GeT_RiGhT vs s1mple: The battle for the title of CSGO GOAT

The greatest Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player of all time is now clearly a battle between old and new.

The GOAT of CSGO is a two-horse race between Christopher “GeT_RiGhT” Alesund and Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev. The two players have dominated their respective eras, leaving fans with a difficult choice between the two. Both players’ have a few achievements over on the other, but only one still has time to add to their trophy case. This is the definite discussion on who is the real GOAT of CSGO.

s1mple and GeT_RiGhT’s accomplishments compared

The easiest way to compare these two players is to look at their trophy cabinets and compare. The following are GeT_RiGhT’s major career achievements.

• 67 tournament championships
• $622,386 personal earnings
• Five $100,000+ prize pools
• One Valve Major championship
• 10 HLTV MVP awards

Now compare that with s1mple’s biggest accomplishments in CSGO.

• 22 tournament championships
• $1,518,239 personal earnings
• 17 $100,000+ prize pools
• One Valve Major championship
• 19 HLTV MVP awards

When it comes to tournament wins, GeT_RiGhT soars past with more than triple the number of trophies. That gap is mostly due to time spent on the professional circuit. GeT_RiGhT’s championships took place over 12 years and includes victories in Counter-Strike 1.6. s1mple’s record began in 2014.

It can also be argued that in the early days of CSGO, there existed less top-tier competition for GeT_RiGhT’s Ninjas in Pyjamas teams than what s1mple has had to contend with through the majority of his career. But even normalizing for victories per year, GeT_RiGhT is still the clear winner in this category.

ESL One Katowice 2015: GeT_RiGhT vs. TSM [Last second clutch]

Looking at prize money, s1mple is far and away the more financially successful player. He has earned around 250% of GeT_RiGhT’s career earnings, and that gap can only widen from there in the future. The easy counterpoint is that CSGO prize money has exploded since the end of the Ninjas in Pyjamas era. If GeT_RiGhT had access to as much prize money as s1mple, he might have won more of it.

Majors won are even, though some players might be surprised that the two GOAT contenders only have one each. Going off Valve tournament wins, the original Astralis members have a stronger claim at GOAT status than either GeT_RiGhT or s1mple. That leaves MVP awards as the final determining factor. s1mple solidly wins out there with 19 such awards to GeT_RiGhT’s 10, showing s1mple’s dominance in the game.

The last factor is something that’s impossible to measure, but easy to estimate. Due to advancements in training and scouting, s1mple’s modern era has much stronger and organized opponents than GeT_RiGhT’s contemporaries. There’s no doubt that if the peak form of both players somehow played against each other, s1mple would win handily. While skill is important, a player’s greatness is more reliably measured in tournament wins and prize money.

s1mple will become the undisputed CSGO GOAT soon?

While there is still room to debate the title of CSGO’s greatest of all time, at the current pace, s1mple will soon completely dominate the conversation. GeT_RiGhT’s career is officially over, and there’s no arguing against s1mple being the current greatest living player. Time is important for GOAT discussions, and GeT_RiGhT’s time is over. If his fantastic performance throughout 2021 and Stockholm Major is any indication, s1mple’s time is still just beginning. 

s1mple has been in contention for the title of best player in the world for years, and his performance in the online era and recent victory at PGL Stockholm further solidified his claim. He is the undisputed best player still competing at the top level. Considering his relative youth and the health of the current CSGO scene, the Ukrainian legend still has time to add to his resume. If the Natus Vincere era continues in 2022, he will become the undisputed GOAT of CSGO sooner rather than later.