m0NESY Tops Esports Charts’ Best CS Players of H1 2026

Esports Charts named Ilya ‘m0NESY’ Osipov the top Counter-Strike player of the first half of 2026 after his MVP display that helped Team Falcons win the IEM Cologne Major in Germany.

The rankings cover performances across H1 2026 and weight a player’s influence on matches and team outcomes rather than viewership figures or basic kill/death/assist totals.

At Cologne, m0NESY led the event with an overall rating of 1.25 and a KPRW of 1.10 and took the tournament MVP. His form in the final stages ended an eight-game grand-final losing streak and helped long-time teammate NiKo secure his first Major trophy.

Mathieu ‘ZywOo’ Herbaut ranked second after a strong start to the year with Team Vitality. He finished H1 as the second-highest rated player, guided Vitality to five consecutive S-Tier titles into May, and at Cologne led the field in average damage per round, logged 0.89 kills per round and posted a swing percentage of +3.80%.

Danil ‘donk’ Kryshkovets placed third. He was the highest-rated player across H1 2026 and added an Exceptionally Valuable Player award at Cologne. Team Spirit won one event in the period. Donk acknowledged he ‘choked’ in the Cologne semifinal and remains on an upward trajectory at 19.

Shahar ‘FlameZ’ Shushan finished fourth after collecting multiple EVP awards during Vitality’s five-tournament run early in the year. He stayed among the highest-rated players in H1 despite a quieter showing at Cologne.

Finn ‘karrigan’ Andersen appeared at No. 5 following a difficult spell earlier in the year. After parting with FaZe Clan and missing qualification for Cologne, he joined Team Falcons and as in-game leader guided the team to its first Major title. He described having been ‘battling demons’ and considering retirement before the change.

Esports Charts also named several honorable mentions. Dmitriy ‘Sh1ro’ Sokolov left Cologne with his 26th EVP at major events. Gabriel ‘FalleN’ Toledo reached multiple podiums with FURIA in his final professional season. Nikita ‘HeavyGod’ Martynenko maintained high individual ratings and captured an EVP at Cologne.

Esports Charts noted the list is subjective and emphasizes match influence and playoff performances when assessing the top players of H1 2026.