ESports has been blowing up for about a decade now, and the growth does not seem to be slowing down.
From CSGO, to Overwatch to League of Legends and DOTA 2, this is definitely a trend and not a fad. Some leagues are more popular than others, and some experience a rapid growth and a rapid fall.
However, any game with a fan base gets views every time there is a tournament of highly skilled players showing new ways to dominate. Rainbow Six Siege has a well established Pro scene and these are arguably the best players today.
This is not a game where personal skill rules all, although it is very important, but the ability to synergize with a team and accept different roles than you may be comfortable with while communicating effectively.
10. Psycho – Ninjas in Pyjamas
Psycho
Psycho has been an up and coming player from Brazil, one of the best from a country of great Rainbow Six Players. He has been surprising people with plays using Glaz, sometimes a bit of a rarity in the Pro scene.
His aim and positioning as Glaz is definitely unique and special, but I wonder how it will change with the new nerf. Up until recently, he has generally been finding success in regional tournaments and has consistently been considered one of the best players from Brazil.
At only 19, he is beginning to play in international tournaments and although his success has been up and down, I would keep an eye out for him and his team, Ninjas in Pyjamas, over the next year.
Achievements
- Brasileirao 2017 – Season 1 - 1st Place ($1,145.10)
- Pro League Year 2 - Season 3 – Finals - 2nd Place ($6,228.57)
- Six Invitational 2018 – 3rd-4th Place ($8,000)
- Six Invitational 2019 - 13th-16th Place ($4,000)
9. Astro – FaZe Clan
Astro
Astro is another player from Brazil who is widely considered one of the best players in the world. Although countries like Russia and Brazil have a lot of talented pro players, they rarely get as much recognition or attention as players from countries like Finland, Canada or Germany. He is 22 years old and is part of the FaZe Clan. He is primarily the fragger on his team, and has the aim to rival some of the best. Although he is in a bit of a slump and not as successful as he once was, watching him play makes it undeniable that he is one of the best players right now.
Achievements
- Brasileirao 2017 – Season 2 - 1st Place ($1,093.64)
- OGA PIT – Season 2 - 1st Place ($1,350)
- Pro League – Season 8 Finals - 2nd Place ($6,000)
- Pro League – Season 9 Finals - 3rd-4th Place ($6,000)
8. Goga – G2 Esports
One of the best R6 Support Pro's around
Goga is a 24 year old Rainbow Six Siege pro from Spain. He is one of the best players in the world from one of the best teams in Rainbow Six Siege history.
What makes him so unique is the recognition he gets even though his role in Siege is not a fragger or a leader, but primarily a planter or support. He will be the one planting on offense no matter what, and can get the bomb down in the hardest situations. He is absolutely the best Thermite player around right now.
Although he is not the primary fragger on his team, he has shown time and time again that he is able to take on that role when necessary or if the fragger goes down early. He is a great all around player, and definitely a big part of G2 Esports and PENTA Sports success.
Achievements
- Six Invitational 2018 - 1st Place ($40,000)
- Six Major Paris 2018 - 1st Place ($30,000)
- Pro League – Season 8 - 1st Place ($15,000)
- Six Invitational 2019 - 1st Place ($160,000)
7. Nesk – Team Liquid
Nesk looking shocked
Nesk is a 24 year old Brazilian pro player. He is widely known as being one of the better Ash players around.
The level of teamwork used on Team Liquid allows him to flourish as their main fragger. His teammates will drone out as he runs not far behind, and they communicate to him the positions of enemies. This is common, of course, in R6 Pro strategies but Team Liquid and Nesk do it more effectively than I have seen anyone else do it.
His plays with Ash, and his reflexes and the aim that he showcases are truly amazing.
Achievements
- Six Invitational 2018 - 9th-12th Place ($2,000)
- Pro League – Season 7 - 1st Place ($15,000)
- Pro League – Season 8 Latin America - 4th Place ($1,200)
- Six Invitational 2019 - 5th-8th Place ($16,000)
6. jNSzki/Joonas - mousesports
Joonas celebrating.
Joonas is a 26 year old Finnish pro player. He is a legend in the Siege community and has spent the last two years dominating with Penta and G2.
After some underwhelming performances with G2, he was replaced. Now on mousesports, we are yet to see how he performs. Regardless of what happens, Joonas is an amazing player. He can definitely be streaky, and that may have been why he was replaced, but no Bandit player can compare to his play.
His ability to harass enemy players and deny them the safety to plant or push is truly something to witness. He also helped to popularize the Bandit iron sight in the community and watching him harass and enrage opponents is always interesting and entertaining.
Achievements
- Six Invitational 2019 - 1st Place ($160,000)
- Six Invitational 2018 - 1st Place ($40,000)
- Six Major Paris 2018 - 1st Place ($30,000)
- Pro League – Season 8 - 1st Place ($15,000)
5. Shatte (Sha77e) - mousesports
Sha77e likely imitating an enemy's reaction to his strats.
