The eSports player s1mple is one of the most successful players in the history of Counter-Strike. Currently, he is taking a break, but he is no longer interested in it.
Who is it about?
- The 26-year-old Ukrainian Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyljev is considered one of the best Counter-Strike players of all time.
- In his career, he played for HellRaisers, FlipSid3 Tactics, and Team Liquid. However, s1mple reached the peak of his career at Natus Vincere (NaVi).
- He played for NaVi from 2016 to 2023. During this time, he won several highly lucrative tournaments with the team, such as the Intel Grand in September 2021.
- For his achievements in various competitions, he was also awarded as the best player of the year multiple times. He received the award in 2018, 2021, and 2022 and was also a title contender in 2019 and 2020.
On the evening of October 26, 2023, s1mple announced that he would take a break from Counter-Strike because he needs to fix some documents and take care of people in his life (via X.com).
“NaVi doesn’t need s1mple, Sasha needs NaVi”
What does this hint at? s1mple hinted at a possible return to eSports in Counter-Strike in a post on Telegram on August 19. Nearly 10 months after his break, he writes: “NaVi doesn’t need s1mple, Sasha needs NaVi.”
He subsequently explains that it is hard for him to understand that he is not part of the team. NaVi has, of course, hired a replacement for s1mple in recent months and seemingly has no room left for the once star player. However, he seems ready for his return: “I hope that one day I can come back, I’m tired of doing nothing.”
Some fans on Reddit believe that s1mple is in a difficult situation with NaVi. On one hand, it is evident that he would like to return to the team with which he celebrated his greatest successes. On the other hand, he wants to play but is not utilized at NaVi.
Some speculate that s1mple is still stuck in his contract and that the buyout clause is so high that only major eSports organizations could afford it. However, s1mple has not shown in the era of CS2 that he can still play at the highest level in the “new” game. After all, all his successes were in CS:GO.
With Counter-Strike 2, s1mple had a difficult start. Shortly after the release, he was dissatisfied with many factors in the game, expressed sharp criticism, and even advised other players against the shooter: One of the best Counter-Strike players of all time says you should not play CS2 right now.
