Counter-Strike has had no shortage of legendary storylines. In CS:GO, it was the reign of Swedish dominance to begin with, then a French sensation silencing a crowd with lightning-fast shots, the rising Brazilian nation taking the world by storm with its godfather and a deadly terminator at the helm. And it was then followed by my personal favorite – a once toxic young prodigy who transformed into a universally admired legend.
Then washed ashore a new game, CS2, and excitement was in the air. Fans wondered who would rise to the occasion and who would crumble under the pressure. The world of possibilities was wide open. But even amid all the speculation, one storyline seemed too hard to believe—that the greatest player in CS:GO would not be part of the new game. And yet, for s1mple, that’s exactly what happened.
Home is where the heart is
s1mple had seen it all with NAVI, and much of it in a Russian-Ukrainian mix. But the war between Russia and Ukraine cast a shadow over everything, and the legendary roster eventually went their separate ways. With results slipping and personal life taking its toll, s1mple made the difficult decision to step away from competition in October 2023 – a decision that would not only impact his career but affect the entire scene.
The decision came right before the release of CS2 and picking up a new game wasn’t high on s1mple’s agenda. In his post on X, s1mple cited the need to “fix documents” and “take care of people,” hinting that if he did return, it might be in a different role, especially with the AWP’s reduced impact in CS2.
But as the months rolled by, s1mple remained a ghost in the server. His long-awaited return finally came in March, when he suited up for Falcons against Metizport at the BLAST Premier Spring Showdown 2023. It wasn’t the grand comeback fans were hoping for, he couldn’t even manage a positive rating. But it was just an online match, his first official game in CS2, and his first after five months away. Rust was to be expected.
Rumors swirled about a potential NAVI return, especially with the team struggling. A 9th-12th finish at IEM Cologne, 5th-6th finish at BLAST Fall Final 2023, and then a 3rd-4th finish at BLAST World Final 2023, NAVI was improving but the absence of s1mple could be felt. Yet, s1mple’s return stayed reverie. And then, NAVI won the Major, something that, according to s1mple, changed everything, and ending up sidelining s1mple for more than a year.
By the time s1mple’s next run with Falcons rolled around in late October, all eyes were on him. But success was nowhere to be found. Falcons couldn’t even win a map for a stretch spanning the Thunderpick World Championship 2024 and ESL Challenger Katowice 2024. Then came the big test, the Perfect World Shanghai Major RMR for Europe. Yet, the drought continued. Falcons managed only a win over ECLOT and took a map off GamerLegion, but it was far from the return s1mple, or his fans, had hoped for. Falcons’ Major run ended in the RMR, and s1mple finished the event with a lackluster 0.99 rating. But it made one thing clear – Falcons wasn’t going to be s1mple’s new home.
s1mple’s search for a new team continues
The post-Shanghai season kicked off with the usual roster shuffle. Speculation ran wild, would the fallen legend find a new home? He had already ruled out Falcons, but could FaZe be an option? Heroic? Another team? Yet, as the dust settled, s1mple remained without a team, still waiting in the wings.
There are plenty of reasons for that. His NAVI contract runs until 2025, meaning any team interested would have to cough up a hefty buyout, something few are willing to pay. The AWP’s reduced impact in CS2 hasn’t helped his case, and with most top teams already having a stable core, dropping big money on s1mple when he’s not at his peak is a gamble few are willing to take.
But for his fans, the biggest concern isn’t just his contract, it’s his love for the game that hasn’t looked the same. Maybe I’m reading too much into it, but that’s how it feels. Yes, he’s mentioned in interviews how much he misses LANs and watches every game, but there have been plenty of whispers that he isn’t grinding CS like he used to. Back in the day, s1mple would stream nonstop while competing. Now? Not so much.
And yet, the hope of his return refuses to die. A recent stat that went viral on X showed s1mple still ranked among the top 10 most searched players on Liquipedia. It can be said without a doubt that even though s1mple may not be as eager to come back, yet the fans are not even close to give up on him. Before m0NESY, donk, or ZywOo, there was s1mple. And even with all these great names in the mix, the shadow of s1mple still looms large, lying in wait to make the comeback.
