The most respected esports pros

Respect Faker — Faker – one of the most respected esports pros. (Image credit: Wikimedia Commons)

Earning respect in esports isn’t always easy – not even for pro players. Often, it comes down to a make-or-break moment where a player’s behavior affects their entire image. This can go both ways, but some of the players in the esports industry have really earned the respect of their fans! Here they are:

Overwatch – Se-yeon "Geguri" Kim

The only female player in the Overwatch League for three years running, Geguri had to earn her respect the hard way. Before her OWL career took off, she was accused by other pro players of cheating, as they said women just couldn’t play as well as she did. They staked their careers on it – and after Geguri proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was not hacking, many did, in fact, quit their career.

READ MORE: Diversity in the Overwatch League is lacking, same with the rest of esports

Geguri handled it all (and that includes actual death threats she received) with class and grace – forever earning the respect of the Overwatch community.

League of Legends – Lee "Faker" Sang-hyeok

One of the best LoL players on the planet, Lee “Faker” Sang Hyeok is renowned for his aggressive but skilled plays and respected for his versatility across the hero pool. His career started in 2013, and he has since earned more than a million dollars in prize money, and picked up no less than 3 World Championship titles on the way.

That he managed to do so without major conflicts or scandals just proves that this respected player is all about the game, not about the drama.

CS:GO – Patrik "f0rest" Lindberg

Respect F0rest — F0rest- one of the most respected CS:GO players ever. (Image credit: Wikimedia Commons)

F0rest is one of the most influential Counter-strike players in the game’s history – he has been playing professionally since 2005. In over 15 years, he's earned a well-respected reputation for being a top player. He’s partly responsible for bringing his long-time team Fnatic to the top of the CS:GO scene before switching to another top team – Ninjas in Pyjamas, where he stayed for eight years.

Across his career, he has earned well over a million dollars, trophies in several huge tournaments, and, of course, a respectable spot in the CS:GO hall of fame as one of the best players the game has seen.