- Primary Subject: Most Iconic Esports Moments
- Key Update: A roundup of legendary esports plays from CS:GO, League of Legends, Dota 2, Street Fighter, Rocket League, and Super Smash Bros.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: June 3, 2026
- Quick Answer: The most iconic esports moments include Evo Moment 37, Faker’s Zed Outplay, JSTN’s 0-second goal, Coldzera’s Jumping AWP Shot, the Wombo Combo, Dendi’s “The Play,” and Stewie2K’s Miracle B-Site Hold.
Esports, in a nutshell, is generally teams vs. teams or players vs. players competing for titles and prize pools. But beyond all this, some unexpected moments bring out raw emotions that make them memorable for years to come.
In this article, we have recollected some of those iconic esports moments. Let's dive in and take a look at what's made the list!
Evo Moment 37 (Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike, 2004)
You cannot talk about goosebump moments of esports without bowing to Evo Moment 37. During the 2004 Evolution Championship Series, Daigo Umehara got cornered by Justin Wong. At the time, Daigo was playing as Ken with only one pixel of life left. This means that even taking minor damage, which would include blocking an incoming hit, would be enough for Daigo to finish.
The opponent, Justin, who was using the character Chun-Li, decided to use the super art attack, which is a quick 15-hit combo. To save himself from dying, Daigo had to "parry" each one of those attacks. Let me tell you, it sounds easier than it is.
Daigo not only managed to parry those 15 hits but also managed to jump up in the air to catch the last attack and went right into a combo of his own. Thus, winning the round. You can watch that iconic moment below.
The Zed Mirror Outplay (League of Legends, 2013)
Today, we all know Faker, the undisputed king of League of Legends. Back then, Faker was nothing but an extraordinarily gifted newcomer who wanted to establish himself.
Because of how the series went down to the very last game, the format required players to have a blind pick. This meant Faker and Ryu ended up having the same champion—Zed, the ninja assassin. After Ryu attacked Faker under a tower, there was no way Faker could avoid a certain kill; Faker was surrounded at around 25%, and Ryu had almost full life. The rest is history.
Then came the OG Faker with his ultimate keystroke speed; the event spectators' cameras were not even able to keep up with him. It was a mathematically impossible comeback that spawned one of the greatest pieces of casting we have ever heard in MOBA: "Look at the cleanse! Look at the moves! Faker, what was that?!"
"This is Rocket League!" (Rocket League, 2018)
It was the RLCS Season 5 Grand Finals in 2018. NRG from North America was trailing against European powerhouse Dignitas by a goal. The time ran out, yet in Rocket League, a match is not considered over before the ball hits the ground. As a result, in an effort to stay in the competition, the three players on NRG were constantly bouncing the ball around.
Finally, the young player JSTN took his car up the side wall, went across the arena, and slammed the ball into the goal, equalizing right in the very last millisecond. It also became popular as a 0-second call by fans. You can watch this iconic moment below.
Coldzera’s Jumping AWP Shot (CS:GO, 2016)
This happened at the MLG Columbus 2016 Major when Luminosity Gaming played against Team Liquid in the semi-final stage.
Team Liquid had match point (15-9), playing on the Mirage map, charging through the B-side apartments in order to close out the game.
Luminosity’s Marcelo "coldzera" David was holding the angle alone with an AWP sniper rifle. He eliminated the first opponent, but as the other members of the Liquid team rushed towards him, he went absolutely crazy. He leaped off the ground and fired a no-scope shot from his position mid-air, and eliminated each of them with this trick.
Normally, shooting from the position of jumping in a CS game makes the bullet fly completely aimlessly. This time, it seems that the RNG gods were on his side. Witness this moment in the clip below.
The Wombo Combo (Super Smash Bros. Melee, 2008)
If you have ever been on the internet for more than five minutes, chances are you’ve encountered this audio clip attached to some meme.
During a 2008 Super Smash Bros. Melee doubles match, players Tang and SilentSpectre separated their enemy, Zhu. They then proceeded to launch him back and forth between each other until he was finally smashed out of the screen in a coordinated series of moves.
The teamwork involved is amazing, but it is the commentary by HomeMadeWaffles that makes it legendary.
"The Play" (Dota 2, 2012)
Anyone who has been involved in a competitive game knows how frustrating it is when your opponents have a strategy you simply cannot beat. Invictus Gaming, a Chinese professional team that competed in the 2012 Dota 2 World Championship, faced exactly that challenge.
Their combo put enemies to sleep, grouped them, and instantly wiped them out when the sleep ended.
This tactic was used by Invictus against Natus Vincere (Na’Vi), who, to everyone’s shock, managed to react to the tactic with incredible timing.
Not only did Na’Vi evade the damage, but Dendi also used Invictus’s powerful ability on their opponents, making it one of the most memorable moments of esports known as “The Play.”
Stewie2K’s Miracle B-Site Hold (CS:GO, 2018)
North American Counter-Strike teams have had a hard time competing against European powerhouses for many years. But at the 2018 Boston Major tournament, Cloud9 showed that they had what it took to go head-to-head with a European powerhouse team. This was the Grand Finals against FaZe Clan. FaZe was about to win the tournament with a score of 15-14; all they needed was one more round.
With time running out, FaZe Clan entered the bomb plant area. Jake “Stewie2K” Yip stood in defense of the area, but with the use of smoke grenades, FaZe Clan players remained invisible to him. In desperation, he fired his sniper gun and killed two enemies. Then, later, one more secured the site.
For more like this, stick with us here at Gfinityesports.com, the best website for gaming news, reviews, features, and guides.