where he placed 3-4th. Speeding up to 2018 Sergej has aligned himself with fellow Finnish star Allu on team ENCE where they took 6 Trophies home this year including Dreamhack Winter & StarSeries i-League Season 6 LAN Finals. Sergej currently holds a 1.17 LAN rating in 2018 and has been insanely consistent throughout between Online & Offline.

2. Ludvig 'Brollan' Brolin

The Swedish Brollan has made headlines at the end of 2018 when he joined Fnatic after the Faceit London Major & Posting an HLTV Rating of 1.08 on LAN events in 2018 at just 16 Brollan looks to rise to the top in 2019. In his first two events with Fnatic, he has placed 3-4th at IEM Chicago and took home the PGL Grand Slam trophy. Brollan posted above a 1.1 HLTV Rating in both those events at just the age of 16. Brollan is ready to show the CSGO scene he is here and ready to knock some heads.

1. Mathieu 'ZywOo' Herbaut