Top 20 players of 2018: electronic (4)

Placing fourth on the Top 20 players of 2018 list, powered by EGB.com, is Denis "⁠electroNic⁠" Sharipov. The 20-year-old's first appearance in the ranking comes as a result of his amazing peaks and exceptional playoff performances in 2018.

Top 20 players of 2018: Introduction

Unlike many youngsters of today, electroNic isn't someone that picked up the game in the last two years and exploded onto the scene through online play and PUG systems like FPL. His first forays into competitive Counter-Strike date back to 2010, when he used to play local CS 1.6 LAN events in Kazan, a city located in southwest Russia with a population of just slightly above a million people.

"The emotions and experience gained were incredible for that age, as when I started playing at events I was only 11 years old! In the first two years I lost at all the events in my city, but I always have goals that I aim to achieve."

As he found no success early on, electroNic spent a couple of years away from competition, playing custom maps instead, before returning to the local LAN scene again. In 2015, he was noticed by Russian veteran Dmitry "⁠hooch⁠" Bogdanov, who brought him into ACES, the team electroNic attended his first notable CS:GO LAN with—CIS LAN Championship

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At the $13,000 tournament in Voronezh, electroNic not only played his first notable LAN, but also recorded his first HLTV-covered match. The then-16-year-old didn't falter at all, though, averaging a 1.05 rating at the LAN event, helping his team battle through the lower bracket and place third out of eight squads—with only big names such as FlipSid3 and HellRaisers ranking ahead of them.

"Hah, that tournament was funny. On the first day, we were close to elimination, which meant that on the second day we had no room for mistakes - if we lost to any given team, we were out. Thankfully we started demonstrating our game and had a deep run in the tournament, or so it felt at the time. I was upset with our loss to HellRaisers, because I thought that on that day we were stronger than them. After that tournament, the team experienced internal tensions, and I had a falling out with hooch, which contributed to my subsequent decision to leave the team."

electroNic got his first, albeit small salary in Evolution, a Belarussian squad, but didn't stick around for long, joining Rebels towards the end of 2015. He would spend the next year playing with that team, that later became Empire and finally NokSuKao, with the roster constantly going through changes. At their first Minor in January 2016, Rebels came second, securing a spot at the Last Chance online qualifier, but didn't make it through. In April at the Cologne Minor, now playing as Empire, they again finished second to earn a spot at the Major Qualifier. They didn't make a big impression there, though, finishing 15-16th, but that was an important event for electroNic as it was his first outside of the CIS region. At the few LANs he managed to play with that shifting core, electroNic looked solid, averaging a 1.15 rating at the first Minor, 1.09 at the second Minor and a 1.01 at the Major qualifier, where his team was eliminated after three straight losses.

"At the time we seemingly demonstrated decent results, but we were always missing that little something. Our organization and manager frequently made decisions concerning the roster without consulting the opinion of players. Every time this happened we had to reconstruct from the ground up, leading to wasted time. It was then that I truly realized how important it is to play with a stable quintet, something that has helped me to this day."

The team struggled to do much after that, eventually losing the support of an organization and switching to the NokSuKao tag. electroNic was wasting away until September, when he was offered a trial in FlipSid3, a top 16 team at the time. It was a big jump for the, until then, fairly unknown player.

"If I'm honest, I knew, and was totally convinced that I need to join the team and play under B1ad3's leadership. He has undoubtedly taught me a lot, and I am very grateful for this. He gave me the knowledge that allowed me to be as flexible a player as I can be."

electroNic showed first signs of stardom even before his trial in FlipSid3 was completed, impressing at the WESG 2016 EU&CIS Regional Finals that were held in October. The 18-year-old was representing .Russia and recorded a 1.33 rating at the event, performing the best in the playoff series against Ukraine and Virtus.pro.

"When you conclude a tournament with such a solid individual rating it gives you a colossal amount of experience, especially considering how little of it I had at the time. To me, it meant that I was moving in the right direction and that I was capable of contesting with the best."

With the added confidence from WESG, electroNic quickly cemented his place in Andrey "⁠B1ad3⁠" Gorodenskiy's team and played his first real international event before the turn of the year: DreamHack Winter 2016. The Russian player topfragged in the series against Mathias "⁠MSL⁠" Lauridsen's Dignitas, eliminating the Danes early, but had to settle for just some experience and a 5-6th placing after a subsequent loss to Kinguin.

