ZywOo Wins "Breakthrough Player of the Decade" at Esports Awards
The French player Mathieu " ZywOo " Herbaut received the "Breakthrough Player of the Decade in Esports" award at the Esports Awards 2025 ceremony. This is a significant moment for the Counter-Strike scene, as he was the only representative of the discipline to win in the main categories.
His journey in professional CS began in 2018, when he immediately made a name for himself as the most consistent and high-performing rookie. Within the first few years, ZywOo established himself among the best and has remained at the top of the world rankings ever since.
Recognized as the Best in the World
ZywOo was ranked #1 in the world by HLTV three times — in 2019, 2020, and 2023. Twice he was second in the rankings, only behind his main competitor — s1mple .
His individual achievements include:
27 MVP medals (a record in the discipline);
20 awards for major events and 2 at Majors;
a rating above 6.9 at top LAN tournaments for over 5 years.
In the "Talent of the Decade" category, the award was given to the legendary host Eefje "Sjokz" Depoortere, who has been a leading figure in global esports for many years.
Nominees included:
Breakthrough Player of the Decade: Simp, m0NESY , Keria, Bugha, Shotzzy, Miracle, MonkeyM00n, Malr1ne, PunkDaGod, and ZywOo .
On-Air Talent of the Decade: Sjokz, Goldenboy, Puckett, Machine , Sheever, SPUNJ , CaptainFlowers, DASH , Pansy, and others.
Trophies and Major Victories
The Frenchman became a true legend of Team Vitality , leading the team to victories at the biggest tournaments in CS:GO and CS2.
Among his main achievements:
BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023 (Champion, MVP);
BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 (Champion, MVP);
IEM Katowice 2025;
IEM Cologne 2024;
BLAST Premier: World Final 2023;
Gamers8 2023;
ESL Grand Slam Season 5 with a $1,000,000 prize.
ZywOo vs s1mple — The Main Rivalry of the Era
For many years, the French AWPer has been compared to s1mple . While the Ukrainian was long considered the undisputed #1, ZywOo managed to challenge him, becoming his main rival in the battle for the title of GOAT (Greatest of All Time).
Over ten years of his career, ZywOo has transformed from a promising rookie into a symbol of stability and success in Counter-Strike. His victory at the Esports Awards only cemented his status as one of the greatest players in the history of the discipline.
