Counter-Strike is a landscape defined by its breadth. It’s a multinational, multi-layered discipline stretching back to the days of an unpolished Half-Life mod, all the way up to the heights of top-tier professional competition today. Many individuals, nationalities, personalities, and philosophies have combined in the great melting pot of CS to form the complex and beautiful game we now call home.
However, it is important to recognize that some nations just have more of a history in the upper echelons of professional CS. As George Orwell almost said, “all Counter-Strike nationalities are equal, but some are more equal than others”, and that can certainly be said when looking towards France. Throughout every iteration of the game, French players have consistently been at the forefront of its professional scene. Whether as personalities, minds, fraggers, or all combined, French players have populated the history books since the very beginning.
Today, we’re going to take a look at five of the best French Counter-Strike players of all time. Of course, there are doubtless players you think should have made the list, but don’t blame us. Blame our writer. Let’s jump in.
kennyS
Let’s start with the man with the Magic Stick. Kenny “kennyS” Schrub is an absolute legend of the game, one of the msot far-reaching, iconic talents to ever grace the Counter-Strike world. So demonically good with the AWP that Valve nerfed the gun, his influence on the playstyles and passion of countless fans cannot be overstated.
Playing for almost every well-known French organization over the course of his career, with stints in VeryGames, LDLC, Titan, Envy, and G2, Kenny was an ever-present beast in every roster he was a part of. His absurd flicks, perfect positioning, unbelievable clutches, and ability to simply make Counter-Strike his game, kennyS is undoubtedly not just one of the greatest French players to touch the franchise, but one of the greatest players of any nationality.
NBK-
Nathan “NBK-” Schmitt was never the flashiest player, but he was often the glue that held French lineups together. As a rock-solid support player and in-game tactician, NBK- was a crucial part of two French Major-winning rosters: LDLC (DreamHack Winter 2014) and EnVyUs (Cluj-Napoca 2015).
His adaptability and team-first mentality allowed stars like kennyS and shox to shine, while NBK- quietly won round after round through game sense and utility. Without NBK-, many of France’s greatest moments may never have happened.
With 22 trophies in his cabinet, including the two previously mentioned Majors, NBK- has a silverware collection to be proud of. His dedication to the fundamentals of the game, consistent presence amongst the storm of French roster reshuffles, and ability to improve every player on his team no matter the situation, all combine to give him his rightful place on the list of greatest French CS players of all time.
shox
A living legend with an incredible career spanning almost all iterations of Counter-Strike, Richard “shox” Papillon is the quintessential French CS player. His rifling precision, smart lurking, and cool-headed clutch ability made him one of the most respected players in the world.
shox’s journey began in the days of CS 1.6, but it was in CS: Source where he truly exploded, dominating with teams like VeryGames. Once he moved into Global Offensive, he was a crucial member of countless rosters on many major organizations, with impressive stints on LDLC, Titan, Envy, G2, and Vitality amongst others.
Not only was he one of France’s most mechanically gifted players, but shox also stepped into the role of in-game leader several times throughout his career, balancing fragging duties and calling with style. His adaptability allowed him to thrive in entry, lurk, support, and IGL roles across multiple top French teams.
A fan favorite for his emotion and flair, shox’s career is a masterclass in both highlight-reel moments and consistency. When the history of French Counter-Strike is written, Richard Papillon will be right up there with the best of them.
apEX
Many players in Counter-Strike history have been in the top 1% for their role. There are well-honed lurkers slipping like a knife between the ribs of the opponent. Explosive AWPers shattering dreams and dominating maps. Cerebral masterminds calling rings around their peers, and dominant entry-fraggers cracking bombsites open with ease. But how many players can claim to have been amongst the very best in their role, only to change their role dramatically and become…even better?
Dan “apEX” Madesclaire was, once upon a time, one of the best entry-fraggers in the world. The Frenchman with a surfeit of personality and energy was swinging things, finding timings, and generally throwing himself at his opponents in a veritable blaze of bullets and map control like he was born to do it. In fact, he won his first major – DreamHack Open Cluj-Napoca 2015 – whilst at the height of his entrying.
Then, something changed. Dan decided to take on the pressure of being an in-game leader, which is a decision that many found questionable at the time. Despite the doubters, and a frustrating start to his tenure as Vitality’s IGL, apEX never gave up. Now, at the time of writing, Dan Madesclaire is a strong contender for the best-performing IGL in the scene, having won the last ever CS:GO Major in Paris, and masterminding a dominant Vitality run after picking up Robin “ropz” Kool from their rivals, FaZe Clan.
His intuitive, read-heavy calling style and emotional, passionate leadership have led apEX to a position of respect, glory, and pride. His career is a long way from over, but he has already proved to be one of – if not the – greatest leaders in the history of French CS.
ZywOo
Of course, how can any article on the best French Counter-Strike players of all time not include him? The chosen one. The Legend of Lens. The ‘Woo. Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut is, it’s fair to say, quite good at Counter-Strike. Not only was he born on the day the game released, but he also happens to be better than everyone else, which, generally speaking, made him quite an easy choice for this list.
The AWP-rifle hybrid style of ZywOo, combined with his generational talent, unmatched gamesense, and raw, mind-blowing skill, means that he finds impact in almost every situation, almost every time. A regular in the top three of HLTV’s annual Top 20 rankings (including two back-to-back Number 1 rankings in his first two years in professional CS), and a higher number of event MVPs than the GOAT, Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyljev, add to his already impressive list of bragging rights.
The man who fired the final bullet in the last ever Major of CS:GO is nothing short of astonishingly good. Only a handful of players in the entire history of the franchise can claim to be close to his level of greatness, and even then, most of them fall short. His time in the professional scene with Vitality has been one of burgeoning greatness transforming into inevitable dominance, and he is showing no signs of slowing down. Whilst his rivalry with s1mple might be dormant due to the Ukrainian sniper’s prolonged absence from competition, the ‘Woo is never short of rivals. Whether it’s Danil “donk” Kryshkovets, Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov, or any other talented pro looking to contend for the title of ‘best player in the world’, ZywOo is always the final boss.
Should his trajectory continue, there’s little doubt: ZywOo will not only go down as the best French Counter-Strike player of all time, but simply as the greatest player of all time.
One common theme these players share besides being French 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.
