Top 20 players of 2022: Spinx (18)

Lotan "⁠Spinx⁠" Giladi earns the 18th spot on the Top 20 players of 2022 ranking, powered by 1xBet, thanks to his spectacular first half of the year.

Top 20 players of 2022: Introduction

Like many who hail from regions and countries without representation at the top of the Counter-Strike scene these days, Spinx is by and large a product of the FACEIT Pro League. The pick-up game system, which has consistently produced new talent for pro teams in past years, gave him the opportunity that would otherwise be nonexistent if he had only played on the local scene — to showcase his talent among the best players and work his way up to the top of international competition.

"When I got a better PC in 2017 I got level 10 on FACEIT pretty quickly. Then I decided I want to try and be a professional in this game and then the grind started."

"I saw FPL as the way to go professional for me because we didn’t have a good scene in Israel and if I wanted to join the best teams I needed to make a name for myself. FPL didn’t give me any motivation, it was just a part of my journey to become professional and achieve my dream."

After a brief and casual period of playing 1.6 with friends, Spinx ventured into CS:GO in 2016 and within two years reached a level where he began to compete for top placings in FPL-Challenger, the qualifying league for FPL. Not even military service, which is mandatory for two years in Israel and has often led to players from the country putting their careers on hold, stopped a then-18-year-old Spinx from grinding to the top and finally getting to play among the best in the European FPL in 2019. In a particularly successful month he skipped on his duties in military service in a final push that allowed him to get into FPL for the first time, and eventually he got himself discharged due to a medical issue so that he could focus on playing in the ladder. This would later act as his resumé for entry into tier-one Counter-Strike.

"One month I was top-5 with 40 games. I had a 70% win rate and I thought that if I kept playing and maintained that win rate I could make it to FPL, so I just decided that I was going to put everything in my life towards that and play as much as I could all day long. I didn't show up to the military that month, so I got a punishment and I had to stay on base for two weeks before I could go back home, but I qualified."

- Spinx in "How three players are changing the the face of Israeli Counter-Strike"

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How three players are changing the face of Israeli Counter-Strike

Marco "⁠Snappi⁠" Pfeiffer had just exited Heroic and joined up with c0ntact when Spinx was making some real ground in FPL, garnering a few top three finishes there as well as in the ESEA counterpart in the middle of 2020. By this point he had only played competitively with some local teams, alongside the likes of Guy "⁠NertZ⁠" Iluz, Shahar "⁠flameZ⁠" Shushan, and Shiran "⁠shushan⁠" Shushan, and in a European-Israeli mix Tikitakan.

But the Israeli's individual prowess in the PUG leagues didn't go unnoticed, and it soon earned him the call by Snappi and Neil "⁠NeiL_M⁠" Murphy to join his first professional team, c0ntact, in August of that year. Although it didn't get off to the best of starts, this partnership between a then largely unknown Spinx and the Danish veteran in-game leader went on to last for the next two years.

"I think the players as individuals [in c0ntact] were very good, but all of us together as team just didn’t work out."

The c0ntact stint only lasted three months, as the organization pulled out of CS:GO and transfer-listed the roster at the close of 2020. But before that, the Israeli got his first taste of top-tier competition at Flashpoint 2 and DreamHack Masters Winter Europe and showcased just how high he can peak — a 40-bomb performance against Dignitas in Flashpoint. His time on the sidelines after the sudden decision wouldn't last long, though. At the turn of the year Snappi got an offer to join ENCE and brought Spinx over alongside with him to bolster a struggling Finnish core about to transition into an international lineup.

Signs of Spinx's bright future quickly began to show as ENCE played in ESL Pro League Season 13 to start the new year. The consistency was missing, understandably so for a rookie in the top scene, but the young Israeli rifler's purple patches against Ninjas in Pyjamas and G2 in the group stage bore the marks of a star in the making — a 1.79, 2.09, and 1.64 rating in map wins against teams who were then ranked 11th and 12th.

