5 Best Lurkers of CS2 Ever
You should never underestimate the power of lurking in Counter-Strike. Players who lurk play a crucial role in collecting information about opponents' movements and averting attention, but we usually take them for granted. Today, we want to challenge this trend and give some respect where it’s due by telling you about the best lurkers of CS2. In this article, we’ll consider all the obligatory skills for lurkers, the associated awards, stats, ranking on HLTV, official roles on Liquipedia, and the community’s opinion. So, who is the best lurker in CS2? Let’s see!
5. Ax1Le—Sergey Rykhtorov
This quiet but lethal Russian Rifler from Cloud9 has a 75.0 ADR and 52.5% headshot ratio. HLTV recognized Ax1Le as the best pro CS2 lurker in 2022, and by 2023 he hit 14th place among the top 20 players with the highest average kills per match (KPR 0.71, 94 maps). Currently, Ax1Le holds a spot among the top 30 players globally.
Complementing his team’s performance with excellent lurking and aiming skills, Rykhtorov played a key part in Cloud9’s overall success in 2022 when they won IEM Dallas. Sergey delivered some monumental performances against the top 20 CS teams, earning an MVP and a 1.21 rating. He’s, indeed, a real closer, proficient in performing impressive clutches (11 wins in 1v1), who had also won the first-ever 1v5 CS2 clutch against Vitality in the semi-final. He did it by creatively peeking and acing five headshots in front of the roaring arena at the BLAST Premier Fall Finals 2023.
Ax1Le can find those critical gaps in opponents' strategy that could help break an enemy team apart. For instance, thanks to Rykhtorov, Cloud9 became the only squad that beat FaZe at 2022 LANs twice, so it’s no surprise he’s in our list of pro lurkers in CS2.
Born: April 29, 2002
Rating: 1.04
Kills per round: 0.65
Loadout: HEs, flashbangs, smokes, mollies, rifles, pistols
4. huNter- —Nemanja Kovač
A famous aggressive lurker from G2, Kovač has a 0.95 opening kill ratio and 47.5% of frags via headshots. During his four years in G2, huNter has been constantly listed among HLTV’s top 20 players. The game’s fans also love his performances, frequently naming him the best pro lurker of CS2. The community calls huNter a beast for his jaw-dropping skills and exceptional trigger discipline at Counter-Strike LANs.
In the principal match against NAVI at the BLAST Premier World Final, huNter, as the last one standing CT, saved a dead pistol round by landing three final kills and defusing the bomb in time. Throughout 2023, he participated in every event with a 1+ rating, so he knows how to turn the game’s odds in his team’s favor. But the highlight of the lurker’s careers was G2’s impressive wins at IEM Katowice and Cologne 2023, where Nemanja showed a steady 1.24 average rating in the group stage.
As an exceptional clutch master with impressive weapon knowledge, this Bosnian can do it all—clutch, retake, land quadra kills, and get on his opponents’ nerves every time. He’s also dedicated and hard-working, constantly trying to improve his gameplay and aim. You won’t see huNterrushing into flames just for the sake of it. The man’s rotations across maps are never too fast or slow but always timely and unpredictable. He somehow always manages to push his opponents over the limit while holding his position, regardless of the location.
Born: January 3, 1996
Rating: 0.94
Kills per round: 0.62
Loadout: HEs, flashbangs, smokes, mollies, rifles, farm guns, pistols, TEC-9
3. blameF—Benjamin Vang Bremer
This Danish lurker is one of the most consistent top-fraggers in Astralis, and also occasionally plays as Leader or Rifler if the situation demands it. The team’s fresh roster still struggles to find their game, but blameF still managed to secure his place among the best lurkers of Counter-Strike and the top 20 players globally. At IEM Cologne 2023, Bremer shined brighter than others, leading the way for his team towards third place in performance rating.
