5 Youngest Major Winners in Counter-Strike History

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

28 Jun

rizegeeko

Achieving victory in a Major tournament is the ultimate dream for every Counter-Strike 2 player. It's a badge of honor and pride, a rare privilege that only a select few can claim. While winning at such a prestigious event is an accomplishment in itself, doing so at a young age adds an extra layer of flair and uniqueness. It opens doors to endless opportunities in the future.

With that in mind, let's take a closer look at the top five youngest players ever to clinch a Major title. These players stand among the legends who have graced the game, showcasing exceptional talent and determination at a remarkably early stage in their careers.

Jacky "Stewie2K" Yip

Image source: ESL/Helena Kristiansson

The North American superstar was part of the legendary Cloud9 lineup that beat FaZe Clan in one of the best Major grand final showdowns ever.

Jacky "Stewie2K" Yip joined Cloud9 in 2016, marking his debut with a big team. That year, he quickly began racking up trophies, notably clinching the ESL Pro League Season 4 - Finals. Known for his unconventional playstyle, Stewie2K consistently kept opponents on their toes, leaving analysts puzzled by his unpredictable moves during matches.

Fast forward to 2018, at a time when few expected a North American team to excel in a Major tournament, Cloud9 defied all odds. With standout talents like Tarik "tarik" Celik and Tyler "Skadoodle" Latham leading the charge, the team achieved victories over formidable opponents such as G2 Esports and SK Gaming.

“Stewie2K” made history at just 20 years and 22 days old, securing North America's first and only Major title to date.

Paweł "byali" Bieliński

Image source: ESL

The Polish rifler, Paweł "byali" Bieliński, was a prominent member of Virtus.Pro, who held the record for the longest time without changing their roster. He initially partnered with papito Jarosław "pashaBiceps" Jarząbkowski in 2013 while with ESC Gaming. Together, they achieved a commendable 9th place finish at the first CS Major under the UniversalSoldiers banner.

On January 24, 2014, Virtus.Pro finalized their lineup featuring Wiktor "TaZ" Wojtas, Filip "NEO" Kubski, Janusz "Snax" Pogorzelski, alongside "pashaBiceps" and "byali". Their synergy was evident at CS:GO's second Major in Katowice, where they clinched the Major trophy on home turf.

Facing off against the formidable Ninjas in Pyjamas in the Grand Final, Virtus.Pro, "byali", emerged victorious at the EMS Katowice 2014 when he was just 19 years and 321 days old.

Valerij "b1t" Vakhovsjkyj

Image source: PGL

From the academy team to winning a Major alongside the best player of all time. Valerij "b1t" Vakhovsjkyj’s success story with NA'VI will be told for many years to come.

Despite lacking the experience and their slow start with the main NAVI roster, Valerij eventually stepped up his game and became an indispensable asset to the team. Initially, he was brought in as a replacement for Egor "flamie" Vasilyev. Already with a big shoes to fill, he had to adapt quickly with players like Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyljev and Denis "electroNic" Sharipov playing alongside him.

NAVI completed their Major run with a clean record, not dropping a single map even in the playoffs. In the process, “b1t” won the PGL Major Stockholm 2021 at the age of 18 years and 307 days.

Jesper "JW" Wecksell

Image source: Dreamhack

The wonderchild of Counter-Strike proved his worth at a young age in Global Offensive’s first Major. Jesper "JW" Wecksell began his career in Counter-Strike 1.6 but struggled to make a name for himself initially. He gained recognition when Epsilon became the first major organization to sign him after acquiring the WRTT roster, where JW was playing, by the end of 2012.

Jesper made his debut in S-Tier tournaments in 2013 with Epsilon. But it wasn't with them that JW found success. Less than a year after joining Epsilon, JW found himself on Fnatic.

Just three months after joining, JW and the team achieved a surprising victory at DreamHack Winter Major 2013, marking their first Major win in CS history.

While “JW” became a legend mainly because of his aggressive playstyle with the AWP; at only 18 years and 280 days, he also became the MVP of his Major win, marking a strong start for even a greater career.

Markus "Kjaerbye" Kjærbye

Image source: ESL

Markus "Kjaerbye" Kjærbye was on his way to becoming a legend of the game after becoming MVP and Major winner with Astralis back in 2017, when he lifted the ELEAGUE Major trophy at the age of 18 years and 277 days.

After following the Danish route and playing for Copenhagen Wolves, then Dignitas, he landed in Denmark's most successful organization to date: Astralis.

During his time in Astralis, he achieved what was a dream for most players at a young age. However, things crumbled like a house of cards when he unexpectedly announced his departure, joining North: an organization that ceased to exist back in 2020.

Despite having a rocky career ever since, "Kjaerbye" is still the youngest Major winner and MVP till this day, after over seven years.

Credit: rizegeeko