Top 20 players of 2024: EliGE (19)

EliGE clinches 19th place on the Top 20 players of 2024 list by 1xBet and SkinClub, returning after two years thanks to his mighty numbers in a struggling Complexity squad.

Top 20 players of 2024: Introduction

Jonathan "⁠EliGE⁠" Jablonowski makes his sixth appearance as a Top 20 player of the year and equals his lowest placing of No. 19 from 2021 after a year of individual excellence that couldn't be backed up with team results.

The American's first entry came in 2017 when he reached No. 12 in the rankings under the Liquid banner, which he played under during a trophy-laden eight-year stint. He would go on to place in the Top 20 player of the year list for five consecutive years from 2017 to 2021, achieving his highest placement in 2019 at No. 4, when he was at times in contention for the title of the world's best player.

His stock cooled off somewhat after Liquid couldn't get their ducks in a row after revamping their roster with Richard "⁠shox⁠" Papillon and Josh "⁠oSee⁠" Ohm and contend for titles once again, which prompted EliGE to make the brave jump to Complexity in June of 2023.

While the move failed to bear fruits in terms of team accolades, EliGE's incredibly consistent fragging output willed Complexity to punch above their weight at several tier-one events during the year and helped end their 14-year LAN trophy drought with a win at the, albeit smaller, ESL Challenger Jönköping event.

For a more in-depth look at EliGE's early career and backstory, you can read through his previous appearances in our Top 20 ranking:

- Top 20 players of 2017: EliGE (12)
- Top 20 players of 2018: EliGE (15)
- Top 20 players of 2019: EliGE (4)
- Top 20 players of 2020: EliGE (8)
- Top 20 players of 2021: EliGE (19)

Complexity came into the year with high expectations after reaching the IEM Sydney grand final and the BLAST Fall Final semis in a terrific start to life in CS2 and was one of the teams banking on the new game shaking up the competitive order for names to rise to the top of the scene.

"We came into 2024 leveling up our expectations since the end of 2023 was good, but we still wanted more," EliGE tells HLTV about what the team's outlook was at the turn of the year. "We showed what we could do in Sydney and the BLAST Fall Final, but faltered near the end of the year. Everything was on the table, and we were looking to cement our level as a consistent top 10 team for the year."

Complexity's season began with the NA RMR Closed Qualifier for the Copenhagen Major, where they met expectations and progressed without losing a map thanks to a 1.54 rating by EliGE. Next came the BLAST Premier Spring Groups, which was EliGE's lowest-rated event of the year at a 0.98 average rating.

Complexity didn't record a single map victory in their matches against Natus Vincere and Ninjas in Pyjamas and went out in last place, demonstrating a low floor that would plague them throughout the year.

IEM Katowice followed on Complexity's calendar, and the team was given a direct invite to the group stage due to their good form in the latter part of 2023. They began well and beat Apeks thanks to Michael "⁠Grim⁠" Wince (1.50 rating) and EliGE (1.35), but couldn't match up to a red-hot Spirit and a Falcons team that was about to achieve their best result of the year.

A slow start of the year preceded the PGL CS2 Major Copenhagen Americas RMR, where Complexity competed for one of only five Major spots in a stacked field of teams. The high-pressure situation brought the best out of EliGE, though, as he had his first standout event of 2024.

He starred as Complexity met expectations and beat Elevate and BOSS to join the 2-0 pool, where they were met by FURIA. While the Brazilians proved too much to handle for Johnny "⁠JT⁠" Theodosiou's troops, it wasn't due to a lack of impact by EliGE, who nearly dragged his team over the line with a 1.23-rated performance.

As fate would have it, the loss meant EliGE and company would face off against Liquid, the 27-year-old's former organization. Now on the other side of the NA rivalry, EliGE ensured Complexity didn't miss out on the Major. He put up a fantastic showing with 0.9 KPR, 1.36 impact, and 88.2 ADR to send his team through as he finished the RMR with a 1.30 average rating, 0.20 ahead of his closest teammate.

