Gamers agree this CS-turned-Twitch superstar is best FPS player ever—but there’s ‘many GOATs’

You probably know who it is.

The Spodek Arena stage lights up in front of fans for the IEM Katowice 2024 grand final.
Photo by Helena Kristiansson via ESL

Over the years, many talented players have competed in FPS games. But when a discussion about who’s the greatest FPS player in history emerged, the community agreed on one renowned individual.

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On May 21, players rallied on X to discuss the “best FPS gamer to ever touch a mouse.” Those who participated mentioned how difficult it is to choose just one, and many commenters listed several names. Among the replies, one name that was mentioned by almost everyone was the former CS:GO and VALORANT pro, shroud.

“There’s many GOAT’s per independent game, sure. But the only answer is Shroud. He’s reached the peak of EVERY fps game he’s ever played. […] After stepping down from competition, he’s just given us years of highlights,” one of the top comments said.

Shroud captured on his streaming webcam.
Is shroud the GOAT? According to many, he is. Image via Shroud on Twitch

They have a point. Shroud began his pro esports career in CS:GO in 2013 and was an active player until August 2017, when he was benched and shifted focus to streaming. Ever since, he played hundreds of games in his broadcasts, including VALORANT, where he became truly exceptional. Shroud was so clutch in VALORANT that he was even picked up by Sentinels for VCT 2022 Last Chance Qualifier. Unfortunately for them, though, they didn’t go far in the event.

Obviously, shroud isn’t the only person mentioned in the discussion. Other redditors mentioned pros or streamers like Tfue, Aceu, Ninja, TenZ, KennyS, s1mple, and many others. Many users also said it’ll be interesting to see what these players do when they retire. When it comes to shroud, people are impressed he’s still on top of many FPS games despite retiring from the competitive scene.

Author
Image of Mateusz Miter
Mateusz Miter
Freelance Writer at Dot Esports. Mateusz previously worked for numerous outlets and gaming-adjacent companies, including ESL. League of Legends or CS:GO? He loves them both. In fact, he wonders which game he loves more every day. He wanted to go pro years ago, but somewhere along the way decided journalism was the more sensible option—and he was right.