Romanian Ana Dumbravă named best Counter-Strike player in the world for third consecutive year

Ana Dumbravă, a student at the Iași Polytechnic, was named "The Best Counter-Strike Player in the World" for the third consecutive year. She received the award at an event in Belgrade.

At the same event, her team, Imperial, was awarded as "the best team of 2024,” according to Ziarul de Iasi.

“It’s a dream, wow, 3 out of 3! I don’t even know what to say, only thank you so much everyone for your love and support. It means the world to me,” Ana Dumbravă said on Facebook. She dedicated the award to her mom.

Originally from Rădăuți, northern Romania, Dumbravă, 25, plays under the pseudonym ANa and prefers sniper roles. She began playing games after her older brother instilled the passion in her. She started with titles such as FIFA, NFS, GTA, CS 1.6, Elder Scrolls Oblivion, and Quake but found her true calling in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive.

The Romanian made her professional debut in CS:GO in 2015, three years after the launch of the game. She honed her skills in the game constantly ever since.

Ana Dumbravă said that she aims to change the perspective on gaming, striving to dispel the prejudice that this field is exclusively for men.

"Since I started playing Counter-Strike competitively, I’ve had two goals: the first was to break the barrier between the male and female scenes, and the second was to help talented girls and boys start a career as well," stated Ana Dumbravă.

"If you want something and work for it, then it can become a reality,” she told local news outlet Monitorulsv during an interview in January 2024.

(Photo source: Ana Dumbrava on Facebook)