"It was a really amazing moment for us. We never had it on the cards that we wouldn't make it to the Major considering how well we have been playing, but after getting tough draws and only so many slots, the possibility arrived quickly," EliGE says.

"We had to play Liquid, who were a big powerhouse coming in with their lineup, and I was really happy that we were able to pull through and win that day. We were giving it everything we had and I had a great series, which helped as well."

The Major continued in the same vein. EliGE's two opening performances, including a 37-kill game in a double-overtime win against HEROIC, meant Complexity found themselves in the 2-0 pool.

The Major playoffs were in touching distance, and EliGE and company needed just one more victory to make their dreams come true. They were given a tough draw, however, and fell short of the top eight bracket following losses to MOUZ, FaZe, and Vitality, with the latter being an especially painful loss in a close-fought three-mapper.

The 27-year-old took responsibility on his shoulders after his team fell short against Vitality, and admitted he wasn't up to his lofty standards against the Dan "⁠apEX⁠" Madesclaire-led team. "Although we had a good tournament and beat some good teams, at the end of the day, we didn't advance to the next stage and we were so close to doing so," he says.

"The Copenhagen major was frustrating from my perspective on an individual level," EliGE adds. "The main takeaway for me would be that I needed to continue leveling up my consistency so I can make sure I don't feel how I did in that Vitality series again.

"If I just played a little bit better and didn't feel so off that day, then we would have advanced. It was a terrible feeling that our loss came from me having an off day and playing poorly individually, so it was a kick in the teeth. I took it as a good learning lesson that I need to have more tricks up my sleeve for when I have those days to get myself back in the groove."

Despite the heartbreaking exit at the Major, there were several encouraging signs for the Complexity camp in Copenhagen, which meant they came into ESL Pro League S19 with high hopes.

Their campaign in Malta began well, as they took down HEROIC and reigning Major champions Natus Vincere in the group final. EliGE's impact was felt throughout their group-stage run, especially during their two map wins against Natus Vincere, where he put up a 1.55 rating on Anubis and 1.75 on Nuke.

"NAVI came straight off winning the Major and we were able to beat them in that series. We started off the year really slowly, but we knew our potential and how well we could play. It felt like this tournament was going to be the start of many good performances," EliGE says.

EliGE's form continued in the quarter-final, where he recorded a 1.74 rating in the demolition of Virtus.pro to secure a semi-final spot against MOUZ. The eventual winners dispatched Complexity despite EliGE once again topping the board with a 1.12-rated performance, 90 ADR, 1.38 impact, and 0.85 KPR.

EliGE's showing in Malta earned him his only EVP award of the year and coincided with one of Complexity's rare playoff appearances that gave the team a more optimistic outlook on the future.

"I was super happy with our performance at that EPL. Our skill floor was the main issue at that time, so we were focusing more on our fundamentals of how we wanted to play situations. Add fewer strategies and tactics overall since we were very strong in the tactical department, but lacking in how we were playing the mid and late rounds themselves. Focusing on that aspect during practice is what helped us the most," EliGE said about the reasons for the uptick in form.

Next came Complexity's home event at IEM Dallas. Expectations were high after an encouraging run of form, but the team fell flat in a last-place finish. Their opening match set them up against Liquid, who beat them in a 13-6 victory before MOUZ condemned them to an early exit.

EliGE, however, finished another tournament as his team's highest-rated player at 1.12.

YaLLa Compass followed much the same storyline. Wins against EF and BIG gave Complexity a chance at the playoffs before defeats against fnatic, BetBoom, and FURIA put an end to another lackluster campaign. EliGE's individual performance also painted the same picture as his season up to that point, as he averaged a 1.16 rating, 0.16 more than his closest teammate.

All of that meant Complexity had just one more chance to save their season. ESL Challenger Jönköping was their final event before the break, and while it didn't have a huge impact on the top 20 ranking due to the level of teams present at the tournament, it finally gave Complexity something to celebrate.

The trophy in Sweden ended a 14-year-long LAN trophy drought for the organization, and EliGE was unsurprisingly the driving force behind the success. He had an MVP-worthy performance — if the event would fulfill the criteria for awarding an MVP — despite Complexity's early struggles.

