ZywOo claims his first MVP of the year at IEM Winter

12/12/2021 - 19:40

The French superstar secured the 12th MVP medal of his career, adding to an already exemplary award cabinet.

Mathieu "⁠ZywOo⁠" Herbaut earned the HLTV.org x BitSkins.com Most Valuable Player award of IEM Winter 2021 after powering Vitality to their first title of the year in Stockholm, crowning the Frenchmen's resurgence in the last few months.

The #1 player of 2020 had not claimed a single MVP award this year but was rewarded for his efforts in Sweden after a lights-out performance across the whole event, beating Nikola "⁠NiKo⁠" Kovač, Fredrik "⁠REZ⁠" Sterner, and Nicolai "⁠device⁠" Reedtz to the individual accolade.

ZywOo powered Vitality to their first trophy in 2021

ZywOo stood out in a number of categories, displaying a 1.27 rating across the 14 maps played while also finishing amongst the highest performers in several other metrics such as KD-diff (+86), KPR (0.82), and clutches won (8). Some of his best performances came against Gambit in the quarter-finals, where he displayed a 1.42 rating, and against Ninjas in Pyjamas, sending the Swedes home with a 1.40 rating in the grand final.

This marks the first MVP award for ZywOo in 2021, with the French superstar facing his last chance this year to add another medal at BLAST Premier World Final later this month. It will not be an easy challenge, as Oleksandr "⁠s1mple⁠" Kostyliev will also be there, aiming to break the record for most MVP medals won in a calendar year set by device in 2018.

2021 MVPs by HLTV.org:

BLAST Premier Global Final - s1mple
cs_summit 7 - Jame
IEM Katowice - sh1ro
ESL Pro League 13 - Ax1Le
FunSpark ULTI Europe Final - FaNg
DreamHack Masters Spring - s1mple
Flashpoint 3 - frozen
EPIC League CIS - Hobbit
IEM Summer - Ax1Le
BLAST Premier Spring Final - Hobbit
StarLadder CIS RMR - s1mple
IEM Cologne - s1mple
ESL Pro League Season 14 - s1mple
IEM Fall CIS - sh1ro
IEM Fall Europe - device
PGL Major Stockholm - s1mple
V4 Future Sports Festival - sh1ro
BLAST Premier Fall Final - s1mple
IEM Winter 2021 - ZywOo

Congrats to Vitality and GOAT zywoo!

2021-12-12 19:40

7 replies

change dealer please

2021-12-12 19:42

2 replies

2021-12-12 19:46

Lol +1

2021-12-13 02:54

Niko deserved it if they had made the final, but since they didnt, zywoo fully deserved it it congrats

2021-12-12 20:10

3 replies

+Niko deserved that major mvp

2021-12-12 22:42

Im not sure, not being biased but s1mple with Navi played against tougher opponents and got a higher rating than niko so yeah :P

2021-12-12 22:43

1 reply

G2 is the only team in history of csgo that made it into the finals of a major without having an awper. They could have even win it if NiKo didnt choke...but Niko had better impact rating than s1mple in major tournament.

2021-12-13 11:20

god

What a beast

GOAT!

gj godwoo

Deserved!

2021-12-12 19:41

goat

Was surprised he made it at the end. He didn't look completely activated this event

Well he still played some great maps and vitality won the final. Ppl with higher/similar rating were jame, Niko (qho got eliminated in semis) and device who couldnt play semis and the final due to him being sick. Only rez couldve won it at that point but he needed an insane performance + the win

2021-12-12 20:08

deserved, wp

sh0r0 TOP 3

V4 sports festival doesnt count lmfao

I have more respect for Funspark Ulti Europe Spring Final MVP

2021-12-12 20:29

iem winter doesn't count lmfao

2021-12-13 04:04

Nice

Vitality gonna keep the team as is 😅

Very well deserved

GOAT

REAL TOP 1

17 replies

2021-12-12 19:43

real? s1mple 7 mvp..

