Esports Awards’ Decade Awards winner predictions

Esports Awards voting is underway, and several of its categories list some of the best esports players of the decade.

From PC athletes dominating in games like League of Legends and Call of Duty, to controller enthusiasts and even coaches, these are Esports Insider’s top esports players of the decade.

You can find the full list of nominees and categories via the official website. The voting will end on the day of the event on August 11th, 2025.

Matthew ‘Nadeshot’ Haag has enjoyed a successful and eventful esports career. Nadeshot made a name for himself in the Call of Duty scene while playing as the former captain of OpTic Gaming. He earned top placements in events such as Call of Duty XP 2011, MLG Pro League 2015 Season 1 and 2 and has regularly placed high in MLG and UMG-related events.

However, most fans nowadays know him as the founder of the esports organisation 100 Thieves, established on November 20th, 2017. The esports group has gone on to become a staple in the competitive scene for multiple franchises.

Nadeshot’s long career in the Call of Duty space, alongside establishing one of the most well-known organisations in the modern competitive gaming landscape, allows him to stand out as one of the biggest personalities in esports.

Lee ‘Faker’ Sang-hyeok is revered by many as one of the best players in the League of Legends scene as T1’s ace midlaner. Faker has won the most World Championships (2013, 2015, 2016, 2023,and 2024) of any player, and has won two Mid-Season Invitationals (2016 and 2017).

With over 1000 LCK matches under his belt, the Unkillable Demon King became the first inductee for Riot Games’ Hall of Legends award. His legendary status as a top-tier League of Legends player, as well as being part-owner of T1, has paved a path for many other professionals. This has made Faker a favourite to win PC Player of the Decade.

Phillip ‘ImperialHal’ Dosen, otherwise known as ‘The CEO,’ has become one of the most successful players in the Apex Legends scene, with his trusted controller in hand.

Before playing for Team Falcons, he was a star player for TSM for over five years. He has made top placements throughout his career, from events such as the 2019 EXP Invitational in Minneapolis with TSM to his recent first-place achievements in ALGS 2025 Open and Americas Split 1 Pro League whilst playing for Team Falcons.

ImperialHal is a stand-out candidate because of his achievements in the Apex Legends competitive landscape and his perseverance to go toe-to-toe with the best players in the world with a controller. He has become a trusted voice in the esports community.

In the past decade, 2025 has been a very strong year for Team Vitality in the Counter-Strike space, all under the guidance of Rémy ‘XQTZZZ’ Quoniam.

Team Vitality has been on a winning streak in recent months, from top placements in Intel Extreme Masters Katowice in February to its victory in BLAST Rivals Spring 2025 in May. The team has continued to top Valve rankings this year, and their wins in four top-tier ESL events in a short period have earned them the ESL Grand Slam prize of $1m (~£780,000).

XQTZZZ has overseen Team Vitality’s incredible strides in Counter-Strike this year. In addition to his long history of coaching dating back to 2016, he is a strong contender for coach of the decade.

There are a lot of good teams nominated for esports organisation of the decade, including long-standing powerhouses like FaZe Clan and Team Liquid. However, Natus Vincere (NAVI) has gone above and beyond to ensure they can still compete despite facing challenges.

As a Ukrainian organisation, NAVI has been affected by the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia. Despite this, the organisation has continued to compete in some of the biggest esports tournaments in the world, all while trying to support its home country.

On top of strong performances in the Counter Strike scene, reaching top placements in events like IEM Katowice and BLAST Bounty Spring, NAVI’s resilience makes it a deserving potential winner.