Faker’s Zed Outplay (2013, League of Legends)
There are big plays, and then there’s Faker vs Ryu. A 1v1 Zed mirror match at the peak of its tension, where one misstep meant instant death. Faker didn’t flinch. He danced between shadows, outplayed perfect mechanics with god tier decision making, and executed a combo so fast it looked scripted. Ryu tried to land the kill. Faker made him miss, then turned and finished the fight with ruthless precision.
This wasn’t just a flashy clip. This was execution under pressure, at the top level, in front of the world. The play sealed T1’s dominance in that match and defined what it meant to be elite in League of Legends. Over a decade later, coaches still show it to up and comers. Not just for the mechanics, but for the composure. It’s the moment Faker stopped being just a prodigy and became a legend.
Daigo’s Parry (EVO Moment #37, 2004, Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike)
It’s the kind of play you don’t forget even if you’ve never touched a fighting game. EVO 2004, Daigo Umehara vs Justin Wong: a match that looked lost. Daigo had 1 pixel of health. Wong unleashed Chun Li’s Super Art, a multi hit barrage that should’ve ended it. But then came the parry.
Not one block. Not a fluke. A full 15 hit parry. Frame perfect timing on every input. Miss one? Game over. Daigo didn’t miss. He read the entire sequence, closed the distance, and countered with a full combo for the win. The crowd lost its mind. Esports history was made.
This is ‘EVO Moment #37’. It did more than secure a comeback. It proved fighting games could deliver high stakes drama on par with any sport and it lit a fire under the global FGC (Fighting Game Community). Viewership jumped. Tournaments grew. And Daigo became a name forever linked with impossible clutch execution.
Coldzera’s Jumping AWP Ace (2016, CS:GO)
MLG Columbus, semi finals. SK Gaming vs. Team Liquid. The stakes were high, but nobody expected what came next. Coldzera, already known for solid mechanics, pulled off something that broke the rules of what people thought was possible. Mid air, with an AWP no scope kill. Then another. In total, four frags in a moment that turned the round, the map, and momentum of the entire series.
It wasn’t just flashy; it was efficient under fire, done in a must win round. The jumping no scope wasn’t pure luck it was muscle memory, timing, nerve. That single moment created ripples across pro meta. After MLG Columbus, teams began reconsidering how they covered angles, how they handled eco rounds, and what they thought AWPs were capable of. Coldzera’s play didn’t just win a round. It reshaped a weapon’s identity in global competitive CS.
Since then, every aspiring AWPer has tried to recreate that moment in scrims and highlight reels. Few come close. Legends aren’t built in comfort they’re forged mid air with your back against the wall.
Bugha Wins Fortnite World Cup Solo Finals (2019)
At just 16, Kyle “Bugha” Giersdorf entered the inaugural Fortnite World Cup with confidence and clinical focus. What followed was complete domination. Across six solo matches in front of a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium, Bugha outplayed some of the best players in the world with unmatched precision and game sense. He wasn’t just winning rounds he was owning the entire field.
By the time the finals wrapped, Bugha had secured first place by a massive margin, walking away with $3 million in prize money. It was the kind of moment that pulled esports directly into mainstream culture. A teenager from Pennsylvania just turned video game mastery into global recognition and life changing cash.
His win wasn’t just about mechanics it was a showcase of composure, decision making, and competitive maturity. And it marked a clear signal to the world: Fortnite wasn’t just a fad, and esports wasn’t just some side hustle. Everything changed after that weekend.
Arslan Ash’s Rise (EVO Japan & EVO US 2019, Tekken 7)
In 2019, a relatively unknown competitor from Pakistan named Arslan Ash upended the global Tekken scene. He didn’t just win he dominated, claiming back to back victories at both EVO Japan and EVO US. His run was methodical, composed, and completely unexpected. Facing seasoned giants from Korea and Japan, Arslan beat them at their own game with surgical defense and uncanny reads.
His victories weren’t a fluke they marked a shift. Until then, elite Tekken players were largely concentrated in East Asia. Arslan’s success shined a light on the raw talent brewing in regions previously overlooked by the global competitive circuit. Suddenly, Pakistan became a hotspot for high level Tekken, drawing the attention of sponsors, analysts, and rivals alike.
More than just a breakout performance, Arslan Ash’s rise cracked the door wide open for international representation in esports and showed that world class dominance can come from anywhere.
s1mple’s Double No Scope (2016, CS:GO)
ESL One Cologne. Team Liquid vs Fnatic. Tight match. Small margin for error. Then Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev jumps out of a palace window, mid air, no scopes a defender on A site and somehow lands another kill before his feet hit the floor. It didn’t follow the rules of CS:GO physics or logic. But it stuck.
What made the play legendary isn’t just the mechanics it’s that he did everything wrong by the book, and still made it look intentional. No scoping from a jump? Suicide mission. Unless you’re s1mple.
Instantly, replays went viral. Casters lost their minds. Fans called it out for what it was: “Just s1mple things.” The phrase became a meme but also a measuring stick. To this day, that five second burst of brilliance is replayed, analyzed, and held up as a moment when instinct and raw talent shattered expectations. It didn’t just define a match; it defined a mindset.