It wouldn't take long for electroNic to lift his first trophy, though, as he put in an MVP-worthy performance at DreamHack Leipzig (four out of six maps with 1.50+ rating) helping his team win the tournament without dropping a single map. After the tournament in Germany, FlipSid3 were on-route for the ELEAGUE Atlanta Major, but despite a great showing by electroNic, couldn't secure a single win there. The team was not very active in terms of tournaments until the next Major cycle rolled around, and this time, they had to go through the Main Qualifier.

FlipSid3 were outsiders at the PGL Krakow Main Qualifier, not even being among the top30 teams in the world rankings at the time, however, it seemed like electroNic was determined in attending his second Major and almost single-handedly secured a spot there. The young Russian put in a lot of work his team to the point where they were playing Liquid for the last spot at the Major, and then unlocked an even higher level. In the multiple overtime game, electroNic reached 48 kills, dragging his team over the finish line for a 25-22 overtime victory.

After a 1.38 rated Major Qualifier, electroNic was also impressive in FlipSid3's group-stage exit at the Major in July, where he averaged a 1.15 rating over five maps. At this point, it was becoming apparent that he had outgrown the team, with a lack of dedication from individuals and the tendency to skip events starting to concern the youngster.

"Yes, of course I was worried - at times the even questions of roster changes were raised in discussions. I saw that people were seemingly just collecting pay. My dream was to join Na`Vi, and when I found out that there were talks with the organization that fell through, I was devastated. Despite this, I quickly found it within me to continue performing and did my best to continue assisting my team as much as I possibly could."

After the PGL Krakow Major, where they finished 12-14th, the CIS powerhouse Natus Vincere reached a low point and was looking to shake up their roster. The young FlipSid3 star was high on their list of wishes, however, they couldn't reach an agreement about the buyout. That saw electroNic missing out on an opportunity to make the move up, and he continued playing under B1ad3 after the summer player break.

The team did play more qualifiers than usual in the second part of the year, but found no success, with the only LAN event they attended being the MDL Global Challenge. However, in November, Natus Vincere came back with another offer and, after what Na`Vi CEO Yevhen Zolotarov called the "hardest transfer negotiations in his career", acquired the services of electroNic.

As someone from the CIS region that took to Counter-Strike in 2010, when Natus Vincere was dominating Counter-Strike 1.6, it is logical that electroNic had always dreamed about joining the ranks of the Black-and-Yellow.

"The goal to join Na`Vi came to mind as soon as I started playing at LAN events. To receive an invite from such a prominent organization that hosts such talented players was unbelievable. I knew what we could achieve if everyone puts their minds to it.

"Having spent an extensive amount of time with my favorite team we've learned a lot, and I am thankful to every single player for the warmth with which they accepted me into the team."

With 2017 coming to an end quickly, electroNic only experienced a handful of games online and one LAN event with Natus Vincere before the winter break. At the same place he played his first LAN for FlipSid3, he had his debut for Natus Vincere, DreamHack Open Winter—and helped the sinking CIS juggernaut to find its way to a trophy for the first time since ESL One New York 2016.

His great Major performances in the FlipSid3 jersey, a 1.17 LAN rating for the whole year, and a transfer to Natus Vincere resulted in electroNic being selected as a Bold Prediction by three of the top 20 players last year. Everything was pointing towards him having his best year yet in 2018.

"I really wanted to answer the hopes of the people that trusted in me. I am proud and I hope that I managed to justify their prediction. I really respect every single person who had my back."

The year started with the ELEAGUE Major, where electroNic would go on to have his deepest Major run to date. Even though his team finished 3-4th and his stats were good, it was mostly in the early stages of the event and against weaker opposition where electroNic was doing work. In the semi-final against FaZe, he looked out of depth, finishing as the worst-rated player of the series. The Russian didn't stand out at the following StarSeries i-League S4 either (1.02 rating), however, Oleksandr "⁠s1mple⁠" Kostyliev's outstanding play got Natus Vincere to the final of a Big event, where they faltered to MOUZ.