EliGE recorded a 1.11 rating across the group stage as his team squeaked through to the playoffs with wins against Alliance and MIBR before he put the team on his back for the playoffs.

He starred in the semi-final against Aurora in a 2.72-rated showing on Nuke and dominated Falcons in the final (1.46), which gave him a 1.57 playoff rating and meant the team finished the season on a high.

"It definitely was a great feeling, especially because I haven't lifted a trophy myself in quite some time," EliGE shared.

"Jönköping wasn't the biggest tournament with the absolute best teams, but there were still some really strong teams there that we were able to beat and overcome. Ending the first season with something to show for it was definitely a great feeling!"

The squad returned from the summer break at the Esports World Cup, where their season got off on the wrong foot. Losses to Virtus.pro and M80 meant they exited the tournament and last place and sent Complexity back to the drawing board.

They answered the disappointment in Riyadh with a solid showing at BLAST Fall Groups. EliGE starred in their wins against OG (1.49) and an Abdul "⁠degster⁠" Gasanov-less HEROIC (1.70) that put Complexity one win away from the playoffs, but JT's troops couldn't jump over the final hurdle against Natus Vincere and Spirit.

Next came one of the premier events of the year, IEM Cologne. Complexity's previous results meant they had to begin their campaign in the play-in, where they beat ALTERNATE aTTaX and Eternal Fire, with EliGE recording a 100+ ADR performance against the Turkish side.

The 27-year-old kept his good form and put up a 1.44 rating in the group-stage opener against Virtus.pro before losses to MOUZ and Liquid ended their campaign. EliGE topped the board with 0.78 KPR, 83 ADR, and a 1.36 impact rating in the loss against his former team, which meant an average rating of 1.19, 0.20 more than his closest teammate.

"The start of the second season would probably be the worst moment of the year for us. We had to balance avoiding burnout from the packed schedule with higher expectations following our Jönköping win," EliGE laments.

"In hindsight, I believe we made the right scheduling decisions, but I should have set more realistic expectations and managed my frustrations better during that period. We struggled to find our footing and build confidence in the game, and despite trying several approaches to break out of the rut, we couldn't pinpoint the best solution in time to perform at our peak and continue climbing during the big events."

Complexity then flew to Malta for another season of ESL Pro League, where they put together one of their best team performances. EliGE, Grim, Håkon "⁠hallzerk⁠" Fjærli, and Ricky "⁠floppy⁠" Kemery were all within a 0.04 rating of each other as they took turns fragging out, but that doesn't mean EliGE was without standout games in his 1.07-rated showing.

The 27-year-old joined hallzerk in getting his team over the line in a triple-overtime series against Astralis with 0.92 KPR on the first map of Vertigo and had more than 100 ADR in Complexity's 2-0 win against MOUZ.

Complexity then went on to face MOUZ again for a playoff spot and made light work of Kamil "⁠siuhy⁠" Szkaradek and company before a fantastic team performance got them a win over FaZe and a ticket to the playoff's second round.

There, Liquid were once again Complexity's executioners despite EliGE topping the board for his team in a one-sided defeat.

Despite the loss against his former team in the second EPL season of the year, EliGE looks back at the two iterations of the tournament with positive feelings. "I would say both EPL events this year were probably our best events. Neither were wins and they weren't in big arenas, but they were events that we did so well as a team results-wise and work-wise.

"I am happy about the way we were preparing for games together, our gameplay and fundamentals, and the teams we beat. I wish that it was done at an arena with the crowd and everything, but I value the strength of our opponents. I'm proud of how we performed there."

IEM Rio followed, and EliGE and company began the tournament with yet another loss to Liquid. The 27-year-old then took over and starred in Complexity's only win at the tournament against Imperial (1.27) and the deciding loss against MOUZ (1.12), which meant the team went into their Major campaign in shaky form.

EliGE left the best for last, however, as he came into Shanghai in electric form. He topped the board in all four matches at the RMR and showed incredible consistency throughout, even though he didn't hit his lofty standards on one map against MIBR.

