Truly deserving the title, Marcelo 'coldzera' David had a spectacular year. With his teammates from SK Gaming he secured two consecutive major tournament titles, where he played an irreplaceable role. Whether rifling or secondary AWPing - his impact was immense. Either looking back to the team’s match against Team Liquid during the semi-finals of MLG Columbus 2016 or analysing his average performance over the year, coldzera surpasses other players by far.

Oscar Cañellas has been an absolute pleasure to watch over 2016. His improvement is clear as daylight and his performance is developing with every match he participates in. Over the course of the year, Oscar has made a massive contribution to OpTic Gaming’s results, which is incredible considering the fact that the Spanish pro had not been part of a team that competed at an international level previously.

The roster has stuck together through thick and thin, putting in the time and effort to improve both individual and team performances across the board. For this effort they were rewarded, as the Brazilian roster managed that which was thought nigh-impossible – two consecutive major tournament titles. This is a feat very few teams have achieved, and even fewer will ever achieve again, as the scene evolves into one where matches cannot be reliably predicted due to how close teams are in terms of ability and performence.

OpTic Gaming deservedly take the title of the most improved team. Ever since its conception in January 2016, the team has been progressively developing into what is now known as one the strongest North American contenders. A string of positive additions to the core roster, coupled with a winner’s mind-set changed the scene’s perception of the team entirely. The aforementioned culminated in a first place at the ELEAGUE Season 2 finals, shortly followed by a second place at the ECS Season 2 finals.

2016 has been a terrible year for the "Boys in Blue". After making it to the grand finals of the last two majors of 2015, the fans had hoped for an even better year, but despite fielding a fearsome roster, EnVyUs struggled. Group stage exits at two consecutive majors and lack of trophies in prestigious events pushed the French team to change their roster more than once. Unfortunately, these changes weren’t enough to end the year with glory, as over the course of the last twelve months the team was only able to secure first place finishes at smaller events.

ESL brought Counter-Strike: Global Offensive to LANXESS Arena in the name of ESL One: Cologne 2016 which turned out to be a spectacular event. It accumulated more than 31 million hours viewed online and gathered over 14,000 spectators in the arena each day. In addition, local TV channels all around the world streamed the event live. The offstage activities only contributed to making ESL One: Cologne 2016 the finest event of the year.

Counter Strike has a unique blessing, which is to be filled with a pool of incredibly skilled casting talent. HenryG and Sadokist are among the top casters in the scene, with their rise in 2016 being impressive on any scale. Just two years ago, neither caster had a large role in the scene, but through their hard work and proven talent, they have become masters of what they do, invited to multiple premier tournaments. They have an innate chemistry that is rarely seen elsewhere, playing off of each other during a cast, while also bringing deep knowledge of the game. The success that the duo found during 2016 foreshadows the success they will surely find in coming years, as Counter Strike grows, and they continue to learn.

Not surprisingly, Janko "YNk" Paunovi? is held in high esteem around the scene for his great insight into the game and the unique qualities he brings to the analyst desk. Bringing both knowledge as an ex-player, and as an outsider, allows him to provide great amounts of both technical and surface details. Complementing the aforementioned, YNk also works well with any mix of analysts, giving viewers a steady amount of information and entertainment, keeping each desk segment balanced. In the last year, Janko has rightly ascended to the top tier of talent and has cemented his place as one of the best Counter Strike analysts that events can recruit.

We are so familiar with Alex “Machine” Richardson that we feel something is missing when he is not hosting an event. Fortunately, Machine isn’t tied to a single organiser and guides the viewers through various events with his hilarious but insightful delivery, regardless of where it is or who organises it. There is no doubt that Machine is one-of-a-kind and for this he is adored greatly by the CS:GO scene.

The announcement that the role of a coach would be massively overhauled came as a great shock for many teams, including those at the top of the scene. Over the course of the last year, many squads had taken to giving their coaches the role of in-game leader, allowing their five players to focus on their individual performances. After Valve announced that coaches would no longer be able to lead in-game, those teams were forced to adapt, on occasion giving the role to inexperienced players. The full effects of this change have yet to be seen, as the first Major with the rule is yet to be played, and changes have been rumoured.

The rise of OpTic runs parallel to the rise of their star player, mixwell. Before acquiring the Spanish star, OpTic was a middling NA team, with little hopes of competing on the world stage. However, since then, they have been on a steady rise, peaking at the end of the year, with mixwell leading the way. The Spaniard has shown that he can compete with the best players in the world, and in the new year he will likely be considered one among them. With mixwell at the helm, OpTic is expected to continue their rise in 2017, taking titles and making deep placings.

The mid-year Swedish shuffle that saw players traded between GODSENT and Fnatic was one where both teams seemed to end up with slightly less impressive rosters. The most notable change was the loss of JW and flusha from the Fnatic roster, considering their great longevity and list of achievements with the team. Since the swap Fnatic has failed to accomplish anything of note, leaving a gap in the scene where the Swedish giants once stood. The future of their team is uncertain, and they look to make drastic improvements in the coming year.

In 2016, ESL continued their dominance of events. Even with the loss of the third Major, ESL still held onto their flagship event, ESL One: Cologne, which stands as the most impressive event of the year. Along with Cologne, they also hosted ESL New York, IEM Oakland, IEM Katowice, and the ESL Pro League finals, which all became tier one events. Each ESL event brings top level analysis, production value, and venue service. The pedigree of ESL is nearly unmatched by any other organiser, and the future of the company looks bright. With each tournament they host, fans, talent, and teams know what to expect, and ESL delivers, giving them praise that can be found in every aspect of event organising.

One year ago, it would have been unbelievable to hear that FalleN’s team would become the best of 2016, and that he would become the greatest AWPer of the year. Since his rise in the Brazilian scene, it has been clear that FalleN is a great in-game leader, with him reaching his peak this year. Along with propelling his team forward with tactics, style, and system, FalleN achieves great feats as an AWPer, often dragging his team back from the clutches of a loss. When FalleN is on form, there are nearly no AWPers that can compete with him. He brings speed, superior positioning, and accuracy that seems almost inhuman. 

Gabriel "Fallen" Toledo isn’t just an in-game leader for SK Gaming. He created the Brazilian legacy himself and has mapped their path to the top since the beginning. After making a name for themselves in 2015, their true dominance began in 2016. Fallen played a crucial role in their two consecutive major victories. Even when he’s not fragging with his AWP, his mind was always present, ready to outsmart and outplay his opponents throughout the whole year.

Luis "peacemaker" Tadeu proved to be a highly impactful coach this year as he guided the former Tempo Storm roster to the level they’re known for today. After leaving Tempo Storm, Team Liquid welcomed peacemaker with open arms and he delivered once again, coaching the roster to become the first North American team in a major tournament grand final at ESL One: Cologne 2016. He is surely one of the best, if not the best coach around and his impact on multiple teams in such short order proves just that.