M0NESY Names His Top 5 AWPers in Counter-Strike History

Ilya “M0NESY” Osipov has revealed his personal top-5 snipers in Counter-Strike history, naming five players who helped define different generations of AWP play — while stopping short of placing himself among them.

The Falcons star selected s1mple, ZywOo, kennyS, FalleN and device when asked to identify the greatest AWPers across Counter-Strike history. M0NESY did, however, put himself inside the all-time top 10.

The discussion was published through Esports World Cup 2026 social media while Falcons were competing at the tournament.

 

Quick Summary

Detail	Information
Player	Ilya “M0NESY” Osipov
Current team	Falcons
Topic	Greatest AWPers in Counter-Strike history
M0NESY's top five	s1mple, ZywOo, kennyS, FalleN, device
M0NESY's view of himself	Top 10, but not top five
Context	Esports World Cup 2026
Next Falcons opponent	The MongolZ
Match date	August 20, 2026
Source	Cybersport.ru / EWC social-media content

 

M0NESY's Top-5 Snipers in Counter-Strike History

M0NESY remains one of the defining AWPers of the current Counter-Strike generation as his own place in the game's all-time hierarchy continues to evolve.

 

M0NESY was asked to work through several thresholds when evaluating his own historical standing as an AWPer.

He considered whether he belonged in the top 50, top 30, top 20 and top 10 before concluding that he was definitely a top-10 AWPer, but not yet part of his personal top five.

His five selections were:

Player	Historical profile
s1mple	Superstar AWPer whose peak became one of the benchmarks for individual Counter-Strike performance
ZywOo	Elite hybrid star and AWPer with sustained success across the CS and CS2 eras
kennyS	One of the defining aggressive AWPers of the CS era
FalleN	AWPer and in-game leader closely associated with the rise of Brazilian Counter-Strike
device	A central AWPer of Astralis' championship era and one of the game's longest-running elite players

The important distinction is that this is M0NESY's personal historical ranking, not an objective statistical ranking.

No order beyond the published sequence should be interpreted as a data-driven comparison unless M0NESY explicitly provides additional criteria.

 

Why M0NESY Leaving Himself Out Is Significant

The most interesting part of the ranking may not be who M0NESY included, but who he excluded.

M0NESY already has a résumé that makes comparisons with historically elite AWPers increasingly relevant. HLTV currently lists him with four consecutive Top 20 appearances — No. 7 in 2022, No. 4 in 2023, No. 2 in 2024 and No. 4 in 2025. HLTV also lists him as a Major winner and Major MVP.

Yet when assessing the entire history of Counter-Strike, he drew the line above himself.

That suggests his definition of greatness goes beyond mechanical ability or a short period of peak performance. Longevity, trophies, influence on the AWP role and performance across different eras may all reasonably factor into such a comparison, although M0NESY did not provide a formal scoring system in the cited report.

 

Five AWPers, Five Different Counter-Strike Legacies

M0NESY's selections are particularly interesting because they do not represent a single style of sniping.

s1mple represents the superstar carry model: an AWPer capable of taking over rounds while remaining dangerous with rifles and other weapons.

ZywOo represents an unusually flexible interpretation of the star AWPer role. Historical analysis has highlighted how frequently he generates kills with rifles alongside the AWP, differentiating him from more weapon-specialized snipers.

kennyS became synonymous with aggressive AWPing during the earlier CS era. His speed and willingness to force difficult engagements made him one of the most recognizable snipers of his generation.

FalleN offers another dimension entirely. His legacy combines AWPing with leadership, making his historical case different from that of a pure star sniper.

device, meanwhile, represents consistency, positioning and championship-level team play. His place on the list reinforces that historical greatness does not have to be defined exclusively by spectacular mechanical highlights.

Together, the selections amount to something closer to a cross-section of Counter-Strike's AWP history than a simple list of mechanically gifted players.

 

Historical Comparison: Where Does M0NESY Fit?

M0NESY's own placement outside the top five should not be read as evidence that he is far removed from the group.

His trajectory has already put him into the same broader conversation.

Player	Broad historical association
s1mple	Peak individual dominance and all-around superstar play
ZywOo	Elite consistency and hybrid AWP/rifle ability
kennyS	Aggressive AWP innovation and iconic CS peak
FalleN	AWPing, leadership and Brazilian CS legacy
device	Longevity, consistency and championship success
M0NESY	Modern-generation elite AWPer with an ongoing legacy

The critical difference is that M0NESY's career is still developing.

At 21, according to his current HLTV profile, he has significantly more time to add achievements and longevity to the individual level he has already demonstrated.

That makes his ranking inherently temporary: the answer to where M0NESY belongs historically could change substantially as his career progresses.

