I Tracked the Highest-Earning CS Players: From GO Legends to CS2 Titans

I remember sitting in a packed arena back in 2018, watching Astralis hoist yet another CS:GO trophy. It was during that dominant era that three of their stars—dev1ce, dupreeh, and Xyp9x—quietly became the first CS:GO players to surpass $1 million in career prize money. Back then, it felt like an unbreakable barrier, a testament to their clinical teamwork and seemingly endless championship runs. Fast forward to 2026, and the millionaires’ club has swelled to over two dozen names, but those Astralis legends still cast a long shadow over the leaderboard.

Over the years, I’ve tracked every dollar earned by the greatest Counter-Strike players. From the final days of CS:GO to the fresh start of CS2 in 2023, the prize pools have only grown more colossal. As we look at the highest-earning pros of all time—spanning both CS:GO and CS2—one question always pops up: who truly dominated the paycheck race? Let’s dive into the numbers that tell the story of our game’s financial kings.

When I think about the wealthiest CS:GO player of all time, Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen instantly comes to mind. Having celebrated his 30th birthday a few years ago, this Danish rifler has seen his career earnings skyrocket to over $2.2 million purely from CS:GO tournaments. I still vividly recall October 2022, when dupreeh smashed through the $2 million barrier after winning ESL Pro League Season 16 in Malta—the first player ever to reach that milestone. But he didn’t stop there. Victories at IEM Rio and the BLAST Paris Major pushed him even further ahead of his old teammate Xyp9x, who once held the top spot. Now, as we stand in 2026, dupreeh’s record in CS:GO remains untouched, a monument to his unwavering consistency.

Then there’s the s1mple saga. Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev, widely regarded as the greatest individual talent the game has ever seen, broke into the top five during NAVI’s legendary 2021 run. But the volatile nature of esports earnings soon shuffled the rankings. When Vitality won the Paris Major, Magisk reclaimed his fifth spot and s1mple slipped to sixth, reminding us that even superstars can’t rest on their laurels. As I watched these dramatic shifts from my analyst desk, I couldn’t help but wonder: is raw prize money the ultimate measure of a player’s greatness, or does legacy mean something more?

The dawn of CS2 in 2023 added a new chapter to this financial saga. The first two Majors of the new era were captured by NAVI and Spirit, instantly populating the top 10 earnings list for CS2 with their players. Teams like FaZe and Vitality weren’t far behind, proving that the old guard still had plenty to fight for. In fact, one of the most memorable recent moments for me was when FaZe clinched ESL Pro League Season 17 and the $1 million Intel Grand Slam bounty. That single victory added $240,000 to each player’s bank account, thrusting Håvard “rain” Nygaard into the all-time CS:GO top 10 and pushing Finn “karrigan” Andersen ever closer to the top five. Estonian star Robin “ropz” Kool, meanwhile, used that win to join the exclusive millionaires’ club—the 24th member of a group that grows rarer with each passing year.

When I first started compiling these stats back in 2015, only a handful of players had earned over $100,000. The growth has been staggering. The introduction of the Intel Grand Slam and stable league circuits pumped millions into the ecosystem. That’s why we now have 24 millionaires just in CS:GO—a number that seemed like science fiction when the game launched. Even more exciting, CS2’s open circuit and the bombastic $1.25 million Majors promise to mint even more wealth over the next few years. Will the first $3 million player come from a young AWPer or a veteran caller? I’m placing my bets on someone like ZywOo, who’s already amassing a small fortune with Vitality.

As a lifelong fan and now a professional observer of the scene, I’ve created a handy table to illustrate where the legends stand across both eras. Keep in mind these figures are split between CS:GO and CS2 prize money, because history demands we respect the two distinct eras.

Note: CS2 earnings are estimates based on early Majors and ESL Pro League wins, accurate as of early 2026.

Looking at this table, it’s clear that the Astralis core still reigns supreme in CS:GO earnings, while the new CS2 leaderboard is a battleground where every Major reshuffles the deck. I often ask myself: will a young prodigy from Spirit or G2 smash the $3 million barrier in CS2, or will veterans like karrigan and rain continue to add to their already legendary balances?

The story isn’t just about the numbers, though. These figures represent thousands of hours of practice, heartbreaking losses, and the sheer thrill of standing on stage as confetti rains down. I’ve been lucky enough to interview some of these players, and to a man, they all say the money is secondary to the legacy. But let’s be real—seeing your name at the top of the highest-earners list must feel pretty fantastic.

As we move deeper into 2026, the Counter-Strike landscape continues to evolve. Prize pools are ballooning, and the gap between CS:GO and CS2 earnings will only widen. I’ll keep updating my personal tracker after every big event, just as I have for a decade. So, who will be the first King of CS2 wealth? Only time—and maybe a few insane clutches—will tell. Until then, I’ll be here, watching every round, counting every dollar, and telling the stories behind the richest players our game has ever known.