French All-Stars – The best players from Northwestern Europe

One of the nationalities which is known to produce exceptionally skilled Counter-Strike players in the past is France. We have seen several well-known players from the region throughout the years such as shox, Ex6tenz, kiOshiMa, Happy, kennyS, and now ZywOo.

There is obviously something that works for the top French players. Their ability to dig deeper into the Counter-Strike scene and constantly come up with the talented individuals is simply breathtaking. The tier 2 and 3 French scene is also quite strong and that could maybe explain the reason for their ready availability of new talent.

The future of French Counter-Strike is bright mainly because of the depth in their talent and we will probably always see strong contenders from this region in the future.

Once upon a time, when France and Belgium made up one of the best Counter-Strike regions in the world, they had talented players, stacked rosters, and of course, a lot of trophies. But eventually something went wrong and French Counter-Strike fell off a cliff.

Here’s what happened:

Before we take a look at our All-Stars, let’s find out who shox picked for his. The Frenchman has played with and against some hugely talented players over the years. This is his perfect roster.

French All-Stars

France has offered many players throughout the years that have played a massive role in defining Counter-Strike, mainly since the release of Counter-Strike: Source.

This is our Dream Five.

Nathan “NBK-“ Schmitt | 26 years

All time stats:
1.03 Rating
77.1 ADR
Total kills: 34915

NBK is France’s most decorated player and by a wide margin. With 22 trophies in his cabinet, two of them Majors and the vast majority from tier one competitions, nobody else from his region comes close. Former team-mates like apEX can boast only 15 and even Happy, who won both Majors with NBK, is an entire 9 trophies separated from his once trusted colleague.

Yet the 26-year-old has never been the best CS:GO player in his country. Nor has he ever been a great in-game leader. What he has been is the most influential figure in that space, successfully navigating roster shuffles and deciding the complexion of the best French team time and time again and returning to championship glory.

Richard “shox” Papillon | 28 years | Rifler

All time stats:
1.08 Rating
76.7 ADR
Total kills: 35158

Shox is still widely regarded as one of the greatest players to have ever touched the game of Counter-Strike. His playstyle, gamesense, and aiming is unique and can’t be compared to none other than him.

The experience he has is enormous with a huge list of French teams he has represented throughout the years. When the 28-year-old is comfortable with the surroundings and teammates, he is capable of doing great things and prove why he is one of the best French Counter-Strike players.

Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut | 20 years | Star player

All time stats:
1.34 Rating
89.4 ADR
Total kills: 17612

To some, he’s the greatest CS player in the world. To others, he’s the savior his region’s been waiting for. No other player in CS:GO has received as much attention till date as ZywOo. His individual skill ceiling and his flair for aggressive and often daring playstyle makes him a treat to watch. His humble attitude and soft-spoken nature make him a hit amongst the viewers.

The 20-year-old is recognized for his ability to close out rounds once he gets the space to do so. He is a very flexible player and can play the AWP as well as the rifle.

Vincent “Happy” Schopenhauer | 29 years | Captain / IGL

All time stats:
1.06 Rating
77.5 ADR
Total kills: 28022

Happy is one of the game’s most accomplished in-game leaders of all time and definitely France’s most legendary captain. A 2x Major winner and 1x Major MVP, Happy once took the Counter-Strike scene by storm and cemented his name in the history books of the very best.

In a Twitter poll by CS:GO’s official profile, fans chose Happy’s deagle ace vs. TSM at DreamHack Open London 2015 as the standout play of the decade, among many other iconic plays that occurred over the past 10 years.

Kenny “kennyS” Schrub | 25 years | Main AWPer

All time stats:
1.13 Rating
74.8 ADR
Total kills: 36873

kennyS didn’t have your average ascent to greatness. But the French prodigy, who grew up in the world of CS, has become synonymous with the game’s tradition of highlight plays, and even the mighty AWP itself.

The 25-year-old is considered to be one of the best and fastest AWPers the game has ever seen. His accuracy and precision are out of this world and it’s unusual to see a human being with such reflexes as his. kennyS also has a deep understanding of the game overall with the ability to move over the map like it is a chessboard, which allows his to express his knowledge in-game to its fullest.