Top 10 IGL in CS2
In the modern competitive scene, the responsibilities of CS2 IGL players extend far beyond executing complex strategies. Yes, you’ll need a good grasp of the strategic side of the game, but will also be called to maintain your team’s fighting spirit, mentor the new talent, provide your teammates with a vision to rally around, and much, much more. The best IGLs in CS2 are heavyweight champions with enough experience, skill, and in-game knowledge to make even a mediocre team incredibly dangerous.
But what defines pro IGLs in CS2 in 2025? With new visual settings, smoke mechanics, and movement physics, there’s a lot of new info to analyze and training to run. After all, when you’re the one calling the shots at a Major, there is no such thing as too much prep time.
Are you looking for inspiration or want to learn from the best? Here’s a list of the 10 best IGLs in Counter-Strike 2, including their baseline stats, achievements, and highlights.
1. apEX — Dan Madesclaire
When it comes to passionate in-game leaders, none can compare to the legendary Dan Madesclaire. A true CS2 veteran — cocky, bold, and aggressive in-game, but sweet and humble in person. During matches, though, he can trash-talk you in at least three languages while leading his team toward victory as if it were an easy walk in a park. The guy is also one of those rare shooting IGLs capable of blowing your head off with an SSG 08 and a Deagle alike.
Previously titled as one of the best French players, Dan became Vitality’s IGL in 2020. The team has had its ups and downs since then, but retained its place among the global top 30. In recent years, this 32-year-old thunderstorm managed to stir up some waters by leading his team to seven consecutive trophies in 2025, the ESL Grand Slam, and claimed an impressive 37-series win streak (the second-longest in Counter-Strike history). The team had also seized two Majors in Paris and Austin, creating the term ‘Vitality Era’. If we’re to judge IGLs by their team's results, apEX is undoubtedly the top IGL in CS2.
Rating 3.0: 0.93
Kills per round: 0.57
2. FalleN — Gabriel Toledo
A veteran player from Brazil, Gabriel "FalleN" Toledo, is known as an outstanding IGL in CS2 for his dynamic style of play and match management. FalleN has a truly storied career that left a lasting impact on the CS community. His best matches include the grand finals of MLG Major Championship: Columbus 2016, where he led Luminosity Gaming to victory over NAVI in an epic series to claim their first Major.
FalleN's crowning achievement, however, is his back-to-back Major victories with SK Gaming at ESL One: Cologne 2016 and ESL One: Cologne 2017. Now, leaving his sniper days behind, FalleN focuses on being a creative and bold IGL who leads FURIA in its new era. The team had recently secured a major win in the 3 – 2 epic grand final against The MongolZ at FISSURE Playground 2.
Rating 3.0: 0.92
Kills per round: 0.57
3. karrigan — Finn Andersen
A veteran player from Denmark, as well as a legend of FalleN’s caliber, Finn "karrigan" Andersen is often considered Toledo’s main rival in the race for the status of the best IGL in CS2. As the IGL for FaZe Clan, karrigan has led his teams to numerous championship titles and consistently demonstrates his ability to adapt to different playstyles and lineups.
Some of karrigan's best matches include FaZe Clan's victory over Team Liquid in the grand finals of ESL One: New York 2017, marking the group's first premier tournament title. In the following year, karrigan had played a crucial role in FaZe Clan's victory over Astralis in the grand finals of EPICENTER 2018, further cementing his reputation. Now in his thirties, Finn claimed PGL Major Antwerp 2022 and multiple IEMs. With his aggressive calling style and numerous frags, karrigan is still one of the best pro IGLs in CS2.
Rating 3.0: 0.83
Kills per round: 0.50
4. Aleksib — Aleksi Virolainen
Aleksi "Aleksib" Virolainen, a rising star from Finland, has already claimed his status as one of the famous CS2 IGLs. As the current leader of NAVI, Aleksib is noted for his structured tactics and ability to adapt to various playstyles. The man seems to always know the right unexpected move to outfight even the most formidable opponent.
Aleksib's standout matches include NAVI's victory over FaZe in the grand final of PGL Major Copenhagen 2024, where he masterfully outmaneuvered the opposition to secure the championship for his team. Other memorable matches starring Aleksin are NAVI's upset win against Eternal Fire at the 2024 ESL Pro League Season 20 and a championship clash at IEM Rio 2024 against MOUZ.
Rating 3.0: 0.91
Kills per round: 0.52
5. chopper — Leonid Vishnyakov
Despite Team Spirit’s recent roster changes and a streak of upsetting losses, chopper remains as calm, focused, and formidable in clutches as ever. His style is aggressive, fast, and rotation-heavy, relying on the devastating firepower of donk and sh1ro. Also, Team Spirit is a sworn rival of Aleksib’s NAVI.
Twenty-eight-year-old Vishnyakov is a natural pro IGL in CS2, leading his team to enough memorable wins to win a place in the global top-5. His most prominent matches as an IGL are grand finals against MOUZ at IEM Cologne 2025, against FaZe at Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024, and against Astralis at PGL Astana 2025.
@eslcounterstrike chopper ACED against MOUZ #ESL #gaming #IEM #iemcologne2025 #intelextrememasters #cs2 #counterstrike2 #esports #competitivegaming ♬ som original - ESL Counter-Strike
Rating 3.0: 0.91
Kills per round: 0.56
6. Brollan — Ludvig Brolin
Only 23 y.o., Brollan is a rising star who took over the in-game leader’s role for MOUZ after siuhy was benched, which came as a surprise for just about everybody in the Counter-Strike world. Yet, Ludwig proved to be a powerful IGL able to turn things around in the most stressful matches. Brollan’s debut came when he helped his team secure a confident win at PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025, beating down Falcons 3 – 1.
