NiKo on not becoming IGL: "I believed I could still be one of the best players in the world"

13-8-2024 23:33

The Bosnian superstar touched on his phenomenal form after G2 advanced to the playoffs of IEM Cologne.

NiKo hopes his level has shown fans why he didn't take up leadership duties

Nikola "⁠NiKo⁠" Kovač has weathered a slight dip in performance since the start of Counter-Strike 2, and now he's in a renaissance.

The six-time top-five player in the world, considered by some as the best rifler of CS:GO, once spoke about his discomfort after the move to the new title. His performance dipped from a 1.2X average rating to 1.09 for the first three CS2 events in 2023, and increased marginally to 1.15 by IEM Chengdu.

NiKo: "I don't feel the best individually right now [in CS2]"

The Bosnian rifler started to find his footing at ESL Pro League Season 19, however, and pointed to the Maltese event as the turning point for his level while on the desk after G2 qualified for the playoffs in Cologne.

"I noticed that everything started to click [for me] during Malta EPL, from that event on I started to play better and better," NiKo said.

From EPL on, NiKo has averaged a 1.23 rating, and ever since Mario "⁠malbsMd⁠" Samayoa and Janusz "⁠Snax⁠" Pogorzelski joined the team, he has looked like his best self with 1.35, 1.26, and 1.44-rated showings at EWC, BLAST Fall Groups, and Cologne.

NiKo's stats since malbsMd and Snax joined G2

The thought that he could return to that level was a key factor in NiKo deciding not to transition to in-game leader during the tournament break, he revealed.

"One of the reasons why I didn't take over IGL when we were making changes was that I believed in myself, that I could still be one of the best players in the world, and I saw clear progress.

"I'm happy that I made this decision in the end and hopefully... I mean, it's pretty hard to keep up this level, but as long as I see progress in myself, that's very important for me. But I hope that people understand now why I didn't take over as IGL."

so real

2024-08-13 23:34

aura

Pog

Why not both top 5 player and igl mr NiKo

2024-08-13 23:36

19 replies

he wants to be top 1 player

2024-08-13 23:38

18 replies

fuck I wish, I don't see that ever happening unfortunately with ZywOo + donk and m0NESY who have not hit their peak yet rn I'm praying for that Shanghai MVP because NiKo despite being the best rifler for half a decade since coldzera dropped off still hasn't managed to surpass him in LAN MVPs, disaster class career considering his sublime talent

2024-08-13 23:59

17 replies

That can definitely happen Just needs g2 to have a era next year and outfrag m0nesy

2024-08-14 00:13

4 replies

nah I don't believe it anymore, NiKo can peak as high as anyone but he's shown time and time again he can't keep it up for the whole year, he's not really on the same level as s1mple/ZywOo but "just" on the level of prime device with higher ceiling (pls prove me wrong ChoKo) even outfragging m0NESY would be difficult - he's only 19 and should be better next year, same with donk and if ZywOo stops cosplaying as a rifler he'll do better than he did this year too

2024-08-14 00:28

3 replies

But it can happen if he keeps it up for the whole year The guy just starts every good year off poorly and wins nothing

2024-08-14 00:29

1 reply

That's a big if. He played as well as he does right now and even better before. It never lasts.

2024-08-14 00:30

Lmao this guy has the worst takes

2024-08-14 20:57

The main issue is that NiKo has been in a lot of dysfunctional teams most of his career except for the original FaZe superstar team and G2 nexa first iteration (got unlucky as s1mple at the time was just insane). This team so far looks really promising and I have more faith in snax than hooxi

2024-08-14 00:27

9 replies

I'm sorry but that is just pure cope. NiKo had a genuine superteam and then insanely stacked roster in jks G2. Name me an all time great player that had that many chances and still fucked it up. Rio was there for the taking and the opportunity was there in Paris and Copenhagen. And for all that I think HooXi is a mid IGL at best and should've never been given the job at G2 it was NiKo who disappeared both against Fnatic and then NAVI. ZywOo cleared NiKo's individual resume in 3 years while carrying french retirement home. I agree that this should be his best chance since Boston and I hope he wins it because if not even malbs, m0NESY and in form huNter can make NiKo win a major then nothing will.

2024-08-14 00:43

8 replies

HooXi was just toxic and NiKo almost openly said that after they signed snax. You can already see how things improved as NiKo is not pounding his desk every 5 minutes under snax and snax is even the first guy NiKo talks to after the game.

2024-08-14 07:15

6 replies

hmm interesting, do you have source pls?

2024-08-14 10:27

5 replies

HooXi joined a team named TOXIC in 2017, hence the phrase "HooXi was just toxic" isn't wrong. Checkmate.

2024-08-14 10:49

youtube.com/watch?v=63AYXlkiBJk&t=111s "he is very calm and very positive (...) this is just a huge contrast for us"

2024-08-14 12:32

yeah, thats surprising to me, i saw this interview live and i didnt take it seriously.. because all of pro players always says good words about your new teammate.. but he really suggested that hooxi was toxic, its just wasnt as apparent as simple being toxic to teammates

2024-08-14 13:35

2 replies

We will never know, all we know that so far less meltdowns from NiKo and this. I mean, also HooXi's twitter as well says a lot how is his take on everything.

