When asked how he’d fare on a professional Valorant team, Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyljev responded with confidence.
In a recent stream hosted by Tarik “tarik” Celik, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive icon and common pick for GOAT s1mple was asked how he thinks he would perform on Natus Vincere’s Valorant team. He responded that he would defeat all of the current players on the highly-competitive roster. Here’s the clip of the hilarious moment, and if s1mple fans really do need to worry about him switching to Valorant.
“If I were to sit instead of any Na’Vi player right now, I would destroy them. Not 13-0, but I would just shoot them in the head. That’s it. I don’t even need fucking skills, that’s why I play Reyna… I don’t buy armor. I don’t buy flashes. I buy two spells, let’s go. Let’s get it.” he said.
s1mple’s answer, which was almost certainly sarcastic, is given even more weight by Natus Vincere’s Valorant team being very competitive. The squad is currently competing in the top eight at VCT LOCK//IN Sao Paulo, with Turkish duelist Mehmet “cNed” İpek as one of its standout players. It’s likely that s1mple has interacted with that squad in some form. That further points to the statement being a joke, but longtime Counter-Strike: Global Offensive fans know never to doubt s1mple when he makes big claims.
Will s1mple switch to Valorant after big claims?
Even after joking about it on tarik’s stream, s1mple is very unlikely to switch to Valorant for at least a few years.
s1mple is the biggest name in competitive CSGO and is often considered the greatest of all time. The tactical shooter legend has earned over $1.7 million from tournaments, with a Valve championship at the 2021 Stockholm Major. Natus Vincere is considered to be in a bit of a slump at the moment, but it is still a top contender with a podium finish at IEM Katowice 2023.
However, this is not the first time s1mple has hinted at switching to Valorant. He commented in early 2021 that he wanted to win a major before switching, a feat he has since accomplished. He also played Valorant extensively near the game’s launch, though a surprise ban probably put a sour taste in his mouth.
Multiple CSGO pros have teased a switch to Valorant, but s1mple’s current level of success and synonymity with Valve’s tactical shooter make a switch very unlikely.
