Ladislav "GuardiaN" Kovács is one of the best AWPers in Counter-Strike history. His career lasted almost 20 years, starting in 2006. He played in Counter-Strike 1.6, CS: Source, and CS:GO.

Despite never winning a Major, he left an unforgettable mark on the game, earning numerous MVP awards, winning multiple big tournaments, and being ranked among the top 20 players by HLTV six times.

Early years and rise in CS:GO

GuardiaN started playing Counter-Strike in 2006. His brother introduced him to the game. He first found success in CS: Source with Reason Gaming. He won several tournaments and made a name for himself. When CS:GO was released in 2012, he switched to the new game.

GuardiaN played for teams like myDGB.net, ePz, and Virtus.pro. However, his real breakthrough came in 2013. He joined Natus Vincere (NAVI) and became their star player. His fast reflexes and accurate shots made him one of the best AWPers in the world.

Success with NAVI and near-Major wins

From 2014 to 2017, GuardiaN was at his absolute peak. He helped NAVI win several tournaments, including ESL One New York 2016, IEM San Jose 2015, and ESL Pro League Winter 2014/15. However, his most painful moments came at Major tournaments, where he and NAVI reached two Grand Finals but failed to secure the ultimate prize.

DreamHack Open Cluj-Napoca 2015 - Lost to Team EnVyUs in the final.
MLG Columbus 2016 - Lost to Luminosity Gaming; he played the Grand Final with an injured wrist and had to use much higher sensitivity than normal.

Despite these heartbreaks, GuardiaN was widely regarded as one of the best players in the world. In 2015, he was ranked #2 on HLTV’s Top 20 list, just behind Olof "olofmeister" Kajbjer Gustafsson.

Most Iconic CS:GO and CS2 Clutch Moments

Move to FaZe and more Major heartbreak

In 2017, GuardiaN left NAVI and joined FaZe Clan, forming a superteam with NiKo, rain, karrigan, and olofmeister. This roster was one of the strongest in CS:GO history and dominated the scene, winning ELEAGUE Premier 2017, ESL One New York 2017, and IEM Sydney 2018.

However, the ultimate goal—winning a Major—continued to elude him. FaZe reached the Grand Final of the ELEAGUE Major 2018 but suffered a shocking loss to Cloud9 in overtime on Inferno. It was one of the most painful defeats in CS:GO history, and for GuardiaN, it was another missed chance at the one trophy missing from his collection.

Decline and final years

After 2018, GuardiaN’s form started to decline. He remained with FaZe until 2019 before returning to NAVI for a second stint. However, this return did not go well. He struggled to keep up with the new generation of AWPers, and after just a few months, he was benched and replaced by Ilya "Perfecto" Zalutskiy.

From 2020 onwards, GuardiaN played for smaller teams like Sampi and BC.Game, but he never returned to his former glory. In 2024, he briefly tried coaching, but it was clear that his competitive career was coming to an end. Finally, in March 2025, he announced his official retirement from professional play, stating that he wanted to focus on streaming.

Individual achievements and legacy

GuardiaN’s career was filled with accolades. He was featured six times in Top 20 Players rankings:

2013 - #10
2014 - #11
2015 - #2
2016 - #17
2017 - #9
2018 - #11

He also won eight MVP medals, including ones from IEM San Jose 2015 and IEM Sydney 2018:

ESL Pro League I
ESEA Season 18: Global Invite Division
StarLadder StarSeries XIII
Electronic Sports World Cup 2015
IEM San Jose 2015
Counter Pit League Season 2 Finals
IEM Sydney 2018
ELEAGUE CS:GO Invitational 2019

Despite never winning a Major, GuardiaN was one of the greatest AWPers to ever play CS:GO. His consistency, clutch ability, and dominance in the game earned him respect from fans and players alike. His 1v5 clutch against Fnatic in the IEM Katowice Grand Final remains one of the most iconic moments in CS history.

Conclusion

GuardiaN's career had many highs and painful lows. He was a top-tier AWPer and a key player for NAVI and FaZe. He reached multiple Major finals but never lifted the trophy. Even though his last years were quiet, his legacy is unforgettable. Now, as he moves into streaming, fans can continue to watch a legend in action.