Sha77e is a 27 year old Finnish pro player. He was widely known as a dominating force for the late 2017-early 2018 period before he took a break from professional gaming to stream.
Now he is back playing professionally and, though he is rusty, there are obvious glimmers of the talent he showed before his break. Sha77e is famous for his extremely strong play as Mira and there isn't another player than can hold site as well as Sha77e.
Pushing him is a nightmare on offense, and that sort of holding skill made him one of the most dominating players around.
Achievements
- Six Invitational 2018 - 1st Place ($40,000)
- Pro League Year 2 – Season 3 - 1st Place ($15,228.57)
- Pro League – Season 9 Europe - 6th Place ($900)
- Pro League Year 1 – Season 3 - 3rd-4th Place ($1,750)
4. Canadian – Evil Geniuses
Canadian concertrating on winning a round.
Canadian is a 22 year old Pro player from, you guessed it, Canada. He is widely known for being known as a sort of underdog, constantly getting 2nd place and being just within reach of 1st place.
He is the leader of Evil Geniuses and plays aggressively as an Ash and as a deep roamer with Vigil and Pulse. Some of his strategies, while deep roaming, have been criticized for being ineffective, but for every play that gets ended too early, there is one that harasses the opposite team for longer than they are comfortable with.
The map knowledge that he shows every time he plays and deep roams is truly impressive and I wouldn't be surprised to see him getting 1st in one of these major tournaments soon.
Achievements
- Six Invitational 2018 - 2nd Place ($16,000)
- Six Invitational 2019 - 5th-8th Place ($16,000)
- Six Major Paris 2018 - 2nd Place ($11,000)
- Six Invitational 2017 - 1st Place ($10,000)
3. Kantroraketti (Kanto) – G2 Sports
Kanto doing his best to win the round for his team.
Kanto is a 20 year old Finnish Pro player. He is widely to be acknowledged as the main fragger on G2 Sports, a team that is so immensely flexible in their roles that it is impressive to be seen as their main fragger.
Kanto is also remarkably flexible in his roles, although primarily an entry fragger with Ash, he has had amazing games playing a variety of characters that fit in the role of the map and objectives. Whether it be characters like Dokkaebi or Sledge, he shows the flexibility and skills necessary to play at such a high level.
That is what separates the top 5 from the bottom 5, primarily, on this list. The level of game-sense and flexibility in their roles, while still performing stunningly well at one thing. Kanto is seen as a fragger, but has recently shown his skill in a support role.
Achievements
- Six Invitational 2019 - 1st Place ($160,000)
- Six Major Paris 2018 - 1st Place ($30,000)
- Pro League Season 8 - 1st Place ($15,000)
- Pro League Year 2 – Season 3 - 1st Place ($15,228.57)
2. Fabian – G2 Sports
Fabian, probably in the midst of criticizing the enemy's team composition.
Fabian is a 24 year old Siege Pro from Sweden. Seeing Fabian in 2nd place means, if you follow Siege Pros, that you probably know who will be number one.
G2 Sports is basically a super team at this point, and Fabian is not far from number 1. He is the all around leader of G2 and has some of the best aim, reflexes, game sense and map knowledge around. He can fit in many roles and one of his roles on G2 is to demoralize the other team before the game even starts.
He trash talks before and during games without end and likely causes the other teams players to make mistakes because of it. Fabian is truly one of the best players in Rainbow Six for game skill and for the added psychological warfare aspect of his gameplay.
Achievements
- Six Invitational 2019 - 1st Place ($160,000)
- Six Invitational 2018 - 1st Place ($40,000)
- Six Major Paris 2018 - 1st Place ($30,000)
- Pro League Season 8 - 1st Place ($15,000)
1. Pengu – G2 Sports
Pengu looking out into the distance, realizing that the next best player is too far to see.
Pengu is far and away considered the best Rainbow Six Siege player in the world. A first person shooter focused on team-play will always have a couple of best players but identifying the single best player is difficult. There are too many factors such as aim reflexes, team coordination, communication, game sense, flexibility in roles, map knowledge, and the ability to clutch.
Pengu somehow manages to have all of these and more. Clips of him clutching impossible rounds are a dime a dozen and it seems almost unfair that three of the top five players are on G2 Sports. While Fabian is the leader of G2, Pengu is the best player for sure.
He can roam, anchor and frag like the best, simply because all of the pieces of his game are the best.
Achievements
- Six Invitational 2019 - 1st Place ($160,000)
- Six Invitational 2018 - 1st Place ($40,000)
- Six Major Paris 2018 - 1st Place ($30,000)
- Pro League Season 8 - 1st Place ($15,000)