2024-08-14 13:55

yeah, agree

2024-08-14 14:04

Stop spewing that dogshit takes boy

2024-08-14 20:56

Donk is a fraud

2024-08-14 01:35

Talent / potential is nothing without being fulfilled, he has never been able to conquer his attitude problems which has been by far his biggest downfall.

2024-08-14 09:50

hes becoming him again

2024-08-13 23:37

always has been

2024-08-14 00:31

Niko still got it, the age isn't an excuse.

And you were right, you are the GOAT forever and always <3

2024-08-13 23:39

real rifler

2024-08-13 23:40

My goat

2024-08-13 23:44

goat

2024-08-13 23:47

A level that i think he's hitting so far is s1mple Prime but on rifle holy shit

2024-08-13 23:49

Best pure cs player of all time.

2024-08-13 23:51

BOSNIA MENTIONED

2024-08-13 23:52

They forgot Herzegovina

2024-08-14 02:53

Bro just keeps hitting primes. Just when we tough it couldn't get better then 2021 he hits us with this banger after playerbreak. B2b MVP is on the cards for the goat rifler.

2024-08-14 00:01

we love u niko, easy cologne for u

2024-08-14 00:05

Niko should never become IGL with that aim, he is world class rifler

2024-08-14 00:07

Twistzz: I aren't think that

2024-08-14 01:48

And look at how it ended vs FaZe. Complete collapse, idk how but they just couldnt get 1 round, should've taken all 2 timeouts at once and talk 1minute about gameplan

2024-08-14 07:19

Lol bro he's IGL'd one event it's not that deep. Way more experienced IGLs have had the same thing happen. This was a good loss, he will learn from it. Liquid is killing it right now, would be cool to see if they can keep improving. But yeah cherry pick one moment out of like 7 matches while ignoring the fact he's near the top of the score board if not carrying while calling. TikTok brain. :(

2024-08-14 15:25

best rifler of all time

2024-08-14 00:15

i remember dev1ce said about niko while on the casting desk at that EPL "he's playing cs:go right now". he's definitely back

2024-08-14 00:18

yea, it was on ancient

2024-08-14 04:18

my goat

2024-08-14 00:22

he has time still so it makes sense. hooxi was clearly doing something either directly or indirectly that was hindering him.

2024-08-14 01:14

Its never just that easy Hooxi was one of the multiple factors

2024-08-14 01:24

it is that easy - seeing HooXi's twitter and seeing how NiKo had zero meltdowns this tournament it must be it. He even admitted it directly saying that he sees the contrast in attitude. After the game the very first thing NiKo is doing is quick chat with snax - that says a lot.

2024-08-14 02:57

It probably wasn't about HooXi, but about NiKo himself and what he was doing on most maps. G2 was basically throwing his life away letting him run first into utility and to go for smoke spam fights in the early rounds. Meanwhile nexa is lurking/anchoring and the round wasn't far enough yet to sacrifice HooXi for info, map control or trade. A guy like NiKo who easily gets frustrated and starts to mald is worst possible player to be used like this, especially since his team could also have used his firepower in late rounds as well. First of all he's probably not gonna do that any better than HooXi or nexa would, and secondly you're constantly fucking with his mental when he dies early to nades or smoke spams and has to helplessly watch his bot teammates lose the round.

2024-08-14 09:04

i don't think so, the team is fresh so everyone is motivated again. Plus now he has malbs who can also take some pressure of finding an opening from him, which probably makes it easier to play.

2024-08-14 14:56

Am I wrong for saying he’s making a case for top 3?

2024-08-14 01:30

yup

2024-08-14 02:58

NiKo has a chance to be #3 this year, as Donk has been getting worse and not playing as many maps as the others.

2024-08-14 04:23

NiKo has been the best player of the in the last 3 months. I don't see why he wouldn't be able to keep this up considering that Spirit are gonna miss Rio.

2024-08-14 13:31

Always believe in you

2024-08-14 01:41

with the start to the 2nd half of the year spirit has had, it could be one off but if they cant find their form again including Donk then the top 3 has opened up a bit more, I can easily see a Zywoo/Niko top 2 with m0nesy/Donk fighting for 3rd.

2024-08-14 02:42

YOU ARE ALREADY ONE OF THE GOAT GOAT

2024-08-14 02:43

my goat is fucking back man i knew he`d be back lets get it

2024-08-14 03:44

Goat

2024-08-14 04:54

The best riffler is forever

2024-08-14 06:56

B2B cologne winner and MVP??

2024-08-14 08:29

2024-08-14 09:01

he needs a major tropy , a major mvp and 1st hltv placement in his cabinet so bad according to his words i really like to have these achievements bc he deserves them wish you best niko ;)

2024-08-14 10:17