After that, Brollan came onto his own as one of the best IGLs in Counter-Strike, leading MOUZ to several grand finals and landing second at IEM Cologne 2025, IEM Dallas 2025, BLAST Open Lisbon 2025, and ESL Pro League Season 21. He's one of the shooting captains, rightfully feared for his tactics and calm creativity. Moreover, it was under Brollan’s leadership that MOUZ finally beat Team Vitality at IEM Cologne 2025 after years of struggle against this particular opponent.
Rating 3.0: 0.97
Kills per round: 0.59
7. kyxsan — Damjan Stoilkovski
The Falcons are the third-best CS2 team in the world (according to HLTV rating), even though they are going through turbulent times at the moment. Still, kyxsan definitely deserves a spot among the top 10 IGL in CS2. It’s still too early to say whether Damjan can claim the title of the top IGL of CS2, but the team seems to perform pretty well under his leadership, claiming their first-ever championship trophy at PGL Bucharest 2025.
This 25-year-old pro player has all the qualities you want to see in your in-game leader — the ability to stay calm and focused under pressure, execute versatile strategies and surprising tactics, and go for bold moves when necessary. With big names like NiKo and m0NESY supporting his rise to prominence, this North Macedonian seems bound for greatness. Damjan had already led the team to land second at IEM Melbourne 2025 & BLAST Rivals 2025 Season 1 and third at Esports World Cup 2025.
Rating 3.0: 0.96
Kills per round: 0.57
8. huNter- — Nemanja Kovač
This 28-year-old Bosnian pro first proved his skills as one of the most powerful Riflers and clutchers in recent memory, playing alongside his cousin NiKo for several years. After the other Kovač and his friend m0NESY moved to Falcons, Nemanja "huNter-" Kovač finally entered his prime by taking over the IGL role. That turned out to be the best decision the team could’ve made. Just like his personal gameplay, Nemanja’s calling style is intelligent, tactical, and mindgames-oriented.
A common name in the top 20 players of the year lists since 2020, huNter- knows the game inside out and can adjust his tactics on the go, making his team flexible enough to defeat leaders like Team Spirit and Vitality, both of which they have beaten to secure the championship trophy at BLAST Open Fall 2025. At that event, Kovač was named among the match’s all-stars, with his captaincy praised so much that we’ve decided to include him in our CS2 IGL list.
Rating 3.0: 0.96
Kills per round: 0.63
9. bLitz — Garidmagnai Byambasuren
The 24-year-old Mongolian star had stuck with his team through all their ups and downs, and now reaps his due rewards with the rapid rise to the global top 10 ranking. Garidmagnai “bLitz” Byambasuren took his team to new horizons, securing long-awaited wins over Vitality in the semi-finals of BLAST Bounty 2025 Season 2 and against Aurora in the staggering grand final at Esports World Cup 2025. Moreover, at that very same tournament, bLitz also got an EVP award and was crowned as the best IGL by HLTV.
Always focused, Garidmagnai is a fragging IGL, a very skilled opener and clutcher with mind-blowing aim, even though sometimes you can see him succumbing to tilt. We all hope that it will pass as he matures and gains more experience. Still, Garidmagnai is more than capable of making strategic and aggressive calls, delivering impactful plays, and building clever strategies. At his latest tournament, FISSURE Playground 2, bLitz lost 2 – 3 in the grand final to FalleN’s FURIA, landing second place and claiming over $16,000 in prize money. Can you imagine playing back-to-back with an icon like Toledo?
Rating 3.0: 0.99
Kills per round: 0.65
10. Snappi — Marco Pfeiffer
After spending a rough year with the Falcons, this 35-year-old pro finally found a new home at one of the most legendary teams ever — Ninjas in Pyjamas. The team struggled to find their game for some time, but the new IGL proved to be exactly what they needed to regain their footing. In just under eight months of Marco’s guidance, NiP returned to the pro scene, and secured second place at StarLadder StarSeries Fall 2025 after losing to NAVI in the grand final.
Snappi’s strength as an IGL in CS2 lies in energized calling directed at igniting his team’s fighting spirit, building up new talents, and using an analytics-driven approach to create a versatile playbook. Some time ago, Snappi had also made ENCE a powerhouse by drilling efficient tactics and strategies based on careful preparation, in-depth analysis, and mid-round freedom. Marco loves to outsmart more famous opponents with unpredictable moves and excels at nades, off-angle engagements, and timings.
Rating 3.0: 0.93
Kills per round: 0.64
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All successful CS2 IGL players possess a combination of strategic brilliance, leadership acumen, and exceptional in-game skills that set them apart from their peers. Whether it's apEX's masterful calls, FalleN's veteran experience, Aleksib's adaptability, chopper's aggression, or bLitz's fearlessness, each of the best IGLs in CS2 brings a unique flair to the game and plays a pivotal role in shaping the competitive scene. Also, apEX, chopper, bLitz, Brollan, and kyxsan have all been nominated for the 2025 Captain of the Year. So, don’t forget to check out the CS2 player rating on our website.
As you delve deeper into the CS2 competitive arena, these IGLs can serve as endless sources of inspiration. Just make sure to learn from the best, and good luck! Our website already has materials about the best players for different roles in CS, such as:
We also recommend you review our IGL role guide to better understand the role.
