No great Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) team is complete without an excellent Support player who sacrifices their stats for the betterment of the squad. If you want to become a great CS2 Support player, we’re here to help you understand how to take on this selfless role so your team can score more wins—and so your star AWPer and Riflers can thrive.
We’ll explain the Support role in CS2, provide you with essential tips, and discuss the best Support players in Counter-Strike history.
Remember to check out our CS2 betting odds on Thunderpick!
CS2 Support Guide
What Is A Support Player In Counter-Strike?
At the highest levels of CS2, the Support player is an essential and high-impact teammate who can thrive under pressure. As a Support, you’ll get used to not having the best weapons and even spending your in-game cash to purchase guns or utility items for others.
The Support role enjoys far less glory than an AWPer, and it’s certainly not as exciting as a Lurker. You’ll gather information, protect your star players, and use utility to help teammates avoid sticky situations. The chances of a Support topping the scoreboard are low, but it is still highly rewarding to help your team achieve success.
CS2 Support Tips: The Selfless Role
Want to become the best Support for your team? Here are some essential tips for thriving in the unselfish CS2 role.
Information Highway
Support players must hone the trait of gathering as much information as possible. Studying each competitive CS2 map and relaying enemy team information to the rest of your squad can make or break your chances of winning a match. Always keep the lines of communication open, and let your team know if you have spare resources to share.
Support The AWP
In CS2, the AWP is the most expensive weapon used regularly in competitive play. If your team falls a bit behind, the designated AWPer may not have the resources to purchase the “Big Green,” which is a problem. You can help your AWPer by buying the weapon for them if you have the cash, or even throw them your rifle so they can save up for the next Round.
Create Space With Utility
By creating some space, you can allow your star players to shine in many ways. Creating space means taking pressure off your AWPer, or maybe your Lurker, so they can get some critical kills. You can practice this tactic with precise utility usage. For example, try pulling enemy players off positions with a well-timed HE or Flash Grenade. Alternatively, put pressure on an enemy bomb site to lure more players to that location. Another great way of helping your team with utility is temporarily blocking enemy rotations with a Molotov or Smoke Grenade.
In Harm’s Way
Support players sometimes find themselves between a rock and a hard place. In CS2’s Support role, the rock is the enemy line of fire, and the hard place is protecting their AWPer or star Rifler. Practice saving these specific teammates, even if that means sacrificing yourself or peeking around a corner first.
Escape Route & Courier Duties
With excellent game sense and map awareness, you can even create escape routes for your most valuable players. When a round is lost, and the team decides to save, it is up to the Support player to create an escape route or even distract the enemy so others can stay alive until the timer runs out.
Alternatively, if your AWPer has perished, try to pick up their “Big Green” instead of hunting for kills and hide. If you can avoid dying, you can give your AWPer their weapon in the next round.
Bonus tip: Just because you are a Support player doesn’t mean you shouldn’t click heads to the best of your ability. Learn how to improve your aim in CS2 with our dedicated guide, featuring training methods, techniques, and tips! We suggest practicing with lesser weapons, such as the Desert Eagle or a Galil, as you won’t always have much in-game money.
The 5 Best Support In Counter-Strike History
We suggest watching videos or replays of the best Lurkers in CS history to learn tiny details from their gameplay on competitive maps.
Xyp9x
Andreas “Xyp9x” Højsleth, also known as “Clutch Minister” by adoring fans, is arguably the most high-impact Support player in CS2 history. With Danish squad Astralis, Xyp9x was instrumental in his team’s historic four Major Championship trophies. Not only did Xyp9x enable the likes of Nicolai “device” Reedtz to shine, but in situations where he was up against multiple opponents, he shined as brightly as any other star.
In 2024, Xyp9x supports MOUZ as an assistant coach, continuing his incredible legacy. We recommend watching Xyp9x’s plays during the “Astralis era” from 2017 to 2019, starting with the ELEAGUE Major Atlanta 2017.
flusha
We can still remember how well the now-retired Swedish pro, Robin “flusha” Rönnquist, controlled the pace of play and helped Fnatic thrive under pressure. Some fans consider flusha a Lurker more than a Support, depending on which part of his career (well over a decade) you’re thinking about. However, flusha’s impact on the server is indisputable, which helped Fnatic win three Major Championships.
sjuush
There’s no doubt that Danish Support player Rasmus “sjuush” Beck is one of the best in the business. While Sjuush has yet to win a Major Championship, his map awareness and ability to stay calm under pressure have led to fantastic results with Heroic.
For example, sjuush was instrumental in Heroic’s victories at ESL Pro League Season 13, BLAST Premier Fall Finals 2022, and BLAST Premier Spring Final 2023. We also suggest watching Heroic’s Intel Extreme Masters Katowice 2023 run to witness the impact a CS2 Support player can have.
In case you missed it, be sure to check out the Thunderpick x Heroic Partnership Announcement!
chopper
Leonid “chopper” Vishnyakov is Team Spirit‘s IGL and primary Support, providing young star Danil “donk” Kryshkovets with all the reinforcements possible. It is no secret that chopper is among the best CS2 Support players. He proved instrumental to Team Spirit’s massive win at BetBoom Dacha Dubai, and when they swept FaZe Clan 3-0 at IEM Katowice 2024.
A Major Championship trophy still eludes chopper, with his best finish in 3rd/4th place at PGL Major Antwerp 2022, losing to FaZe Clan. That said, his Support play and leadership abilities are some of the best in the world.
Aleksib
Natus Vincere‘s in-game leader, Aleksi “Aleksib” Virolainen, isn’t just known for his deep understanding of the meta and brilliant calls. The Finnish star is also one of the most reliable Support players, allowing the likes of AWPer Ihor “w0nderful” Zhdanov and Entry Fragger Ivan “iM” Mihai to play aggressively.
Aleksib can clutch under pressure, get valuable picks, gather information quickly, and, importantly, turn the information into on-the-fly strategies to lead his team to success. If you’re a Support player with aspirations of leading a team, Aleksib is the one to watch.
KRIMZ
With over two decades of experience, Fnatic’s Freddy “KRIMZ” Johansson is a true legend. It is impossible to deny him a spot on our “best Support players” list. In Fnatic’s glory days, KRIMZ supported the legendary Olof “olofmeister” Kajbjer to incredible effect.
Known as “The King of Connector,” KRIMZ’s plays on Mirage and his ability to clutch under pressure made him an outstanding Support player and a high-impact threat. To this day, he’s a force for Fnatic, regardless of their opponents.
Please note: Our picks for the best Support players in Counter-Strike history are based on a healthy dose of the author’s opinion and historical data. The list above is sorted in no particular order.
Become The Support Your Team Needs
With our help, we hope you’re one step closer to learning how to excel as a Support player in CS2. It’s clearly a vital and necessary role, even if it doesn’t have much glory. But that’s why it’s important to remember you’re helping your team inch closer toward a win.
It’s just as important to study some of the greats—like legendary players Xyp9x, flusha, and sjuush—to learn exactly how to play the Support role. Whether you’re creating escape routes or clutching under pressure, embracing the selfless role of Support will help you become an invaluable asset to your team.
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