Nikola "NiKo" Kovač received the flattering title of the second best Counter-Strike esports player on the planet in 2023, thanks to his great play in the first part of the year and two major titles won in Cologne and Katowice.
For the eighth year in a row, Nikola was on the list of the best players on the planet, of which he was not in the top 10 only twice, in 2016 and in 2109, when he finished in 11th place.
Considered by many to be the best Rifler of all time and one of the top three players in CS:GO's counter era, NiKo and G2 Esports have achieved tremendous success in the year behind us, although they will forever regret not winning the Major trophy, which NiKo and G2 will have to to "chase" in the CS2 version of the counter.
NiKo was also named the best "Opener" player this year, and his quality in opening rounds and creating an advantage for G2 often played a key role in the team's success.
His statistics at the biggest tournaments were impressive, at IEM Katowice he achieved a 1.17 rating and took home the EVP title, while in Cologne he achieved an incredible 1.35 rating and fully deserved the MVP title.
The title in Poland was especially important for him, where he had lost in the finals three times in the past, and then the MVP title eluded him after a slightly weaker performance in the finals, in which his brother Nemanja "huNter-" Kovač shined, who then took MVP award.
Niko also delivered solid results at the Major in Paris, but the support of the rest of the team was lacking and G2 had to settle for a top 12 finish, although Niko himself was not up to the task when they lost the decisive match against Fnatic.
The title in Cologne definitely healed the wounds caused by the early exit in Paris, and after Cologne NiKo played great games in the Gamers8 tournament as well.
After the ESL Pro League came the switch to CS2, at the same time when G2 itself was going through internal problems and when NiKo was attached to the Falcons, and in the tournaments that followed it was evident that Nikola would need some time to get used to CS2 and shines again in full glory.
Unfortunately, G2 did not manage to defend the title at the BLAST World Final that they adopted last year, NiKo himself had a performance well below the level expected of him, but despite the not-so-best ending of the year, we should not forget that Nikola once again on several occasions in 2023 showed why he is one of the best in the world and why he has been inspiring players all over the planet and leaving audiences breathless for years.