11 replies

s1mple good teammates abuser

2021-12-12 19:44

typical viewer of arthas

2021-12-12 19:51

S1mple on garbage teams top fragging: Hard Carrier. S1mple on a good team top fragging: Abuser. Lmao I likey

2021-12-12 19:59

+1 Even this match of Grand final zywoo play better on inferno & other tow matches apex & shox played better than him thats means it is victory of team all played very good this match is no more zywoo's carry

2021-12-13 11:19

1 major, 1 major MVP, 1 grandslam Zywoo doesn't have any of those... and yet people call him the goat...

2021-12-12 19:48

6 replies

you are weak

2021-12-12 19:52

5 replies

Allu weak

2021-12-12 21:13

2021-12-13 04:05

Dr. Strange When did you take his medical chackup?

speak london

2021-12-13 15:44

Meet me there

2021-12-13 17:38

0/8

2021-12-12 19:50

biased af

Name checks out

Yes, but this is also a fact at this point ;)

2021-12-12 20:00

Congratz!

What a beast, 1.27 rating against best teams in the world, GOAT OF CS.

expected from god zywoo

GG ZywOo! With this MVP, it's safe to assume the second place is locked in.

Top 2 of 2021

RIP Device`s chance cause of illness Congrats to Xi Wu!

s1mple still top1 of 2021, cope.

4 replies

Simple fans most insecure. Gotta force their favorite into discission at all costs. As stupid as their haircuts.

2021-12-13 03:57

Do you think zyw0o fans don't do that?. Some of them go to every fucking post and comment s0mple even though he won a major. And some of the more delusional ones think zyw0o is top 1 this year lmfao. I'm not saying zyw0o is bad or some shit like that, he is the second-best player in the world because I am not delusional. I used to think zyw0o fans are smart.you saying s1mple fans are insecure, but he is just stating a FACT.

2021-12-13 06:07

Whatever your unique experience is, #30 is bringing up simple into discussion when that's completely off topic. It screams insecurity.

2021-12-13 16:25

In response to #21

2021-12-26 21:58

Nice work! Well done!

s1mple may be the GOAT but this man is also so insane, speaks volumes how this was a "bad year" for him but will probably get #2, personally my favourite player, what a guy as well, great mentality

would they still change roster?

2021-12-12 19:45

Yeah lol deal is already done and they shouldn't judge from playing without pressure cuz they are dead and winning

2021-12-12 19:47

the GOAT <3

poor performance at an irrelevant tournament

2021-12-12 19:49

continue de rager mon petit

2021-12-12 19:54

classical zeezeerax response

2021-12-12 19:57

his is like the fourth biggest event of the year

with the number 1 team not being there and 2 other teams playing with replacements? lel

Big Event LAN, 16 total teams including 8 out top 10 teams or even 14 out of top 19 teams. Part of Intel Grand Slam. Only bigger events than this event in this year are Major, Cologne and Blast Fall finals because of crowd. Katowice,EPLs were online.IEM Fall was qualifier.Blast Global FInal has only 8 teams and no crowd. This is the clear 4th biggest event of the year.

2021-12-13 07:00

9th* but nt

Big Event LAN, 16 total teams including 8 out top 10 teams or even 14 out of top 19 teams. Part of Intel Grand Slam. Only bigger events than ths event in this year are Major, Cologne and Blast Fall finals because of crowd. Katowice,EPLs were online.IEM Fall was qualifier.Blast Global FInal has only 8 teams and no crowd. This is the clear 4th biggest event of the year.

2021-12-13 06:59

Zywho can only win when S1mple not attending a tourney lol

change your flag back to ukraine already

2021-12-12 20:22

Deserved and congrats to Vitality.. all shiro fans must be crying now

hahahahahahaha First and last mvp of the year. What an absolute bot of a player.

nt kid

good job, battle with NiKo would be much more impressive, but oh well

NiKo > ZywOo this year

2021-12-12 19:58

2021-12-13 04:07

lmao

2021-12-13 09:46

Finally he deserves it, gz

2021-12-12 19:56

its funny how he needed an event with no s1mple to win the mvp

It's funny that you think it, he would still play awesome without MVP. The LAN tournament was not for ZywOo to win but for Kyojin and misutaaa to get motivation and mental strength to fight on LAN.

s1mple would get 0 mvp if he didnt bait all his teammate

then its a good thing s1mple plays for his team...cuz in zywoo's case, he has his entire team play for him. Crazy to think s1mple just tied dev1ce's record while playing for his team while zywoo can't win shit when he baits his teamm8s

2021-12-12 20:01

??? Can you stop hating and just embrace both players. Nobody is baiting, everything is clearly planned in pro scene to play for, the best wins a win is a win.

