When you think of longevity, one name stands tall above the rest. Patrick ‘f0rest’ Lindberg.

The hairy headshot merchant has been about for a while, but where did it begin?

With a bang – or, more accurately, a 16-0 win against e-Srael. Man like TyresoGnagare is still figuring out recoil patterns but f0rest? He was showing the SteelSeries GO 2012 crowd why he was such a phenom in 1.6. The Ninjas would go on to win the LAN, and – by today’s standards – the measly prize pool of 30,000 SEK (~$4,539.57 USD).

But before Global Offensive, f0rest was already a Counter-Strike deity. He, along with other Mirage-Callout-Havers brought fnatic and SK squads to the top of 1.6. His cool composure and in-game prowess had more impact than Imperial Valkyries.

He was who your favourite player's favourite player was afraid of.

Then came the NIP streak - 87-0 on LAN. And like a sunrise through the leaves, we saw f0rest. He made CS look fun, effortless, and saucy – which was devastating for anyone on the receiving end.

Nowadays, the term era is thrown around very often, but there is no denying the legacy held by f0rp and co. Even if they were often playing against postmen and farmers.

Time went by, NIP fell from their throne. The old guard tried once more in Dignitas, which unfortunately left fans more inclined to visit the Swiss Clinic of the same name than actually watch their games. But still, he kept his head and headshot percentage high.

Fast forward to 2024. Alliance vs. JANO. He’s 36 years old, a stand-in, drops 21 kills in 2 maps, and doesn’t play the third. No explanation needed. Facing former teammate Allu in the YaLLa Compass Fall 2023 Contenders -what a tournament, btw - f0rest was in good company with such Swedish CS Royalty as plessen, b0denmaster and robiin. Yikes.

Was it the biggest match of his career? Not even close. But it was pure, unfiltered f0rest: no fuss, no fanfare — just surgical headshots and that quiet swagger that says I’ve been doing this longer than your Steam account’s existed.

Then, quietly, he announced his retirement. Did we see it coming? Yes. Did it suck to find out? Absolutely.

There was something about f0rest that was just timeless. The fabled NIP magic never left him, and he could always turn on the gas when it mattered. These roots run deep - and f0rest has stood the test of time.

Enjoyed this read? Then you might like our previous features of First game / Last game: KennyS, Kjaerbye and n0thing.