Best Esports Players in 2021

2021 has been a year of several firsts. From a very successful year for Riot’s Valorant to the resumption of LAN events, this year was very successful. And there were quite a few players who proved their worth on the international stage rising to the occasion. Here are some of the best players in esports of the year across titles in 2021. 

Dota 2’s International was supposed to take place in Sweden in front of a live audience. But regulatory issues and red tape meant that the mega event had to be shifted to another venue. As Bucharest opened its doors to TI10, it was hit by a massive surge in COVID cases, and the event was closed to an audience.

But the show must go on and TI10 was no exception. There were speedbumps for teams initially, and Team Spirit’s video highlighted the lack of space for the team to practice. It was this team that went on to win the biggest prize pool in esports, a miracle run that left everyone shocked but inspired.

[esports_link url="https://esports.gg/news/dota-2/vladimir-putin-dota-2-shoutout-ti10-winners-spirit/"]

Magomed "Collapse" Khalilov’s Magnus stole the show during TI10. A hero that was a surprising revelation during TI10, Magnus rose to fame because Collapse perfected him. The young player would often get enemy completely out of position. No matter how far ahead you were in the game, Collapse’s Magnus would often find a way to separate you from the teamfight and render you useless. By the time, team’s figured out just how strong Magnus was, Collapse had already peaked. Along with Illya "Yatoro" Mulyarchuk, the duo were responsible in a big way for Team Spirit’s TI10 victory. 

Natus Vincere has been one of the best teams in Counter-Strike for several years. The team has been a part of the scene since the start. Despite featuring several strong rosters, Navi has never really won a Major. They had strong teams, real challengers for the title, but they fall short every time.

2021 was different. Navi already had two extremely talented individuals in Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev and Denis "electronic" Sharipov The duo has been a big reason for Navi’s dominance. Almost one year ago, 18-year-old Valerii "b1t" Vakhovskyi joined the Main roster. The rest, as they say, is history. 

With a 1.13 K/D ratio in 2021, b1t’s performance has not wavered irrespective of the type of opponents. He had the same rating against top-five opponents or the top 50 opponents. 

And by the looks of it, not many teams seem to be in a position to challenge Navi. Unless we see some drastic roster changes (Vitality looks likely), Navi will continue to dominate its way through 2021. And b1t will continue to play a crucial role.

Tenz became the first player in Valorant to reach the Radiant rank. And soon after, Sentinels bought Tenz to add the necessary firepower to their team. The final price of the contract was $1.25 million, following a $250,000 loan. The former CS: GO player has found his calling in Valorant and has already become one of the standout players in 2021. 

Valorant is still a very new game and despite its novelty, the game is a roaring success. The title’s success in 2021 is partly due to Riot’s support for the esports scene. TenZ’s performance uplifts his team’s skill and Sentinels were a favorite going into the VCT Championship Berlin. They did not win the tournament, but they still performed extremely well. 

Over 12 maps, TenZ had 229 kills, just behind Olavo "heat" Marcelo and Jaccob "yay" Whiteaker. The player had numerous impact frags and his eliminations would often result in a victory round for his team. Known for his Reyna and Jett plays, 2021 has been a standout year for TenZ and fans are eagerly waiting to see if he can continue his form into the new year.

Viper left the LCK just a few years after his debut on Griffin Gaming. His year in the LPL was nothing short of dominant as he secured his first championship with a 3-2 victory over FunPlus Phoenix in the LPL Summer 2021. 

The bot laner then moved on to win the Worlds Championship defeating DAMWON Gaming with a similar scoreline in the finals. 

Throughout the year, the player has secured many titles, including MVPs, rookie of the year and his first All-Pro team. The feat is particularly impressive considering he moved to a new region and in just a short period of time was able to achieve the highest level of victory possible. In a game like League of Legends, communication is key, so moving regions is much more than just adjusting to a new way of playing the game. 

Already one of the best players in the world, van "M0nkey M00n" Rogez dominated during the RLCS Fall Split Major handing BDS yet another victory. The player had a 0.62 goal rating and a 0.5 save rating. Considering he played 42 matches some of them against the tournament favorites, these numbers are extremely impressive.

M0nkey M00n was also awarded the Esports Controller Rookie of the year at the Esports Awards. 

Team BDS had an impressive showing at the RLCS X winning all three EU Majors. The team was not a favorite to win the Fall Split, but they surprised everyone with their performance. The trio of M0nkey M00n, Marc "MaRc_By_8." Doming and Alex "Extra" Paoli won the tournament with some superior synergy and excellent passing.

This concludes our list of the best esports players that made a name for themselves in 2021. As we head into 2022, the esports industry will see new players rise up to the challenge and break new records. 

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