Dev1ce the Odds-On Favorite to be Named CS:GO HLTV Top Player of the Year
- Can dev1ce finally claim the title of HLTV Top Player of the Year?
- Team achievement vs individual play; the age old debate
- See the odds for HLTV Top Player of the Year
With the year coming to a close, so ends another year of great Counter-Strike.
2018 saw North America claim it’s first major, the demise of a dynasty in SK Gaming, and the rise of Astralis, the new final boss in CS:GO and possibly the greatest team of all-time.
Competing in 11 finals this year, the Danish side was in a different tier than any other team in the world, winning 9 of the finals they competed in, totaling over $3.3 million including the Intel Grand Slam.
They are the epitome of consistent, and are led by their superstar AWP dev1ce, who sits at the top of the odds for HLTV Top Player of the Year.
HLTV Top Player of the Year Odds
| Players | Odds |
|---|---|
| dev1ce | -250 |
| s1mple | +175 |
| NiKo | +3300 |
| dupreeh | +6600 |
| Guardian | +10000 |
| Coldzera | +25000 |
*Odds taken 12/14
Though the list is filled with legends of the game, and some of the greatest players in Counter-Strike history, this is really only a two-horse race.
Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz, and Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev, are the favorites for the award with all of the others far away in the rear view.
The only point of contention that seems to plague the discussion around who is the true #1 player in 2018 is what’s more impressive: individual stats and success, or success as a team.
Each player has a shot at the award, but their situations couldn’t be more different.
dev1ce Dominance in 2018
dev1ce has been a major part of what many consider the best team of all-time, and has been on a run this year that has the rest of the scene shook.
They are the overwhelming favorite heading into every event, and seemingly just walk through their opponents on their way to hoisting yet another trophy.
The Dane has won the most HLTV MVP Medals in a single year, winning 7 in all of 2018, bringing his career total to 11.
With his last MVP being awarded last weekend at ESL Pro League Season 8 Finals, he was able to take the lead for MVPs on the year over who other than, s1mple.
s1mple is No Slouch
It’s so hard to put into words how dominant s1mple has been in 2018, you truly need to see it to believe it.
He has backpacked his Na’vi squad for the majority of the year, leading them to 4 first place finishes, collecting 6 MVP awards along the way. Yes, that is correct, six MVP’s and only 4 wins.
It’s so hard to put into words how dominant s1mple has been in 2018, you truly need to see it to believe it
To win an MVP for an event that you didn’t win is truly one of the most impressive achievements I can think of in CS:GO.
You need to single-handedly drag your team through the tournament to pull off something like that. The performance of s1mple in 2018 was record shattering and may never be reached again for a single player in Counter-Strike.
s1mple vs dev1ce 2018 Comparison
| 1.35 | Rating | 1.24 |
| 0.88 | KPR | 0.79 |
| 0.10 | APR | 0.12 |
| 41.2% | Surviving | 40.2% |
| 73.4% | KAST | 71.1% |
| 1.35 | Impact | 1.18 |
| 40.2% | Headshot % | 33.2% |
| 4 | Event Wins | 9 |
| 6 | HLTV MVP’s | 7 |
Though 2018 has undoubtedly been the year of Astralis, in terms of top player, there is no one who quite comes close to dominating like s1mple.
I fully expect the Ukrainian superstar to claim the HLTV Top Player of the Year when all is said and done, despite not achieving the same level of team success in 2018 as his counterpart dev1ce.
Pick: s1mple (+175)
Zack is a lifelong video game enthusiast that has been in the competitive scene for over 11 years. He currently works at TSN and has an in-depth understanding across multiple esports titles. From PC to console games, first person shooters to MOBA's, one-taps to five-man ult's, he knows it all.
