NiKo’s Major Curse: Why CS2’s Greatest Rifler Still Has No Trophy

Some players are remembered for their trophies. Others are remembered for their impact on the game. Nikola "NiKo" Kovač belongs to a rare category of players who achieved almost everything imaginable in Counter-Strike—except winning a Major.

For nearly a decade, NiKo has chased the most prestigious trophy in CS history. He has played for legendary organizations, reached multiple Major playoffs, appeared in two Grand Finals, and consistently ranked among the world's best players. Yet every Major campaign has ended the same way: watching another team lift the trophy.

Today, NiKo's relationship with Majors has become one of the most fascinating storylines in competitive Counter-Strike.

The MOUZ Era: Four Majors, Zero Playoffs, Joining FaZe Clan and Chasing Greatness, Astralis Stands in the Way, Stockholm 2021: The Most Painful Final, The Arrival of m0NESY, Falcons and a New Beginning, NiKo's Major Career by the Numbers, Does NiKo Need a Major to Become a Legend?

The MOUZ Era: Four Majors, Zero Playoffs

NiKo's Major journey began at DreamHack Open Cluj-Napoca 2015 while representing MOUZ.

Back then, he was considered one of Europe's most promising young talents. MOUZ had successfully qualified for the event, and expectations were relatively high. Unfortunately, the tournament quickly turned into disappointment. The format allowed little room for mistakes, and MOUZ failed to survive the group stage.

The following years brought more of the same.

At MLG Columbus 2016, ESL One Cologne 2016, and ELEAGUE Major 2017, MOUZ repeatedly fell short of reaching the playoffs. While NiKo continued to develop into a superstar, the team simply couldn't compete with the elite squads dominating the Major scene.

After four consecutive Major appearances without a single playoff run, it became clear that NiKo needed a new challenge if he wanted to compete for championships.

Joining FaZe Clan and Chasing Greatness

When NiKo joined FaZe Clan, everything changed.

The organization assembled one of the most talented rosters Counter-Strike had ever seen. Expectations skyrocketed overnight, and many fans believed it was only a matter of time before FaZe became Major champions.

Instead, the first Major ended in disaster.

At ELEAGUE Major Boston 2018, FaZe unexpectedly crashed out with a shocking 0-3 record. For a roster filled with superstars, it was one of the biggest disappointments of the year.

However, the real heartbreak came later.

At the Boston Major, FaZe fought their way to the Grand Final and entered the match against Cloud9 as overwhelming favorites. Most analysts expected a comfortable victory.

What happened next became one of the most iconic moments in Counter-Strike history.

Cloud9 completed an unforgettable comeback, winning North America's first and only CS:GO Major title. While the victory transformed Cloud9's players into legends, it left NiKo with his first truly painful Major defeat.

For many fans, Boston remains the closest NiKo has ever come to lifting the trophy.

Astralis Stands in the Way

The years that followed were dominated by Astralis.

FaZe remained a dangerous contender and regularly reached the latter stages of tournaments, but whenever the biggest matches arrived, the Danish powerhouse often stood in their path.

At FACEIT Major London 2018 and IEM Katowice 2019, Astralis once again proved too strong. Meanwhile, StarLadder Berlin Major 2019 saw FaZe fail to make a deep run entirely.

By the end of the CS:GO decade, NiKo was already regarded as one of the greatest riflers in history. Yet his Major trophy cabinet remained empty.

Stockholm 2021: The Most Painful Final

After joining G2 Esports and reuniting with his cousin Nemanja "huNter-" Kovač, optimism returned.

The team's breakthrough moment arrived at PGL Major Stockholm 2021.

G2 looked fantastic throughout the tournament, reaching the Grand Final against NAVI. While NAVI featured a prime Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev, NiKo was playing some of the best Counter-Strike of his career.

He finished the Major with an incredible 1.36 rating, making it the strongest Major performance of his career.

Yet Stockholm is remembered for a completely different reason.

During the Grand Final, NiKo missed a famous Desert Eagle shot on Nuke that quickly became one of the most replayed clips in Counter-Strike history. While a single missed shot never determines an entire best-of-three series, the moment instantly became symbolic of NiKo's Major struggles.

NAVI went on to win the championship.

Once again, NiKo was left watching another team celebrate.

The Arrival of m0NESY

The signing of Ilya "m0NESY" Osipov was supposed to be the missing piece.

G2 suddenly possessed one of the most talented rosters in the world. The combination of NiKo, huNter-, and m0NESY looked capable of winning any tournament.

Yet Majors remained elusive.

Over the next several years, FaZe, Vitality, NAVI, and Team Spirit all managed to claim Major titles. Meanwhile, G2 repeatedly fell short, suffering exits in either the Legends Stage or the playoffs.

Despite producing memorable performances and winning prestigious events throughout the season, the organization could never convert its talent into a Major championship.

The Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024 marked the emotional end of an era. By that point, NiKo's departure from G2 was already expected. The team's elimination felt like the closing chapter of one of the most beloved rosters in recent Counter-Strike history.

Falcons and a New Beginning

After leaving G2, NiKo joined Falcons in search of one final opportunity.

The ambitious project aimed to build a championship-winning roster around some of the game's biggest stars. Expectations were once again enormous.

However, the first Major with Falcons ended in disappointment as the team exited with a 1-3 record.

Things improved at the StarLadder Budapest Major 2025. Falcons successfully reached the playoffs and even eliminated G2 along the way. Yet another obstacle appeared in the quarterfinals, where Team Spirit ended their run.

It was another reminder that nothing comes easy for NiKo on Counter-Strike's biggest stage.

NiKo's Major Career by the Numbers

• Major appearances: 17

• Playoff appearances: 8

• Grand Final appearances: 2

• Major titles: 0

• Average Major rating: 1.12

• Best Major performance: PGL Major Stockholm 2021 (1.36 rating)

• Lowest Major rating: StarLadder Berlin Major 2019 (1.00 rating)

FalleN’s Last Dance: 3 Things Left to Do

Does NiKo Need a Major to Become a Legend?

For many players, a Major trophy is the ultimate measure of greatness.

For NiKo, the conversation is more complicated.

He is widely considered one of the most mechanically gifted riflers ever to play Counter-Strike. He has spent years competing at the highest level, won elite tournaments, and consistently remained among the world's best players across multiple eras of the game.

A Major trophy would undoubtedly complete his legacy.

But even without one, NiKo has already secured his place among Counter-Strike's all-time greats.

The only question remaining is whether the greatest unfinished story in Counter-Strike will finally get the ending fans have been waiting for.