 

M0NESY Career Timeline

Year	Milestone
2022	Finished No. 7 in HLTV's Top 20
2023	Improved to No. 4
2024	Reached No. 2
2025	Finished No. 4
2026	Competing for Falcons and identifies himself as a top-10, but not top-five, historical AWPer

The yearly HLTV placements are reflected on M0NESY's current player profile.

 

Why M0NESY's Top Five Matters

s1mple, ZywOo and kennyS represent different generations and approaches to elite AWP play, and all three feature in M0NESY's personal all-time top five.

 

All-time player lists are inherently subjective, but this one carries extra relevance because it comes from an elite active AWPer.

M0NESY belongs to the generation that followed many of the players he selected. His choices therefore provide some insight into which qualities and careers command respect from one of the modern game's leading snipers.

The list also crosses several eras.

kennyS and FalleN represent major parts of earlier CS history; device was a defining member of the Astralis era; s1mple became a benchmark for superstar performance; and ZywOo has remained at the center of elite Counter-Strike through the transition into CS2.

M0NESY is effectively the next chapter in that lineage.

 

Player Role Analysis

M0NESY is primarily associated with the AWP, but his value is not limited to holding conventional sniper angles.

His current HLTV profile gives him a 95/100 sniping score and 78/100 opening score over its displayed recent sample, illustrating why he is commonly discussed as one of the premier modern AWPers.

A broader statistical analysis of elite AWPers in 2025 also described M0NESY as one of the more active players in AWP rounds, emphasizing his willingness to become directly involved rather than simply preserve the expensive weapon.

That aggressive involvement helps explain why comparisons with players such as s1mple and kennyS are particularly natural, even though their respective peaks occurred under different versions and metas of Counter-Strike.

 

Tournament Impact: M0NESY and Falcons at EWC 2026

The ranking surfaced while M0NESY was involved in a much more immediate competition.

At the time Cybersport.ru published the report on August 19, Falcons were competing in the Esports World Cup 2026 CS2 playoffs. Their opening playoff match was scheduled against The MongolZ for August 20 at 14:00 Moscow time.

The match carries elimination stakes: the loser exits the tournament, while the winner advances to face the winner of NAVI versus Legacy.

The EWC main stage runs through August 23, with the title match scheduled as a best-of-five.

 

Upcoming Match

Detail	Status
Match	Falcons vs The MongolZ
Event	Esports World Cup 2026
Date	August 20, 2026
Reported start	14:00 MSK
Stage	Playoffs
Format	TBD in provided source
Stakes	Elimination match
Next opponent for winner	NAVI or Legacy

 

Impact Analysis

There is no direct roster, ranking or VRS impact from M0NESY publishing an all-time AWPer list. It is an opinion rather than a competitive ruling, transfer or tournament result.

Its value is historical and editorial instead.

For M0NESY, the comments establish his current self-assessment: despite already reaching the highest levels of professional Counter-Strike, he does not yet put his career alongside the five AWPers he considers the greatest.

For the broader historical debate, the selection is notable because it balances peak skill with multiple forms of legacy. The presence of FalleN and device alongside mechanically celebrated stars such as s1mple and ZywOo indicates that an all-time AWPer discussion can reasonably include leadership, longevity and team achievement alongside raw individual ability.

 

What Changes Now?

Nothing changes competitively as a direct result of the ranking.

Falcons' roster remains unaffected, and no tournament standings or rankings change because of M0NESY's comments.

What does change is the reference point for future discussions about his legacy. We now have a publicly reported benchmark for where M0NESY places himself: inside the historical top 10, outside the top five.

That benchmark can be revisited as he adds more seasons, trophies and individual accolades.

 

What to Watch Next

The immediate focus returns to EWC 2026 and Falcons' playoff run.

Their match against The MongolZ provides M0NESY with another opportunity to add to the competitive résumé that will eventually determine where he sits in all-time discussions.

Longer term, three questions matter more: whether M0NESY can sustain elite form across many more seasons, how many major trophies and individual awards he accumulates, and whether his influence on the modern AWP role becomes comparable to the historical impact of the players he selected.

Those questions cannot be answered yet — which is precisely why his decision to leave himself outside the top five is worth revisiting later.

 

FAQ

Who are M0NESY's top five AWPers of all time?

M0NESY selected s1mple, ZywOo, kennyS, FalleN and device among the five greatest snipers in Counter-Strike history.

Does M0NESY consider himself one of the five best AWPers ever?

No. According to the published account, M0NESY said he belongs in the historical top 10 but did not place himself in the top five.

What team does M0NESY play for?

M0NESY currently represents Falcons. Both Cybersport.ru's report and his current HLTV player profile identify Falcons as his team.

How old is M0NESY?

HLTV currently lists Ilya Osipov as 21 years old.

When does M0NESY play next at EWC 2026?

At the time of the original report, Falcons were scheduled to face The MongolZ on August 20, 2026 at 14:00 MSK in the EWC playoffs. Readers should check the tournament page for any subsequent schedule changes.