Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyljev has joined FaZe Clan. The banger roster announcement came this morning following the conclusion of BLAST Rivals. The CS:GO GOAT is set to replace Helvijs “broky” Saukants on the roster. Earlier this morning FaZe Clan first announced the “benching” of broky before dropping the bombshell announcement.

s1mple signs with FaZe Clan on Loan in banger CS2 roster move

There have been plenty of rumors about where s1mple might land after his hiatus and break from CS2. Everything from Falcons, G2 Esports, a NAVI return, and everything in-between have been thrown out as rumors. In the end, it was ultimately FaZe Clan with the best offer, offering a high-risk, high-reward stand-in for the upcoming events IEM Dallas 2025 and the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025.

Is s1mple a permanent fixture in FaZe Clan or just a trial?

The announcement does reiterate that s1mple will be joining FaZe Clan for IEM Dallas and the Austin Major. There is no further info on the permanence of this contract. However, if s1mple can tap into some of that magic from his past, then it’s entirely possible that FaZe Clan could end up being a permanent home for the CS:GOAT. Details on his NAVI contract remain unclear, although it’s rumored that it’s set to expire at the end of this year, meaning his buyout shouldn’t be as enormous as it has been rumored in past years.

The last time s1mple took to the server was the PW Shanghai Major 2024 Europe RMR, where he donned the Falcons jersey. Although it was an unsuccessful attempt to reach the Major, he averaged a 1.06 rating throughout his time there. Not exactly earth-shattering numbers, but there were some pop-off maps that showed s1mple still has the potential to reach the top of the game all over again.

Ultimately, it will all come down to s1mple’s commitment to the game. If he’s prepared to grind, there’s no reason he can’t establish himself as one of CS2’s biggest stars once more.