When diving into the vast and wonderful world of esports, many end up wondering exactly who the best esports player of all time is. With so many immense players already in the industry, and many retired pros who have already cemented their names in the industry’s illustrious history, who among them can be truly classed as the top esports player ever?
Let’s hope this doesn’t disappoint too many people.
The Greatest Esports Player Of All Time
To be the best esports player of all time, you need to tick more than just a few boxes. It’s not just about being solid at your game – you’ll also need to win tournaments, titles, and net a hefty stack of cash for your efforts. The best esports player needs to have an immense following made up of thousands – or even millions – of dedicated fans, and they should be synonymous with their chosen game.
There are quite a few factors to think about when trying to decide who the greatest esports player of all time is. If we add up the criteria, who is the GOAT of esports?
There can only be one answer…
Johan ‘n0tail’ Sundstein
Johan ‘n0tail’ Sundstein is without a doubt the greatest esports player of all time. While many other names were just short of number one, n0tail has to be the most successful esports player ever, putting him above everyone else. But why?
Not only is n0tail one of the best Dota 2 players in the world, but he is also a two-time back-to-back champion when it comes to The International (the biggest Dota 2 annual tournament). He won the two titles back in 2018 and 2019.
N0Tail has also won four Major championships, making him one of the most well-decorated competitors in the Dota scene. If that wasn’t enough, he has won a staggering fifty lower-tier events, including DreamLeague and DreamHack.
And if that still wasn’t enough, he is one of the leading co-founders of OG, a brilliant and highly regarded esports organisation. Despite not competing since The International in 2021, the Danish-Faroese gamer claims he is ‘just taking a break’.
N0tail Earnings
N0tail also has the highest earnings of any esports player in history, with an estimated $7.1 million earnings in prize money. He sits at more than half a million dollars ahead of the second-highest-earning esports player of all time.
Sundstein started his career competing in the game Heroes of Newarth but eventually switched to Dota 2, which was a decision that ultimately led to his massive success and monumental profile.
Not only is n0tail the highest-earning esports player of all time, but even some of his teammates in OG are in the top five. It just goes to show how valuable Dota 2 is.
Honorable Mentions
Lee ‘Faker’ Sang-hyeok
For many, Faker is the best esports player of all time, having won the League of Legends World Championship a record four times and having established himself as one of the most dominant esports players in history. He’s a rockstar competitor with a stunning profile, but he’s yet to break away from being ‘just’ a competitor and hasn’t won anywhere near as much as n0tail.
Ian ‘Crimsix’ Porter
Crimsix is one of the biggest and most successful FPS-based esports players in the world. Over a career lasting more than a decade, Porter secured a whopping 38 chips and three Call of Duty world championship titles. For a while, he was the highest-earning esports pro in the COD space and was widely regarded as the pinnacle player of days gone by.
Oleksandr ‘s1mple’ Kostyliev
When you think Counter-Strike esports, you think ‘s1mple’. Despite not being the winningest player in the scene, s1mple is widely known as one of the best esports players of all time, and his accolades speak for themselves. For years, he has been playing at the top of his game, and millions of CS fans have leant on his guidance and in-game tips to succeed in their own aspirations.
