IEM Katowice, the first $1 million CS:GO tournament of 2023, will kick off on Feb. 1 and there are no better players to watch than the dedicated snipers.
The AWPers play a crucial part in the game’s competitive meta. They use the most expensive weapon pros use, the sniper rifle AWP, which kills an opponent with just one bullet in the upper body or head. The AWP allows players to go for aggressive opening picks or to be used in the late round during post-plant situations. On top of providing kills for the team and covering the riflers during executions, AWPers also throw utility like flashbangs. You can observe their line-ups and throw these perfect flashes in your own competitive matches.
Related: The 5 favorite CS:GO teams to win IEM Katowice 2023
Here are all the AWPers we suggest you follow closely during IEM Katowice, which will run from Feb. 1 to 12.
The best CS:GO AWPers attending IEM Katowice 2023
S1mple
S1mple is the best CS:GO player in the world nowadays and, arguably, the best to ever play competitive CS:GO. He takes the initiative to go for all sorts of aggressive picks that look easy but are incredibly difficult and ballsy. And more than often, he wins important clutches for Natus Vincere. There’s hardly a better player to follow than s1mple.
ZywOo
Like s1mple, ZywOo is a generational talent in CS:GO. He started playing professionally at the end of 2018 and has already been named the best player in the world twice by HLTV. The Frenchman handles the AWP like few can and you’ll often see him successfully defending an entire bombsite for Vitality all by himself with his Big Green. Watching ZywOo play is one of the best things you can do as a CS:GO spectator.
Broky
Broky played an integral part in FaZe Clan’s dominant run in the first semester of 2022, in which the international team won IEM Katowice, ESL Pro League season 15, PGL Antwerp Major, and IEM Cologne. The Latvian AWPer is one of the few who can go toe to toe against the likes of s1mple and ZywOo on a given day, which makes him a must-watch during this year’s IEM Katowice.
M0NESY
The young Russian AWPer m0NESY certainly stole the show at certain events throughout 2022, his first competitive year playing for G2, which is his first team outside of the academy level. Even though he’s only 17 years old, m0NESY has the confidence of a legendary player. Watching him go for aggressive picks is not only entertaining but also makes you wonder how someone who is still inexperienced can make these sorts of plays work.
Jame
The Outsiders’ captain has a unique approach to CS:GO and not everyone understands that. He isn’t known for getting flashy kills all the time but is one of the most consistent AWPers out there and a threat to any team in the world. Jame really values the statistical aspect of Counter-Strike, meaning he’ll almost never go for clutch attempts that look impossible, so you might learn a thing or two about playing your best odds if you watch him.
CadiaN
CadiaN brings unmatched energy to his CS:GO matches. Depending on your point of view, he can be seen as the No. 1 villain in CS:GO nowadays. But other than being loud and celebrating like no one else, he has become a solid AWPer over the years and is capable of pulling off impossible clutches from time to time, like the one he did at BLAST Premier Spring Groups this month. Watching cadiaN play is a joy when he’s feeling it.
Sh1ro
From sh1ro onwards, all of the players on this list will start IEM Katowice 2023 in the play-in stage, which means that it isn’t guaranteed that they’ll reach the group stage and face the players we listed above. Now, that said, sh1ro is one of the best players in the world. In fact, he was named No. 3 by HLTV in 2022. The Russian AWPer is the most consistent player on Cloud9 and has the capability of carrying them against the best players in the world. He’s one of the best players to follow, especially during the play-in stage, which features some tier-two teams.
Degster
Degster is a top-three AWPer in the world in terms of aggression. The Russian likes going for high-risk, high-reward plays for OG and more than often makes them work. If you want to learn how to play aggressively with the sniper rifler in CS:GO, degster is one of the best players to keep an eye on.
SunPayus
The former Movistar Riders star SunPayus surprised everyone with his performances against the best teams in the world in 2022 and made the jump to ENCE in the second semester of last year. Nearly six months after his arrival, it’s time for him to show that he’s on ENCE to be their No. 1 star and help them to achieve more than runners-up and top-four finishes. And there’s no better place to do this than at IEM Katowice 2023, which makes the Spanish AWPer one of the best players to follow during the $1 million competition.