It was during this run that Snappi went on HLTV Confirmed to talk about the building of this new promising ENCE squad and spoke high praise of Spinx, less than six months into the existence of this partnership: "[Spinx's] work ethic and mentality are among the best that I have ever seen," Snappi said about his teammate at the time. "He just tries to learn every single day and get better and better. A player like that just progresses fast and he's just a good guy to have on your team because he never creates problems. I have no doubt that Spinx is going to stay at the top for a long time. He's just that good."

ENCE mostly played in the lower-tier for the remainder of the first part of the season, but in the second half of the year they got several more chances to show their worth against the best. Spinx continued to grow more comfortable with the higher level of play, showcasing a much higher floor in his second ESL Pro League season already before finally hitting his stride at IEM Fall, the final qualifying event for the PGL Major Stockholm. It was Spinx's first-ever big LAN appearance and ENCE reached the grand final at the RMR tournament, in no small part thanks to the Israeli's stable contribution, as he ended the competition as their highest-rated player at 1.18. His standout performance in the grand final against Ninjas in Pyjamas wasn't enough to push his team over the line, in the end.

"My first highlight with ENCE during the first year was qualifying for the [PGL Stockholm] Major. It was a dream come true and I enjoyed every single moment of playing in tier-one events. It was just an amazing feeling."

Spinx's first Major came straight after, where he helped ENCE make it past the Challengers Stage with another solid showing before a flop in the Legends Stage saw them exit Stockholm in 15th-16th place. This was the first in a series of early bowouts that marred the end of an otherwise fruitful year for Spinx and ENCE, who entered 2022 with a roster change in their sights — one that would propel them even further.

Pavle "⁠Maden⁠" Bošković was brought into ENCE at the beginning of 2022 to replace Joonas "⁠doto⁠" Forss in a move that came as a surprise to many but one that ended up paying its dividends. With the new player, the team ventured to their first big LAN — IEM Katowice.

It turned out that the event came a little too soon for the new roster. ENCE passed the Play-in with some difficulty, with Spinx making the difference in a tough deciding series against GODSENT, but then went out early after a tough draw put them up against then-world No. 1 team Natus Vincere and No. 7 Astralis straight after. The European side put up an impressive fight against both but ultimately fell short after two thriller series, as Spinx came away with a VP nod thanks to a solid 1.07 average rating and five in six maps in the green.

"Before Maden it was a bit hard because we had some maps that we needed someone to help, kind of, and some of us tried to help. We did it, but not enough. When Maden joined the team, at the start it was hard because we weren't used to it and suddenly this guy is like 'do this, do this, do this' but after some time we found the balance we wanted and it's working. He's doing an amazing job."

After ENCE busied themselves with some online tournaments, picking up third-fourth place at Elisa Invitational Winter and second place at Pinnacle Winter Series 2, ESL Pro League Season 15 came next and that's when ENCE had the chance to get up to speed with their new player and start picking up big scalps. Snappi's team finished second in their group with a 4-1 record, taking down the FaZe team that had just won IEM Katowice, the new Vitality, Outsiders, and Sprout, a close loss to FURIA tarnishing their record.

Spinx got off to somewhat of a slow start while others took centre stage in groups, finding his peak only in the last series that did not end up having an effect on the team's standing. It was in the playoffs where he started making the difference and powered ENCE to the grand final, with a staggering 1.75 rated performance against fnatic in the round of 12 and later a 1.30 rating in a close encounter with Ninjas in Pyjamas in the semi-finals. A rematch against FaZe for the title did not go their way this time as Spinx cooled off, finishing the series as the lowest-rated player (0.84), but it still did not prevent him from securing his first EVP award of the year as his team's best player at the event overall.

The first Major cycle came and ENCE traveled to Bucharest for the European RMRs in late April. It was a straightforward campaign for Spinx and company, as they went 3-1 in the Swiss format to qualify, never looking in real danger. A 40-bomb against HEET was the highlight of the rifler's 1.32-rated tournament, marred only by a Legends Stage-deciding loss to Ninjas in Pyjamas.

"I don't know the exact reason why I was so much better between 2022 and 2021. I think it was mostly the confidence I had in myself and the team around me, which helped me a lot."

