2019 was another great year for Asian Counter-Strike. The Chinese giants TYLOO represented Asia in most of the international tournaments, but other teams like ViCi Gaming, MVP PK, EHOME, B.O.O.T-d[S], etc pulled up their socks to qualify for some international events as well, gaining the much-required exposure and experience.
Now entering a new decade of CS:GO, let’s take a quick look back at all the players that have stood out from the rest, showcasing their skills and earning a spot in our “Top 10 Asian CS:GO Players of 2019”.
[Also Read: 10 Biggest CS:GO Player Transfers of 2019]
Note: All the information and stats for the ranking is taken from Liquipedia and HLTV. For this particular ranking, at least one player from each region of Asia i.e. China, East Asia, SEA and the Middle East has been taken into consideration.
10. Omar "3ARK00Z" Elyyan
Hailing from Jordan and currently playing for Yalla Esports, Elyyan has had a great 2019. He represented the Middle East region at one of the most popular annual Asian CS:GO event ZOWIE eXTREMESLAND 2019, while also receiving a direct invite for DreamHack Delhi Invitational 2019.
He has had a great impact on the team across all the qualifiers that they have played in 2019, working his way up the ladder over the years, playing for multiple teams like Chosen5, Next Generation and ex-Spotnet.
9. Koji "Laz" Ushida
Playing for one of the best teams from Japan, Absolute. Laz has been the teams ace for a long time now, playing with them since Nov 2018. This is his third stint with the team, having played with them before in 2015 and 2017.
Operating with both the AWP and the rifle, he is equally proficient on both the weapons. This combined with the exposure and experience he has received playing in the local circuit for more than four years is crucial to his current success.
Playing a major role in winning all the major Japanese tournament while making sure that his team is the one to represent Japan in all Asian tournaments has earned him this slot on our rank list.
8. Kitikawin "PTC" Rattanasukol
Lucid Dream has earned a reputation of being one of the best CS:GO teams from Thailand and a big part of their success is owed to their star AWPer “PTC”, who doubles up as the teams captain as well.
He has a ton of experience under his belt having played for teams like 5Power Gaming and MiTH.Streamer, before joining the Thai line-up. And unlike most other IGL’s, he is as deadly with his weapon as with his strategies, taking full responsibility on both the fronts.
7. Khalish "d4v41" Rusyaidee
The Malaysian was a star player back in FrostFire and continues to dominate with his new team B.O.O.T-d[S] as well. Being capable of using both the rifle and the AWP is a big advantage for this gifted player, who has a great aim and fast reflexes.
B.O.O.T-d[S] has a decent 2019 and yet he managed to stand out, the team did manage to qualify for IEM Sydney 2019 but couldn’t have a big impact at the main tournament. It was a bit disappointing to see them not do too well at EL 2019, but they faired well in the local scene. Still paving a path for Singaporean Counter-Strike, let’s see what lies ahead for them this year.
6. WingHei "Freeman" Cheung
This 20-year-old from Hong Kong is one of the most gifted riflers in Asia. At such a young age he has already played for some of the best teams in Asia from Flash Gaming to ViCi and now playing for TYLOO.
He has shown great improvement over the year, moving from ranking tenth on our rank list last year to jumping four ranks to place sixth this year. He has been the additional firepower that TYLOO had lacked, he complimented the overall aggressive style of TYLOO while giving BnTeT some room to breathe. It will be interesting to see what he has in store for all of us this year.
5. Peeratch "Olivia" Ingkudanonda
He is the Asian equivalent of Dzhami “Jame” Ali from Virtus.pro. The Thai AWPer has come out of nowhere to seize 2019. He is hands down one of the best AWPer’s in Asia at the moment, playing a big role in ALPHA Red’s huge success this year.
Being a player is one thing, but he has been a sensation, wowing the crowd on his visit to India while playing at the COBX Masters Phase 2, placing second after giving MVP PK a run for their money. They even hit the Australian giants Grayhound pretty hard at the OMEN Challenger Series 2019, solidifying their name as a team to watch out for in 2020.
The team’s success is tied to that of Olivia, the coming year will be a test for him and if he is able to withstand it, it might see the team breakout and play at a few international tournaments.
4. WeiJie "zhokiNg" Zhong
The 26-year-old Chinese rifler known for his amazing entry fragging skill is also one of the CS:GO elders in the present community of Chinese players. Playing since 2014, he has first hand witnessed the growth of the region, adapting and growing with the changing demands, keeping up with the younger players and showing his commitment to the game.
He might not be the best, but he has with him tons of experience that has helped the team in many tight situations. His contributions has lead the team to a second-place finish at EL 2019, followed by a victory at Conquerors Insignia 2019, along with qualifying for multiple international tournaments like IEM Beijing, CAC 2019, IEM Sydney, etc.
3. YuLun "Summer" Cai
The 22-year-old rifler who missed out on our rankings last year has worked hard with TYLOO this year to earn his spot. His aggressive playstyle has worked in his favour, as he has followed up just behind BnTeT when it comes to stats, hitting his shots and keeping the pressure on the opposition at all times.
While this may have failed against bigger teams, it surely has worked well in the local circuit, with teams feeling the wrath of his hunters instinct. With BnTeT’s departure, there needs to be someone who fills in the gap, and while Freeman is always there, being a senior he will be looked upon to take responsibility. 2020 will not be easy for the rifler as he has got to prove more than ever before and earn his place within TYLOO all over again.
2. Andrew "Kaze" Khong
Arguably one of the best AWPer within Asia, Kaze is ViCi Gaming’s backbone. He is the go-to man, who keeps the pressure at bay and seizes the momentum for his side. He juices the AWP to the maximum, complementing the overall playstyle for his side.
The Malaysian is always there to carry his side to victory, he might be 25 but his reflexes are still top-notch. There are hardly any AWPer in Asia who are as good as him, but with more youngsters entering the scene every small mistake might have a big impact.
He has had a great year with ViCi Gaming when it comes to the local circuit, but the team still needs to make a dent in their performances abroad. He will have to perform even better if he has to go up against the best and hopefully this will be the year that he does that.
1. Hansel "BnTeT" Ferdinand
If anyone had any doubts about this one, then they probably have been living under a rock. Considered to the finest player that Asia has to offer, BnTeT was recently signed by Gen.G Esports as their fifth and final player.
The Indonesian rifler along with his ex-partner in crime Xccurate had been signed by TYLOO from Recca Esports almost three years back in March 2017. There BnTeT blossomed into this fine rifler, with skills rivalling that of international players, and this is the sole reason he has been signed by such a big organization.
This was a long time coming for BnTeT and is a good sign for the entire region, as his performance will be the key to shedding light on a region that had a huge shadow cast upon it Let’s see how he perform oversees, he has rightfully earned the first place on our rank list for the second time in a row.
These were the top 10 Asian CS:GO players of 2019. What do you think about our list? Who do you think should have made it in the top 10 according to you? Let us know in the comment section below.
[Also Read: Top 10 CS:GO Tournaments That Took Place in 2019]
Feel free to populate my Twitter feed with your opinions on this rank list.