2021-12-12 20:03

He is baiting bro, dont lose your time

2021-12-12 20:06

Dude, if you want to talk about baiting, maybe you can check your fellow countryman Coldzera... Have you forgotten all the hero AK rounds S1mple has carried by being the first contact? He's an awper, he's not suposed to go in front on T side, it's just stupid.

2021-12-13 00:35

You must be terrible at fishing because no fish liked that bait

2021-12-13 10:43

I agree with you, i desagree with the bs the guy said about zywoo. Just a troll

2021-12-13 23:57

Both teams play around the star player. You’re either trolling or just completely braindead frog that has the IQ of a decoy grenade. Silver thinking he knows more about the game than pros. Hilarious.

2021-12-12 20:11

i mean it's actually impressive. If it wasn't for s1mple, this would be zywoo's 4th mvp of the year (Blast global finals, Blast fall, Esl) even if he lost all the finals.

and if s1mple or nexa attended this event, zywoo would likely still be on 0 mvps

2021-12-13 06:05

one mvp is not like others here

2021-12-12 20:14

4 bad teammates and thats why so good stats...

2021-12-12 20:15

23 replies

Damn you are right I just watched all 4 Vitality players stats, 3 were in 1.00 range and Kyoijn was even worse

2021-12-12 20:58

12 replies

yeah dude, thats how zywoo farms stats

2021-12-12 21:28

same bs argument was made against s1mple until this year, grow up ppl

2021-12-12 22:37

10 replies

s1mple had electronic(top 5 players)

2021-12-12 22:38

9 replies

Yet everyone has been crying for years because he was '' only with bots '' ( which wasn't even true ). As far as this BS willing that it's ''easier to have good stats ina weaker team '' sorry but that's utter crap. You will have way better stats with a team that wins most rounds/Games this is just basic logic. Not to mention the confidence in your mates, virtuous circle etc that allows you to.play at your 100% not malding/Raging/breaking focus.. Best counter example of this '' easier with bots '' theory is device. Device in Astralis 2018 system = 1.24-1.26 yearly rating ( despite most his mate having great ratings and the whole team being top 20 with 4 top 10 players ) Device with swedish bots team = awful 2021 rating

2021-12-13 00:40

8 replies

1) 4 bad teammates or 4 good teammates are same(u will get kills cuz they dont kill enemies or cuz they kill enemies and u just should play your position) 2) "Device with swedish bots team = awful 2021 rating", 1.14 rating is bad? + he has REZ(good player) + 2018 was 3 years ago

2021-12-13 00:45

Your troll is not even funny anymore

2021-12-13 04:06

its not funny cuz not troll

2021-12-13 10:36

He is not a troll dude, he is just stating the facts Also let me had to that - device stopped at playing this tournament for health issues since the semis, zywoo got better stats for playing against a team with a guy from the academy team, surprise surprise it is a 3-0…

2021-12-13 13:01

Yes of course thats why Vitality destroyed Nip even more when dev1ce was in the team 5 days ago 16-5 16-5 lmao, your stats will always be 10 times better the best team your team and team8 are and the ppl that still don't understand that are completely retarded, do you know that this guy call zywoo a noob player xD ? Imagine 5 noob players wining events / going to finals of the best events vs the best teams in the worlds, shuting down navi 16-5 on Nuke etc.. yes he is trolling beczuse its not possible to be that dumb

2021-12-13 16:48

Actually it is possible to be that dumb Second, one map won’t win you the series, you can even win 16-0, but if you cannot close the series it doesnt mean anything, just that you lost to someone you 16-0’d and you didn’t close out the series. Zywoo either needs a better team where he isnt carrying most of the time or hope that the new vitality line up actually does something

2021-12-14 03:14

It's way badder than 1.25 Also he played half of the year with Astra. Let's see his NiP only stats please

2021-12-13 10:44

same stats 1.13 hltv.org/stats/players/matches/7592/devi.. and stats for astralis in 2021 hltv.org/stats/players/7592/device?start..