His second-lowest map was a 1.35-rated performance against BOSS, while his standout game came in the qualifying match against M80, where he demolished Elias "⁠s1n⁠" Stein and company with 1.00 KPR, 1.76 impact, and a 1.57 overall rating.

EliGE then began the Perfect World Shanghai Major Opening Stage with an off-game against FlyQuest but answered with aplomb as he strung together eight maps rated above 1.00. The first came in the best-of-one loss to Passion UA before he shifted into an even higher gear to lead Complexity's charge from the 0-2 pool.

He put up a 1.40 rating against Imperial, a 1.39 against Cloud9, and a 1.20 in the heartbreak loss to BIG to finish the Opening Stage as the eight-highest-rated player despite Complexity not making it through in the end.

"I felt like I had a really strong workflow and management of my time in Complexity," EliGE mentions as one of the reasons for his consistency. "The way that we chose our practice schedule gave me more time to focus on myself individually compared to the time I have had in the past, and I could really deep dive into my weaknesses on certain maps and accentuate my strengths.

"I was able to keep up to date with most of the teams and strong players to see their moves and what works in the current meta. Having this consistently updated flow really helped my confidence in my day-to-day games, where I felt like I could enter the zone and feel the game well."

Those reasons helped EliGE place in the Top 20 player of the year list for the sixth time in his career, but he admits the year wasn't everything he wished for. "Making the top 20 is definitely nice, especially when we enter the off-season, and we look to see an overall look of 'How did this year go?'

"Team achievements are always king and I want to win the big trophies more than anything, though. The feeling of when you go through a hard bracket by beating strong teams to win a trophy at the end of the tournament is incomparable. Unfortunately, we weren't able to accomplish that this year, but I'm happy that I was able to change the tides since CS2 released, find my individual confidence, and have that on display this year.

Why was EliGE the 19th best player of 2024?

EliGE scraped into the 2024 list off the back of a superb year statistically. He scored numbers even most players in the top 20 couldn't scoff at, such as a 1.16 overall rating (sixth highest), 1.12 at Big Events (13th highest), 0.77 KPR (fourth most), 84.5 ADR (fourth most), 1.09 kills per round win (third most), 110.2 damage per round win (second most), and plenty more — check the bottom part of the lead graphic for the impressive rundown.

He got these numbers mostly in group stages, but confirmed them enough against the best teams (1.05 against top 5, 1.11 against top 10) and when facing elimination (1.17 rating), which speaks to how much he stood out in a team that struggled for deep runs for most of the year.

His sole Exceptionally Valuable Player award from ESL Pro League Season 19 was an impressive individual peak that helped lock down his spot in the Top 20 players of 2024 list, but it also goes to show why he couldn't go any higher.

A complete lack of other standout events meant his sample size at the Big Events and better was among the smallest out of all realistic candidates for a spot, and he simply didn't confirm his case deep enough throughout most of the year to climb further, recording only five maps in big matches and none in the arenas.

"My goal for 2025 is to be a champion, plain and simple," EliGE concludes. "I feel like I've found my groove; I'm enjoying the work and the building process, and I want to have trophies to showcase everything now."

"I'm going to have to manage being in a new situation potentially, but that is part of the game and I feel like now is the time to do it. I have had a long career, but I have never played on an EU team with the best players in the world, so it is also something really exciting for me to be able to experience and learn from. There will be some discomfort being in a new environment, but also a lot of excitement from the potential there."

Bold prediction by 1xBet

In his bold prediction, EliGE picked fellow North American Jeorge "⁠Jeorge⁠" Endicott, who recently joined NRG. The 21-year-old rose to prominence in Nouns and Evil Geniuses, but has leveled up his game under the leadership of EliGE's ex-IGL Nick "⁠nitr0⁠" Cannella and averaged a 1.32 rating during his short time in NRG.

"He is still a really young player, and I think he will be in a good team to showcase his skill under nitr0. I want the new generation of young NA players to showcase themselves to the world and show that we have players with great potential on the horizon, and I think Jeorge is going to do exactly that."

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Stay tuned to our Top 20 Players of 2024 ranking and take a look at the Introduction article to learn more about how the players were selected.