Before the Antwerp Major itself rolled around, ENCE's long route to the BLAST Premier Spring Final was about to finish as they entered the final qualifying stage, the Showdown. After playing three different Danish teams, Copenhagen Flames, Heroic, and Astralis, ENCE could finally breathe a sigh of relief as they made it through the long process all the way to the Lisbon tournament. Spinx added another solid event to his tally, standing out in particular in the first series against Rasmus "⁠HooXi⁠" Nielsen's team.

ENCE then went to Belgium ready to make up for their rather disappointing Stockholm Major. Once again, the Challengers Stage was more or less a breeze, as Spinx spearheaded their convincing run to a 3-1 record in the first Swiss phase with a 1.28 average rating. Only G2 stood in the way of a perfect record, and even there Spinx was the reason why the match went to three maps, putting up a 1.54 rating in an overtime win on Ancient.

The Israeli continued to impress in the Legends Stage, a consistent performance and a couple of peaks against FaZe and Outsiders propelling the European team through to the playoffs. Spinx then stepped onto the stage and played in front of a big crowd for the first time in the quarter-finals, and took that challenge on with his head held high, pummeling Copenhagen Flames with a 1.47-rated performance to reach the semis. A resurgent NAVI and a red-hot Oleksandr "⁠s1mple⁠" Kostyliev stopped ENCE dead in their tracks the next day in a rather anti-climactic end to a superb run from Snappi and his men. Spinx was awarded his second EVP for his impressive efforts as the highest-rated player of the tournament up to the quarter-finals and the third-highest overall.

"My best memory of 2022 was going on the stage for the first time during the major in Antwerp and winning my first t1 event, EPL."

For Spinx, the Major was the last deep run with the team. Because of visa issues ENCE went to IEM Dallas without him, and despite fielding Janusz "⁠Snax⁠" Pogorzelski they made it all the way to the grand final. ENCE's meteoric rise through the rankings saw them hit No. 2 after the tournament and become a real contender for titles, but that's where their rise stopped.

"In ENCE we were such a dangerous team because of many reasons. Everyone of us was in really good shape and we were hitting hard, also our play style was annoying to play against (I played against them in Vitality, I know how it feels)."

Heading into the BLAST Premier Spring Final with Spinx back in the lineup, it was time for ENCE to take it a step further and challenge for the title. But the team crumbled once in Lisbon, their usually reliable stars Spinx and Paweł "⁠dycha⁠" Dycha looking out of sorts while no one was there to pick up the slack, and they went out in 5th-6th place after losses to OG and Vitality. This was the first stumble for Spinx, a 0.94 rating being his first LAN in the red in 2022 and the first sign of his decline.

The online Roobet Cup provided a chance to warm up to the final event of the season, IEM Cologne, and ENCE came away with 5th-8th place, as FaZe stopped them in the quarter-finals. It was nothing to write home about for the team or Spinx, who finished the event with a respectable if unimpressive 1.06 rating due to his drop-off up against the best team of the first half of the year.

A flop at IEM Cologne followed, ending the season on a sour note. Losses to Vitality and G2 sent ENCE packing in last place, while Spinx was the only player to finish the event in the green. A 1.09 rating over five maps showcased his rather high floor and underlined the rarity of his disappearances up to that point.

Typically a time to recharge batteries, the summer tournament break was a period in which Spinx decided to change his scenery and try his luck elsewhere after a difficult end to the first season. For the new season, he made the switch to Vitality in a move that excited many, as the Israeli seemed like a great fit for the team, who needed a lurker and anchor, and a significant firepower upgrade over Kévin "⁠misutaaa⁠" Rabier.

"I made the switch to Vitality because I felt that it will give me a better chance to lift trophies and I felt ready for a new beginning. My expectations were and still are to win tier-one events in the near future."

At first, the signs were good. Although Vitality didn't make it past the BLAST Groups, it was just a few rounds that separated them and G2 in a rematch series that determined the advancement to the Fall Final. Spinx put up another solid event overall, though when it came to crunch time in the deciding series against Natus Vincere and G2 he fell off, particularly in a close decider against the latter.