2021-12-13 10:52

hat happened to s2mple in 2017 then. 4 bad teammates, still only 1.22 rating compared to zywoo's 1.29 in 2021

2021-12-13 09:35

yes, s1mple 2017 had boosted stats and that was 4 years ago + worst year for navi

2021-12-13 10:37

Your argument doesn't compute because following tour 'logic' it should have been his best year... Yet his best year comes when he has his strongest team ever by far.

2021-12-13 10:46

his best year is 2018 or 2021(probably 2018) why 2017 should be best s1mple`s year by "my logic"? his stats was boosted by bad teammates

2021-12-13 11:02

Because his stats were supposedly 'boosted by Bad teammates' and you were trying to say 'bad teammates allow you to boost your stats' ( implying it for ZywOo ) yet every evidence points at the opposite : team stars are even stronger as their mates level up ... Doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand that more wins = less death per rounds , more confidence, better k/d etc which are all taken in consideration in the rating 2.0 math...

2021-12-13 14:56

4 bad teammates or 4 good teammates are same(u will get kills cuz they dont kill enemies or cuz they kill enemies and u just should play your position) even when his stats was boosted in 2017, best year is still 2018

2021-12-13 15:04

same for vitality bro. except zywoo has 1.29 rating and 7-8 evps + 1 mvp while s1mple only had 1 small event mvp + 2 evps

2021-12-13 10:47

so thats mean vitality 2021 play for zywoo much more than navi played for s1mple in 2017

2021-12-13 11:07

no it means zywoo is just better. s1ple only became top 3 after electronic started helping him.

2021-12-13 11:35

no, zywoo is overrated

2021-12-13 11:48

Do you think ZyWoo will steal #1 in 2021 from s1mple again?

2021-12-12 20:17

No chance in hell, one late tournament win in a tournament that didn’t even include Na’Vi won’t erase S1mple’s 7 MVP’s and all the tournaments Na’Vi have won. This has clearly been the year of Na’Vi and S1mple deserves the #1

2021-12-12 20:23

Why did you guys even come with the assumption of ZywOo taking s1mple #1 he played awesome that year. Just like ZywOo said it's deserved and definitly he played better this year (when it comes to 2020 it was very close)

2021-12-12 20:30

Don’t include me in that “you guys” I literally never said ZyWoo stole anything. 2020 was a legitimate debate and either guy could have taken it. You could make arguments for both, but in 2021 it’s definitely S1mple. I don’t think it’s even a debate this year.

2021-12-13 02:50

2020 is just like 2021 in reverse order. s1mple with 2 mvps and zywoo with 6 in 2020. this year s1mple with 6 and zywoo with 1 until now. zywoo was clearly better in 2020 and s1mple is clearly better on 2021.

2021-12-13 09:34

*s1mple has 7 MVPs in 2021, so far. Also, s1mple was 1.30 overall in 2020 (hltv.org/news/31025/top-20-players-of-20..), while ZywOo was 1.29 (hltv.org/news/31024/top-20-players-of-20..). In 2021, s1mple is 1.35 overall, while ZywOo is 1.28 (hltv.org/stats/players?startDate=2021-01..) It's not even comparable to 2020. Not taking team factor into account.

2021-12-13 12:59

Yes, but we are assessing the current form and ZyWoo finished the year strong. 7 MVPs don't matter because they were in the past.

2021-12-12 23:15

Name checks out. 7 MVP’s we’re throughout the year of 2021, they’re not in the past they’re literally throughout the year. The top 20 is done on a yearly basis, analyzing who the top 20 players of the YEAR were. Not the top 20 players of the end of the year. Either way S1mple still takes it, Major MVP, Blast MVP, likely to win the next Blast MVP which should be the final MVP given out of the year.

