22.03.20257 min read

Top-5 Players of ESL Pro League S21 According to EVP

ESL Pro League Season 21 was the first major event of the 2025 spring season. It is an S-Tier, Valve Tier 1 competition. Therefore, its results are considered when determining the ESL Grand Slam winner. Based on its status, ESL Pro League S21 is a special event in CS2’s competitive calendar.

The event has concluded, with Vitality taking the title after a convincing 3:0 sweep over MOUZ in the grand finals. With that win, they now have two titles in 2025. Their first win saw them emerge as IEM Katowice 2025 champions. Our article considers the top five players at ESL Pro League S21. Before we proceed, ensure you visit Melbet Pick’em to get the latest esports news.

What is EVP?

EVP is an abbreviation for Exceptionally Valuable Player. This distinction goes to stand-out individuals whose performances made a major impact during a tournament. When selecting EVPs, the following factors are considered:

Rating 2.1
Average Damage Per Round (ADR)
Kill/Deaths ratio
Impact Rating
Clutch Performances

Please note that EVPs are different from MVPs. An MVP is the player with the best performance throughout a tournament. So, while there can only be one MVP, CS2 tournaments generally have numerous EVPs.

Standout Performers of ESL Pro League S21

Without a doubt, Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut was ESL Pro League S21 best player. So, it is not surprising that the Frenchman was crowned MVP. Here, we list out all the exceptionally valuable players who made their mark:

Danil “donk” Kryshkovets

Donk was superb in the group phase, achieving a rating of 1.74. He almost faltered after a poor start against Eternal Fire in the quarterfinals. However, he rose to the occasion, ending that matchup with a 1.12 rating and 72.7 ADR.

Although Team Spirit failed to reach the ESL Pro League S21 grand final, Donk was still in form. The Russian had a 1.21 rating during the playoffs and finished the tournament with 97.3 ADR, 1.24 KPRW, and +3.77 WPA. Given his performances, several betting platforms like Melbet often place him among top prospects for the MVP award in most competitions.

Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov

Despite being poor in 2024, Ilya seems to be getting back to his best. His Round Swing score of +4.36 was the best in the tournament. This stat is noteworthy because G2 was eliminated in the quarterfinals. IIya also contributed multi-kills in over 36% of G2’s round wins.

With a 1.28 rating over the past three months, we expect more from him in upcoming tournaments. The Russian continues to prove that he is a contender for EVP and MVP honors.

Shahar “flameZ” Shushan

FlameZ has built a pattern of coming alive in the later stages of tournaments, and Stockholm was no different. The Israeli player earned a 1.13 rating in the group phase, then elevated his game during the playoffs, reaching a 1.33 rating.

Notably, 80% of his kills contributed directly to rounds his team won. His standout moment came in the semifinals. In that contest, he posted a 1.81 rating on the first map. Subsequently, he finished with a 2.37 rating on map 3. His contribution played a big part in Vitality’s title-winning run. Currently, Team Vitality are at the top of the ESL Pro ranking.

Robin “ropz” Kool

Ropz delivered a string of consistently strong performances. He posted a 1.31 rating in the group stage and a 1.27 rating in the playoffs.

Leading the tournament in KAST at 79.8%, he maintained balanced performances on both sides of the game (1.27CT and 1.30T). This tournament marked his second EVP award with Vitality, following his first at IEM Katowice 2025.

Ádám “torzsi” Torzsás

Ádám was MOUZ’s most consistent player en route to the grand final. He finished with a 1.15 overall rating. For most of this contest, his best moments saw his team win several key maps. These included a +3.82 Round Swing and a 1.33 rating during crucial rounds.

He also led his team in round wins with 0.97 KPRW. This showing earned him his second EVP this year, following his recognition at PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025. Below is a table highlighting the stats for CS2 ESL Pro League S21’s EVPs.

Player	Rating	K/D Ratio	ADR (Avg Damage/Round)	Impact Score	Total Kills
Danil “donk” Kryshkovets	1.28	1.27	89.4	1.42	11609
Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov	1.24	1.32	79.7	1.27	13055
Shahar “flameZ” Shushan	1.12	1.06	78.0	1.17	14262
Robin “ropz” Kool	1.15	1.21	78.4	1.10	30455
Ádám “torzsi” Torzsás	1.15	1.23	74.6	1.15	16559

Honorable Mentions: Players Who Just Missed the Top 5

Several other players came close to making the top five. We take a look at their performances in this section.

Dmitry “⁠sh1ro⁠” Sokolov

The Russian from Team Spirit showed solid form throughout the competition. However, he was undone by a number of low-impact kills—especially in the two Nuke maps during the playoffs. The result was a failure to break into the top five.

Munkhbold “⁠Senzu⁠” Azbayar

His poor performances during the latter stages proved to be his undoing. Initially, he appeared to be a rising star, earning accolades for being a player of the map four times in the group stage. However, his momentum didn’t carry into the playoffs.

Dan “⁠apEX⁠” Madesclaire and William “⁠mezii⁠”

Vitality’s apEX and mezii both delivered strong performances. Yet, they didn’t quite do enough to break into the top tier. Notably, neither made the top five at ESL Pro League 2024 either.

Ali “⁠Wicadia⁠” Haydar Yalçın

This was another player in fine form during the early stages. He posted a 1.43 rating in the play-in phase and followed it up with 1.20 in the group stage. Unfortunately, he couldn’t sustain that form into the playoffs.

Conclusion

With the competition now over, we can boldly say that ESL Pro League S21 delivered on its promise. Vitality made their mark early and held on for the tournament win, with French talisman ZywOo clinching the MVP award. FlameZ and ropz also put on a show. Both players were key to Vitality’s tournament win.

Daniel “donk” Kryshkovets’s stock continues to rise as he shows why he is one of CS2’s brightest talents. Torzsi was also impressive, putting in several consistent displays for MOUZ. m0NESY seems to be back in the groove, and we expect him to build on this outing. These stars are expected to deliver more exciting performances in upcoming competitions.

AuthorTemujin Batbayar

Analyst from Ulaanbaatar specializing in CS2. Has competed in MESA tournaments, worked with Esports TV during the ESL Pro League, and reviewed both the PGL Major Antwerp 2022 and IEM Katowice 2024. Author of his own player evaluation metrics and known for accurate predictions. Has interviewed s1mple and ZywOo. In esports since the days of CS 1.3.