Now that FaZe Clan’s in-game leader Marcelo “Coldzera” David has all but confirmed the rumors surrounding Olof “olofmeister” Kajbjer’s potential retirement, it’s time to look back at his career. The legendary Swedish player will go down as one of the biggest stars that Counter-Strike: Global Offensive has ever seen. But just how good was he during his prime?
Deciding when a player was at his best is a tricky thing to do. You have to consider his in-game statistics and just how well his team performed in tournaments.
olofmeister had his best period during the first half of 2015, both as an individual and on a team level. olofmeister was crowned the best player of the year in 2015, and with his team Fnatic he won two consecutive majors.
olofmeister was the star player of the major-winning lineup. But his teammates at Fnatic were more than just supportive elements.
Fnatic used a loose and fast-paced playstyle. They relied on ruthless aggression and taking early fights to win rounds. In this system of controlled chaos, olofmeister thrived and was able to show off his mechanical skill and superior firepower. The success of olofmeister and of Fnatic’s style of play culminated at the first major of the year in 2015, ESL One Katowice.
Fnatic won the event after beating their fellow countrymen at NIP. olofmeister played outstanding during the tournament and received a deserved MVP award. He managed a 1.39 K/D ratio, averaged 0.87 kills per round, and won 60% of his opening duels. These statistics are on par with Astralis’ Nikola “dev1ce” Reedtz’s star performance at the 2019 FACEIT Major.
During the second major of 2015, ESL One Cologne, olofmeister continued his good form. Despite a disappointing individual performance in the semifinals, olofmeister was a key component in Fnatic’s tournament victory. He wasn’t named MVP as that honor went to his teammate Robin “flusha” Rönnquist, but olofmeister came in as a close second.
The decline of olofmeister’s career could lead to his retirement
After his back-to-back major victories, olofmeister struggled to recreate his peak form. A wrist injury forced him to take an extended break from playing CSGO, which is commonly seen as the end of the player’s prime and an early warning of his future retirement.
In the summer of 2017, olofmeister decided a change was needed. His contract with Fnatic had run out, and he decided to sign with FaZe Clan. His new team won a couple of tier-one events and finished second at the 2018 Boston Major, losing in an epic final to Cloud9. But while FaZe had some good showings, olofmeister was slacking in the fragging department and was no longer the star player he used to be.
olofmeister took a personal leave of absence in April 2018. He would return in July of that year, but the time he spent away from the game seemed to deteriorate his performance further. olofmeister had gone from a star player to a relatively average performer. After his break, his K/D ratio dropped to 0.97, he averaged 0.63 kills per round, and he only won 47% of his opening duels.
In 2020, olofmeister took yet another break and only came back when his team had trouble filling out a full roster. Now that his retirement seems a real possibility, it looks increasingly likely that he’ll never again be on top of the game as he once was in 2015.
