Counter-Strike is a world of many adjectives: skill, explosivity, awareness, intelligence, talent, etc. There is one region, however, which embodies one particular adjective more than any other. Brazil is the home of passion in CS. Since the very inception of the Counter-Strike franchise, there have been many nationalities with storied histories within the game. The glory days of the French rosters, the dominance of the Polish superstars, and the hype of North America to name but a few. But hardly any have been able to match the raw passion for the game that is shown time and again by Brazilian players, organizations, and fans.
Brazil has been present in the list of top CS nationalities forever. It is the home of legendary leaders, unmatched riflers, and historic victories. Today, we’re going to take a look at five of the greatest Brazilian players in Counter-Strike history, in no particular order.
FalleN
How could we start an article about Brazilian CS players without talking about the Professor himself, Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo? FalleN is so much more than a player – he is a legacy, a school of thought, and the father to a generation of Brazilian Counter-Strike players. He is respected – revered, even – throughout the entire CS ecosystem for his tireless championing of Brazilian talent, longevity, and personality.
A world-class AWPer, IGL, and figurehead throughout his entire career, FalleN led the legendary Luminosity/SK core to back-to-back Major victories at MLG Columbus 2016 and ESL One: Cologne 2016. FalleN’s legacy goes so far beyond his trophy cabinet, however. Whilst there would have always been incredible Brazilian talent, the scene would be nowhere near the state in which it is nowadays without the Professor.
coldzera
Marcelo “coldzera” David is a name that struck fear into the hearts of even the greatest players to ever touch the game of Counter-Strike. At his peak from 2016 to 2017, his fragging ability and impact was second, quite literally, to none. Receiving back-to-back HLTV Player of the Year awards in the aforementioned years, coldzera was an absolute demon on the server.
Of course, we can’t mention coldzera without at least a cursory nod to that jumping double on the AWP, but it was his rifling, positioning, and unfathomable clutch consistency that truly put him at the top of the world for a couple of years. Even today, Marcelo’s peak is considered one of – if not the – most impressive peaks of any rifler in CS history. To put it simply, he was utterly, utterly cracked.
fer
Fernando “fer” Alvarenga was part of the legendary Luminosity/SK core who took home the titles at back-to-back Majors in Columbus and Cologne in 2016. He was the explosive, unpredictable entry fragger for the team and was an absolute nightmare to deal with on the server. Fer’s smoke pushes, timings, and aggression were key to a huge percentage of his teams’ victories, and made him – and Brazilian Counter-Strike – a terrifying prospect to face.
There was once a time when Fernando Alvarenga went by ferGOD in the sever, and for good reason. To put it simply; when fer was on form, Brazil looked unbeatable.
TACO
In a lineup made almost exclusively of explosive stars, Epitácio “TACO” de Melo was oftentimes the glue that held the best Brazilian rosters together. He could effortlessly turn his hand to sacrificial entry work, disciplinarian anchoring, and flawless supportive play whenever it was needed.
It’s sometimes a little too easy for the casual CS fan to ignore the impact of players with a less ‘star’-style approach to the game, but it’s important to remember that TACO wasn’t just a passenger. He had a great read on the game, and constantly racked up impactful multi-kills and site-holds on his way to winning his two Major trophies – ESL One: Cologne 2016, and ESL One: Cologne 2017.
KSCERATO
Kaike “KSCERATO” Cerato is the current face of Brazilian Counter-Strike, and for good reason. FURIA’s star rifler blends impeccable aim, brutal clutch potential, and near-perfect positioning to create a player that is simply horrific to play against.
Whilst KSCERATO has yet to lift a Major trophy, his FURIA team appears to be on something of an upward trend of late, even making it to the playoffs of the recent BLAST Austin Major. Despite his lack of important silverware, Kaike Cerato has more than earned his place as the top dog in current Brazilian CS, and looks set to cement his legacy on the newest version of Brazil’s biggest team.
One common theme these players share besides being Brazilian is their dedication to their craft. Thousands of hours of practice helped them develop into the players they are today. While there was nothing more than deathmatch servers and workshop maps when these legends started playing, practicing CS has evolved, and with the help of Refrag, you can take your game to the next level. Refrag is a cutting-edge training platform for CS2 that not only gives you the tools you need to improve, but helps you zone in on the weaknesses in your game.
