Counter-Strike is old enough to have had several generations of stars, and for most of that time the sport left their legacy to arguments in comment sections. In 2024, HLTV decided to settle some of it with a vote.
How It Started
HLTV created its Hall of Fame in December 2024. The first four inductees were announced by the Hall of Fame Committee, with the order following the number of votes they received, and HLTV said those four were significantly ahead of everyone else. It kept the rest of the results confidential to avoid influencing future votes.
The official induction took place at the HLTV Awards in Belgrade on January 11, 2025.
The Rules
The rules are simple. The Hall of Fame Committee votes, and between three and five people are inducted every year. Only players who are no longer actively competing are eligible, and active players and coaches are not considered. Each inductee gets a ceremony at the awards, a special HLTV profile, a page on the Hall of Fame site, and an article and video about their career. HLTV also said each would receive a Rolex watch with an inscription.
The First Four
The inaugural class was entirely Swedish: Patrik "f0rest" Lindberg, Christopher "GeT_RiGhT" Alesund, Emil "HeatoN" Christensen, and Tommy "Potti" Ingemarsson.
GeT_RiGhT is probably the most familiar name to younger fans. He won the Major at ESL One Cologne 2014 with Ninjas in Pyjamas, was named HLTV Player of the Year twice, and collected ten HLTV MVP awards. He is credited with popularizing the lurker role in competitive play. HLTV described him as playing hand in hand with f0rest through much of a career that lasted well over a decade.
HeatoN came from an earlier era. He captained Ninjas in Pyjamas, was nominated as the best Counter-Strike player of 2004 and lost that vote to his SK Gaming teammate Potti, and in 2016 became the first person inducted into ESL's own Hall of Fame, a separate honor.
The 2025 Class
Three more were added in 2025. Raphael "cogu" Camargo of Brazil, who won ESWC 2006 with mibr in the Counter-Strike 1.6 era. Yehor "markeloff" Vadymovych of Ukraine, who won a string of titles with Natus Vincere, including IEM Season IV, ESWC 2010, and WCG 2010. And Olof "olofmeister" Kajbjer Gustafsson of Sweden, who won two Majors with Fnatic, ESL One Katowice 2015 and ESL One Cologne 2015.
Olofmeister is also the player at the center of the Olofboost controversy, which shows the Hall of Fame does not require a spotless story, only a significant one.
A Hall With a Map
In August 2025, HLTV launched a Steam Workshop map for the Hall of Fame. It includes rooms and challenges based on the first four inductees, and asks whether you can retake like Potti, eco like HeatoN, spray like GeT_RiGhT, or move like f0rest. It also includes a movement time trial, and HLTV said it planned to expand the map with more rooms as new members join.
Why Eligibility Matters
The rule that only retired players can be inducted shapes the whole list. It means stars like NiKo, ZywOo, and s1mple, who are still competing, cannot be considered, and it tilts the early classes toward older generations. Seven inductees so far cover Counter-Strike 1.6, CS:GO, and the transition between them, but none comes from the CS2 era.
It also makes retirements newsworthy in a new way. FalleN has announced that he will retire at the end of 2026. Under the rule, that would make him eligible once he stops competing, though whether the committee chooses him is another matter, and HLTV has said nothing about it.
What We Do Not Know Yet
HLTV has not announced when the next class will be revealed, though the first class was inducted at its January awards. As of this writing, seven players are in. It has not said who is on the shortlist, and it keeps the vote tallies private. The only firm rules are the range of three to five inductees per year and the retirement requirement.
Keep the Legends in Mind
Knowing who built this scene, and how, makes every new record more meaningful. The mini games on CS Guess test your knowledge of Counter-Strike, covering skins, cases, music kits, and the history behind this game, with free perks for playing well.
Head over to CS Guess and see how much of this game's history you know.
