s1mple announces sudden break from pro CS2

Olivia Richman Published 26/10/2023

Counter-Strike veteran Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyljev has shocked the FPS community by announcing a sudden break from Counter-Strike 2.

On Twitter, s1mple said that he needs time away from Counter-Strike to “fix documents and take care of other people in my life.” This has left fans wondering if he’s retiring from pro gaming and about his future with Natus Vincere.

Is s1mple leaving Navi?

In the surprising announcement tweet, s1mple explained that he “never thought about” leaving Navi but is interested in any offers, especially if any teams want him on rifle instead of AWP.

“While nothing is decided yet, I hope you’re still gonna cheer for boys in upcoming tournaments,” s1mple wrote.

Here’s the Navi roster now that s1mple is taking a break:

• Aleksi “⁠Aleksib⁠” Virolainen
• Valeriy “⁠b1t⁠” Vakhovskiy
• Mihai “⁠iM⁠” Ivan
• Justinas “⁠jL⁠” Lekavicius
• Ihor “⁠w0nderful⁠” Zhdanov
• Andrey “⁠B1ad3⁠” Gorodenskiy (coach)
• Oleksandr “⁠s1mple⁠” Kostyliev (benched)

What’s next for s1mple?

For now, s1mple is only on a break. He hasn’t retired from playing professional Counter-Strike 2. But it’s unclear when he will be returning as of right now.

Right now, s1mple said he is going to be “working on my own CS2-related project.” It’s unclear what this entails since s1mple said it’s “too soon to announce.”

But be on the lookout — s1mple said he would be sharing more news in the future.

Olivia Richman

About Olivia Richman

Olivia has worked in media ever since graduating from college, with her coverage ranging from traditional newspaper reporting to digital coverage of all things gaming, online betting, and nerd culture. She has traveled around the world pursuing that coverage, from the far coasts of the United States to the busy downtown core of Tokyo, Japan. Olivia’s favorite games include Overwatch and Super Smash Smash Bros, and she has been published at Esports Illustrated, Inven Global, EsportsInsider, Upcomer, and elsewhere.

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