2021-12-13 02:53

thanks for the explanation, Mr Smart Alec. Zywoo is in excellent form right now, while NAVI could only take one round on OP versus Liquid. Top-1 player in the world just cannot lose like that.

2021-12-14 17:45

Don’t call me “smart Alec” when you’re being an idiot and acting like the top 20 is based off of “recent form”, clearly you need to explanation. Don’t even try and act like a bad loss discredits the rest of S1mple’s work. If that’s the case then ZyWoo can’t be top 1 either: hltv.org/matches/2347747/vitality-vs-9z-.. even the best players and best teams lose sometimes.

2021-12-14 20:02

My boy fang up with the best players of the world

XI WU THE KING

2021-12-12 20:27

Finnaly! deserved

The 2nd guaranteed

2021-12-12 20:31

Deserved. Top 2 hltv this year

2021-12-12 20:33

Of course, no one else compares, ZywOo ans S1 are in a class of their own...

2021-12-13 00:34

Niko

2021-12-13 05:06

Still above him sorry. I'm yet to see NiKo hardcarry bots like ZywOo ans S1 did into winning titles. But yes he is the closest thing mechanically wise. And the one of the only players that has the potential to compare and reach their tier eventually ( imo with ropz )

2021-12-13 10:40

My MVP <3

2021-12-12 20:35

Congrats for tier2 event, congrats for top4 this year

2021-12-12 20:39

he is lucky s1mple wasn't here, otherwise 0 mvp this year

2021-12-12 20:48

NA mvp

2021-12-12 20:59

Still best player in the world, he can do it all. Entrying, clutching, rifling.

2021-12-12 21:12

Top 1

Ty mr s1mple.

2021-12-12 21:14

Good thing s1mple and co wasn't there to manhandle them.

2021-12-12 21:29

he deserve top 2 tbh

2021-12-12 21:37

undeserved

2021-12-12 21:39

sam2k wya

2021-12-12 22:31

zywoo the goat top1 2021

2021-12-12 22:34

gz, atleast top 3 secured

2021-12-12 22:44

but there is only 1 goat <)

2021-12-12 22:54

HLTV will use this MvP to justify putting Zywoo 2nd in 2021, would be pretty funny seeing him 2nd tho with no tournaments and no mvps

2021-12-12 22:57

Zywoo would have been second even without this MVP. Who's gonna take it from him? Shiro?

2021-12-12 23:38

No one comparés, especially not online heroes whose MVP's have been won almost only online... We Saw what happened when ZywOo faced sh1ro on LAN though LUL

2021-12-13 00:32

Imagine thinking anyone comes even close to s1mple and NiKo

2021-12-13 01:00

kiko has 1.19 rating in 2021. he won't even make it to top3.

2021-12-13 09:32

Lans matter twice as much as online events.

2021-12-13 15:41

Ya but zywoo still has 1.29 rating on LAN with 3 evps and 1 mvp. Niko has like 1.25 with 4 evps

2021-12-13 19:15

GODWOO TOP 2 2021

2021-12-13 00:33

NiKo better anyways

2021-12-13 00:59

His first and last MVP of the year*

2021-12-13 03:44

where'd all these zywoo, vitality fans come out from? I mean where were they all this time?

2021-12-13 04:16

sucks for devve, much deserved for ZywOo tho, finally his team played to a decent level around him.

2021-12-13 09:42

But, they gonna to roster change next year lol

2021-12-13 11:32

Fluke mvp.

2021-12-13 10:41

Cry is sometimes free

2021-12-13 14:30

You just got emotional after me stating facts lmao!

2021-12-13 14:40

Weak af reply. Stay insecure downplaying others achievements because you have none.

2021-12-15 07:55

That whole reply made absolute zero sense! Lmao

2021-12-15 08:48

0/8 + cringe

2021-12-17 12:18

Who ever says "cringe" is cringe! /closed

2021-12-17 12:24

Imagine getting MVP only because the number 1 was ill...😅 And then against stand-in + substitute xaxaxa

2021-12-14 05:20

Still better than gambit v4 mvp where they only beat big and entropiq

2021-12-14 07:00