Although the CS community frequently accuses Benjamin of being a "baiter," his impressive ratings for the last three years speak louder than words. The guy slowly but steadily carries the team to success, putting up a strong fight against the world's most elite players. He’s usually a high-performing opener for Astralis, with fantastic individual combat skills, and often finishes events with a positive KD and 1+ rating.
When adopting the lurking role, Bremer constantly farms important frags (74.0 ADR and 0.97 in opening kills) and knows his way around maps and opponents. Benjamin senses when it’s actually reasonable to lurk and uses anti-strat to gather information—he throws HEs not to where he thinks the enemies are, but where he knows they are.
Born: June 10, 1997
Rating: 1.09
Kills per round: 0.67
Loadout: HEs, smokes, flashbangs, mollies, rifles, pistols
2. Spinx—Lotan Giladi
The Israeli Rifler/Lurker player struggled through his fair share of ups and downs, taking a long way to success. He could have ended with no big gains in his pro career if not for Team Vitality. After his transfer from ENCE, Spinx went on to win some of the most important CS tournaments, including Paris Major (the first-ever player from Israel to do so). Giladi secured his place among the Best Five of BLAST World Final 2023 and was nominated for the Best Lurker of 2022 by BLAST.
Lotan operates aggressively but intelligently, adjusting to the situation with his incredible map knowledge. As one of the top lurkers of CS2, Spinx knows his timings and frequently robs enemies of victory, handling god-like 1vs3 clutches like nobody’s business. The guy is as cold-blooded and proficient as it gets, having impeccable combat skills and a 1.12 impact rate to prove it. Giladi is an ace who can close a round solo, being the team’s second-best player (with only ZywoO having the stats to match the lurker pro). Even apEX acknowledged Spinx as a star player with a sharp mind and great game sense. When it comes to lurking, this Israeli is one of the best performers Counter-Strike has ever seen.
In the IEM Rio 2023 lower bracket semi-final Faze vs Vitality, Spinx was simply outstanding, going head-to-head with ropz. Lotan got a remarkable 73 frags from his lurk positions, paving the way to the playoffs and ultimately obtaining the trophy for his team (126 ADR and 1.91 rating). The ESL Pro League Season 18 was his highest-rated tournament yet with two 30-kill maps.
Born: September 13, 2000
Rating: 1.14
Kills per round: 0.71
Loadout: HEs, smokes, flashbangs, mollies, rifles, pistols
1. ropz—Robin Kool
Our list of top lurkers in Counter-Strike 2 ends with this Estonian pro from FaZe Clan simply because there’s no players in this role who can compare. In 2023, HLTV recognized ropz as the best lurker and placed him among the Best Five of BLAST World Final (ADR 85.2). He was the only player from FaZe to get this high, being his team’s prime damage dealer for the entire event.
As an elite lurker, Robin gets the job done with a unique, impressive style. Aside from creating distractions with his grenades on all maps from the team’s pool, ropz is a master of landing crucial first kills. Have you seen his sensational games at IEM Katowice 2024 and PGL’s RMR Copenhagen? All hail the Zeus King!
“FaZe’s secret weapon” often lurks aggressively, constantly changing his play from super slow to fast. He expertly flanks and rotates where the enemies least expect it, and quickly catches them off guard, giving no time to react. You never know what he’ll do next, as Kool is an unpredictable innovator and a trend-setter for his role. As the best CS2 lurker, Robin can do the same setup three times in a row and still win each round. ropz’s patience and aim are the stuff of legends among the CS2 community, and he casually wins impossible clutches with a poise and grace of an apex predator.
Born: December 22, 1999
Rating: 1.10
Kills per round: 0.74
Loadout: HEs, smokes, flashbangs, mollies, rifles, farm guns, Zeus, pistols
Now you know who are the best lurkers in CS2 to date, but you know how ratings work. ropz holds the title for the time being, but as soon as the next major event hits, we might see a new star rising to the occasion and beating the top players on their way to the Major. If your goal is to become one of the best pro lurkers in CS2, make sure you understand what the current lurker kings do right, and all power to you!