The best was still to come, as ESL Pro League Season 16 was next on the calendar, where Vitality and Spinx earned their first and only title of the year. The French-Danish-Israeli combine went flawless in the group stage on the back of superb performances from Mathieu "⁠ZywOo⁠" Herbaut and Spinx himself, who may not have had quite as many peaks as his superstar teammate but was almost just as consistent with just one of 12 maps in the red. That consistency faded once the playoffs came around, but the Israeli still had his say in Vitality's charge for the title with a solid level in the map wins against G2 and Liquid in the final stages of the tournament, helping Vitality drag a long best-of-five across the finish line. Spinx earned his third EVP in Malta, while ZywOo stole the show with one of the all-time greatest performances.

"I think in the start of many teams you get a small honeymoon period, which helps you play well together. I'm not sure why we couldn't replicate it for the rest of the season."

This was Spinx's last good event of the year, however, as he found himself in a slump in the final few months while Vitality struggled to replicate the form that gave them the EPL title. They made it past the next RMRs without too much of a problem while Spinx took a back seat, a 1.00 rating underlining his unimpressive showing as Vitality secured a Challengers Stage spot, with losses to BIG and Heroic preventing them from making it to Legends.

Before traveling to Brazil, Vitality failed to make it through the Fall Showdown in Spinx's worst event of the year by far, a 0.79 rating after two series that included a win over TYLOO and a loss to Astralis.

The Rio Major was next and Spinx remained a far cry from the top-five rifler he had been earlier in the year. His peaks were nowhere to be seen as he put in another average performance in the Challengers Stage, where Vitality had to sweat to advance further, scraping by OG in the deciding match. The Legends Stage was no better, as close losses to Natus Vincere, MOUZ, and Spinx's former team ENCE sent Vitality packing from the Major in 12th-14th place.

"My worst memory of the year was not qualifying to the playoffs of IEM Rio."

Despite missing the Fall Final, Vitality made it to the BLAST Premier World Final to end the year with hopes of redemption. The team got off to a good start, brushing Natus Vincere aside as Spinx outfragged everyone on the server, but then fell off again as Vitality lost series to OG and eventual champions G2 to go out in 5th-6th place, marked by three terrible maps from the Israeli out of the last four.

"I think the reason my individual performance dropped off towards the end of the year is mostly because of adapting to a new style and losing a bit of confidence in myself."

Why was Spinx the 18th best player of 2022?

Spinx's finish as 2022's 18th best player is best explained by the stark contrast between his fantastic start to the year and disappointing end.

While with ENCE, the 23-year-old at times looked like a top-five rifler in the world, boasting several standout performances that led to his first two EVPs in his team's run to second place at ESL Pro League Season 15 and to the semi-finals at PGL Major Antwerp. From the middle of the year to the beginning of his stint with Vitality, though his decline began to show he still put in a few more solid events and added another EVP to his tally in Vitality's run to the title in the second Pro League season.

"My goals for 2023 would be to get better top 20 HLTV ranking than this year and to go deep in tournaments and win some of them with my teammates."

But it was the latter part of the year and the last few months in particular that brought Spinx as low as 18th after he put up five consecutive tournaments rated 1.00 or below to end 2022 on a low note.

Though that slump meant his numbers took a large hit, Spinx still put up some impressive stats overall. He was among the best fraggers with 0.71 kills per round (18th best) and put up a high number of multkills (17.9% of rounds, 17th), and most of all he stood out in his clutch ability (60 1vsX situations won, 3rd).

Bold prediction by 1xBet

In his inaugural top-20 appearance, Spinx shined the spotlight on his compatriot and real life acquaintance Nikita "⁠HeavyGod⁠" Martynenko. The 20-year-old was recently signed by Endpoint and is the third Israeli player to join the British organization, following in the footsteps of flameZ and NertZ. Though he doesn't comply with the requirements for the bold prediction, being above 20 years of age, NertZ also got a shoutout from Spinx:

"I know HeavyGod in real life and he had struggles to become 100% committed to CS, I also had this before, but now he is about to be more free and I believe he can make it. I would also like to give a shoutout to Nertz, I think he can do it as well."

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Stay tuned to our Top 20 players of 2021 ranking and take a look at the Introduction article to learn more about how the players were selected.