After struggling to play his best in the first few months of his stay with the legendary organization, electroNic got a break from Natus Vincere's system and attended WESG 2017 World Finals. There, playing in a mixed-lineup Russia, he was unchained and able to display his skill again, which resulted in 1.42 event rating—leading his countrymen to a 3rd place finish. Following that flash of brilliance, electroNic was given more freedom in Natus Vincere as well, instead of being locked into support roles like before.

"The team and I came to the mutual conclusion that I need more space in order to fully realize my potential. I always try to train as hard as I can in order to maintain a good performance level."

That paid off at the following tournament, DreamHack Masters Marseille, another one where, just like the Major and StarSeries S4, where most of the top teams were present. electroNic recorded only a single, barely below-average map in France, and performed exceptionally throughout Natus Vincere's run to the final, where they lost to Astralis. The spotlight was on s1mple, however, as the Ukrainian would be awarded his second losing-MVP since the start of the year.

"When I'm playing now I can be a bit more aggressive. I was full support before, I guess. In my mind, I was a support, but now I'm allowed to be a player that can go get kills and do everything that I want. I do a bit less of a supporting role, while flamie started to do a little bit more." - electroNic explained his role change at DreamHack Masters Marseille 2018

Any doubts of electroNic being unable to perform on a stage were brushed aside soon, as his 1.36-rated DreamHack Masters Marseille outing was followed by another great performance, at the ESL Pro League Season 7 Finals. In Dallas, he didn't have a single below-average-rated map and carried his team to a victory over FaZe in the quarter-finals with 54 kills in two maps and a rating 0.34 higher than his team's average. The Ukrainian-Russian side was stopped in the semis this time, though, falling to Liquid.

At both of the tournaments since his role switch, as well as WESG, electroNic was an EVP and a part of the MVP race, with his form not faltering as time went on. Natus Vincere would go on to win three back-to-back championships from this point onward, with the Russian rifler being an important piece of the puzzle.

The deadlock was broken in Ukraine, Natus Vincere's home, at StarSeries i-League S5. Even though some of the best teams in the world were missing, such as Astralis and FaZe, the hometown favorites did what was needed from them, and electroNic had a lot of impact in the crucial semi-final series against MOUZ, as well as a 1.19 event rating and a second place in the MVP race. At a smaller event that followed, CS:GO Asia Championship, Natus Vincere were victorious—as was expected considering the field of competition—and electroNic got another EVP.

Then, one of electroNic's best individual events followed: ESL One Cologne. After losing the opener to G2 16-14, Natus Vincere had to get to the playoffs the hard way—by winning three BO3s. And they did so, with electroNic being on point in the crucial matches, such as the deciding one against ENCE. He didn't falter in the playoffs either, he was Natus Vincere's best-rated player in their semi-final win over Astralis and grand final win over BIG, still, s1mple edged him out in the MVP race due to performing better in crucial maps.

"I think my favorite moment of 2018 would have to be our victory at ESL One Cologne 2018 against the Germans, right in their house, with a massive audience. When I recall that moment I still get goosebumps…"

Bringing the first half of the year to an end, Natus Vincere flew out to Atlanta, taking part in ELEAGUE Premier, another stacked tournament, albeit one with only eight teams in the competition. electroNic had another good run (85 ADR, 1.17 rating), only slightly trailing behind s1mple, but a semi-final exit to Liquid cut short Natus Vincere's campaign. This is where the rivalry between the North American and CIS side started brewing, as they fought for the second place in the rankings, trailing the untouchable Astralis.

The summer player break brought some well-needed rest and recovery, with DreamHack Masters Stockholm at the end of August kicking off the second half of the year. Even though Natus Vincere were obviously rusty and approached the event as practice before the Major, electroNic was able to do damage in the group stage matches against NRG and Ghost, but fell off in the quarter-final, where North beat them convincingly. The Major was a totally different story, though, as he was the standout player for Natus Vincere there, outperforming s1mple for the first time since ESL Pro League S7. The Russian boasted a 1.51 impact rating thanks in large to his outstanding 0.15 entry kills per round, finished all but one map with an above-average rating and averaged an impressive 0.86 kills per round. Despite losing the grand final, electroNic was the runner-up to Nicolai "⁠device⁠" Reedtz in the MVP race, however, he once again had to settle for an EVP—his seventh in 2018.

