Legendary Ukrainian Counter-Strike player Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev has officially left Natus Vincere. This came after nine years with the organization. Shortly after, s1mple confirmed he would continue his career with BC.Game Esports. The team announced it on July 28 through their social media channels. Highlighting the challenges and obstacles he faced in recent years, Esports Charts reflects on the journey of this legendary player. This is also while considering his prospects with a new organization.
Boasting dozens of international tournament victories, s1mple is one of the most successful and popular professional Counter-Strike players. His victories include the PGL Major Stockholm 2021 and the prestigious Intel Grand Slam series. HLTV.org named him the best player of the world in 2018, 2021, and 2022. He has earned an impressive 21 MVP awards.
S1mple earned the majority of his accomplishments with Natus Vincere, where he played starting in August 2016. Known mainly for his role as a sniper, he was a key member of the team. He even served as team captain for a time. Without a doubt, he became the face of the team—appearing in advertisements, joining shows, and playing a major role in shaping the NAVI brand.
Things changed in October 2023 with the release of Counter-Strike 2. During the transition, s1mple took a short break. However, he struggled to adjust quickly to the new version after returning. Shortly after, he went inactive, and Natus Vincere brought in fellow Ukrainian player Ihor “w0nderful” Zhdanov to fill his spot.
s1mple remained under contract with NAVI after going inactive. The team quickly built a roster of foreign players and no longer needed his services. As a result, s1mple had to navigate his own path. For a while, he played show matches, streamed occasionally, and even launched his own Counter-Strike training course.