GO1 vs SonicFox (EVO 2019, Dragon Ball FighterZ)
In what has become one of the most emotionally charged moments in esports, the grand finals of EVO 2019 saw two titans of the fighting game world clash GO1 of Japan and SonicFox of the United States.
The battle wasn’t just about victory it was about redemption, rivalry, and respect.
A Rivalry Comes to a Head
Previous encounters: SonicFox had taken down GO1 in earlier events, establishing him as the dominant force.
High stakes: After a year long narrative, the score was ready to be settled on EVO’s biggest stage.
Final Round: Precision Under Pressure
Both players pushed the meta to its limits, adapting in real time with pixel perfect responses and layered mind games.
GO1’s defense was near impenetrable, his ability to block and punish at frame perfect moments stunned viewers.
SonicFox countered with relentless aggression and unpredictable mixups.
The Emotional Climax
As GO1 secured the final hit to take the championship, he broke into tears a rare glimpse behind the curtain of competitive resilience.
SonicFox, ever the showman and sportsman, embraced GO1 in a moment of mutual admiration.
Why This Moment Matters
Emotion met execution: It wasn’t just technical perfection it was art.
A celebration of the FGC (Fighting Game Community): Showcased the global reach and emotional weight of the genre.
This moment is often cited as proof that esports is more than mechanics it’s deeply human.
From its intensity to its emotional resonance, GO1 vs SonicFox remains a defining moment in competitive gaming lore where mastery met meaning on the grandest stage.
OG’s Miracle Chronosphere Steal (2018, Dota 2)
In the high stakes world of professional Dota 2, few plays have etched themselves into history like OG’s Miracle executing a perfectly timed Chronosphere during a crucial match in 2018.
A Game Changing Ult
The match was at a turning point, with both teams teetering on the edge of victory.
Miracle, playing as Faceless Void, unleashed his ultimate Chronosphere at the last possible second.
The result? A complete reversal of momentum that flipped the outcome in OG’s favor.
Precision Under Pressure
Timing: The ability to judge the exact window for a successful ult made all the difference.
Game Sense: Miracle didn’t just react he anticipated his opponents’ movements flawlessly.
Composure: Nerves of steel powered through the chaos of a team fight when milliseconds mattered.
A Lasting Legacy
This single moment is still referenced in coaching sessions, VOD reviews, and pro analysis.
The play is featured in countless Dota 2 tutorials as a primary example of expert level execution.
It cemented Miracle’s reputation as one of the most gifted players in Dota 2 history.
“It wasn’t just a good Chrono. It was the exact Chrono OG needed, exactly when they needed it.” Dota analyst panelist @ESL One
From fans to aspiring pros, this play is a reminder that sometimes the game isn’t won with brute force but with genius anticipation and split second decision making.
Kerrigan’s Call (IEM Katowice 2022, CS:GO)
When FaZe Clan needed a reset when brute aim alone wasn’t enough they turned to one thing: brains. At IEM Katowice 2022, Finn “karrigan” Andersen led a masterclass not in shooting, but in thinking. His mid round calls weren’t flashy, but they broke opponents down piece by piece. Fake site executes. Delayed pushes. Mind games that turned seasoned teams into hesitant shadows.
It wasn’t just about outplaying it was about shaping the pace of entire matches. Kerrigan didn’t just counter metas, he authored a new one. No longer was elite CS:GO only about headshots and tight angles. His run with FaZe solidified a shift: that elite level tactical play could and should win out over raw reaction time.
Katowice 2022 wasn’t just another title. It was the moment when strategy officially took the driver’s seat, and karrigan proved that brains can not only hang with brawn they can lead it.
TenZ Clutch in VALORANT Masters Reykjavík (2021)
A 1v4 isn’t supposed to be winnable but Tyson “TenZ” Ngo made it look surgical. Under pressure, in the global spotlight at VALORANT Masters Reykjavík, he didn’t flinch. Movement crisp, aim reactive, decision making instant. In a matter of seconds, he dismantled the enemy team with nothing but raw mechanics and composure.
It wasn’t just flashy it was foundational. That clutch moment helped elevate Sentinels from regional hopefuls to international champions. The ripple effect was bigger than one win. It cemented TenZ’s legacy and redefined what a duelist could be in VALORANT: not just fast and flashy, but smart, calculated, and clutch under fire.
After that, everyone wanted to play like TenZ. Duelist mains everywhere leaned harder into hyper aggression, sharp movement, and solo openings. He didn’t invent the role, but he showed what mastery looked like and it changed the way ranked matches, scrims, and even pro drafts were played.
Dive Deeper Into Esports Structure
Great plays don’t happen in a vacuum they unfold in the high pressure environments of top tier tournaments. League formats. Double elimination brackets. Round robins. Grand finals with millions watching. The structure behind these events shapes the way moments evolve and how pressure builds. Want to know why a player went all in on that one flash or save? It might be because of a map differential, an economic round, or a winner takes all tiebreak.
To really appreciate iconic plays, it helps to understand where they’re coming from. The rules, the stakes, the pacing they all matter. Some games have best of five bloodbaths. Others can be decided in under a minute. Context turns a great play into a defining moment.
Curious how it all works? Check out How Major Esports Tournaments Are Structured and Scored for a breakdown of the formats fueling these legendary highlights.