Improving on the ELEAGUE Boston Major placing was a step forward for electroNic, but the feeling that they didn't perform the way they should against Astralis haunted the youngster for a while, as he admitted in an interview at ESL One New York. That led to him record one of his worst events to date and Natus Vincere being unable to get out of the groups, placing 5-6th.

EPICENTER 2018 in Moscow was a chance for the team to get back to winning ways, and they seemed destined to take another trophy after their nemesis—Liquid—was eliminated by a shaky FaZe in the semi-final. But besides s1mple, no one showed up for the Natus Vincere in the final; electroNic ended the series with just 20 kills from two maps and therefore had to accept another second place and just an EVP.

Natus Vincere hoisted their last trophy of the year at BLAST Pro Series Copenhagen where they managed a BO1 win over Astralis in the group stage to lock in a place in the grand final against Ninjas in Pyjamas. electroNic was the best-rated player of the grand final with 1.54, also having 94.6 ADR and 88.9% KAST in the 2-0 victory over the Swedes, but s1mple edged him out in the MVP race again as he was significantly better over the course of the whole event.

The worst memory of 2018 for electroNic was IEM Chicago at the start of November, as his team had a terrible showing and he marked his only below-average rated event of the year (0.90). A shocking loss to eUnited in the opening match and a close 2-0 defeat to BIG cut their time at the event short, leaving Natus Vincere with a month before the last 16-team tournament of the year, the ESL Pro League S8 Finals. There, electroNic was already cooling off a bit, as he did have a good overall rating (1.13), but his best games came against underdogs (ORDER, Sharks, Ghost), while he struggled in defeats to MOUZ and, once again, Liquid.

"I think that, to a degree, Liquid are our kryptonite. We're always uncomfortable playing against them, but I hope that in the new year this will change. Out with the old, in with the new."

To finish off the year, electroNic and his teammates attended BLAST Pro Series Lisbon and got to the final. The Russian was great in the groups and in the first map against Astralis, a 16-7 victory on Overpass, but didn't provide enough in the second two maps (Cache 0.69 rating, Dust2 0.65 rating) for his team to close it out.

"[For 2019] I set myself ambitious goals and I will do my best to achieve them. I will do everything in my power to demonstrate, at the very least, the same level of performance going forward."

Why was electronic the 4th best player of 2018?

Examining the numbers he posted at Big events, there was no question that electroNic was one of the 2018's best performers. He averaged 0.75 kills per round (8th) and 82.2 damage per round (7th) for a 1.17 rating (5th). He was also very impressive in the clutch, with 64 1vX situations won at Big events(3rd).

electroNic was also incredible on the Terrorist side, averaging a 1.23 rating over all of the events he played, placing 2nd highest. Even though he had a couple of events below his high standard, he was still one of the year's most consistent players with 73.3% KAST (7th highest) and 75.5% maps with a 1.00+ rating (4th most).

What separated him from the pack and propelled him into the fourth spot were his amazing peaks, as well as performances in the playoffs of Big events. Although he has no MVP medals to his name, his showings at the FACEIT Major and ESL One Cologne, where he came second in the MVP race, were more impressive than a lot of MVP-awarded performances from other events this year.

He recorded very high peaks at DreamHack Masters Marseille (1.36 rating) and ESL Pro League S7 (1.26) as well, and was in the MVP race of eight events in total and the EVP of a tournament nine times. In addition to that, electroNic stepped up to the task when it mattered the most, averaging a 1.15 playoff rating (4th highest) and maintaining a very high level in the 20 grand final maps he played, 1.13 (5th highest).

Bold prediction

When asked to pick out a player he thinks could have a breakout year in 2019, he went for the 20-year-old in-game leader of AVANGAR - Alexey "⁠Qikert⁠" Golubev.

Alexey "⁠Qikert⁠" Golubev

"I once played with him - it seemed to me that he's quite good and his knowledge of the game is solid. Further, he's part of a young and promising roster that craves to establish themselves at the top."

Stay tuned to our Top 20 players of 2018 ranking powered by EGB.com and take a look at the Introduction article to learn more about how the players were selected.