Best CS2 Players Without a Team Right Now

Counter-Strike

May 12, 2024

Bruno Sobieraj

In Collaboration with Thunderpick

Who are the best CS2 players not currently playing? With a positive team atmosphere and well-fitted roles being crucial parts of competitive Counter-Strike nowadays, sometimes even great players are forced to step down from their team’s active lineup and occupy a spot on the bench. Currently, there are multiple names, where if you told someone 12 months ago they couldn’t find a home, you’d most certainly be laughed at.

s1mple

Credit: s1mple

CS:GO’s GOAT had to be the first name on our list, having been out of action since the very beginning of CS2, barring his one-off appearance with Team Falcons in the online BLAST Spring Showdown.

During his time away from the game, the 26-year-old has been focusing on a personal project called “Play Like s1mple”. This is an educational video series helping Counter-Strike players improve in line with how s1mple views the game. While developing the project took much of s1mple’s attention, the Ukrainian says that now he’s committed to returning to the game as an AWPer or a rifler.

Even though s1mple is the best Counter-Strike player in history, finding a new home has been a struggle. The easiest way for him to return to action would have been in a NAVI jersey, but their Major victory means that they probably won’t make any changes to their roster any time soon.

Another issue is that s1mple’s buyout and salary are probably huge and not many teams would be ready to splurge that kind of money on a player with just a single BO3 under his belt in CS2. Unless a new organization comes in with a load of cash and builds a squad around s1mple from scratch, he’ll probably have to wait for an attractive spot to open up for another couple of months.

blameF

Credit: Astralis

Despite being objectively talented, blameF’s reputation is in the bin right now. The Dane is widely regarded as the biggest baiter in the tier-one scene (literally and figuratively). His IGLing record with Astralis can only be described as disastrous. Still, with all those flaws, blameF is one of the best CT rotator players in the world and should be considered one of the best CS2 players.

Practically all Danish and international squads should at least consider what getting blameF onto the team would do to their roster. Teams like GamerLegion, Monte, Gaimin Gladiators, or even Falcons would certainly do with a firepower upgrade. The question is if blameF can make some subtle changes to his playstyle, transforming him from a baiter to an effective and impactful lurker.

jks

While virtually everyone thought G2 getting rid of jks was a mistake, no team has picked him up after almost 6 months of inactivity. This is very surprising for one of the best CS2 players out there. He’s a safe, experienced pair of hands that doesn’t require many resources to do their job and anchor sites solo. He looked in great shape throughout 2023 and played a big role in G2’s IEM Katowice and IEM Cologne championship wins.

The only thing holding him back is his age (28). Teams have to consider the sheer amount of teenage talent being pumped out of FPL and tier-two teams every year. Having said that, his experience could be a precious asset, especially to young teams at the beginning of their journey in need of a player who shows up in big games and can lead by example on and off the server.