This highly anticipated day finally arrived! Exactly six months after his last official Counter-Strike 2 match, Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev made his return to the professional stage. This time, he joined a team with serious ambitions for top tournament victories, not just a casual lineup. Let`s be honest: the debut of s1mple with FaZe Clan was awaited by everyone. The astonishing viewership numbers confirm this, with the peak reaching over 803 thousand concurrent viewers.
Simply by participating, s1mple propelled IEM Dallas 2025 into the top six CS2 tournaments globally based on peak viewership this year. However, the match itself didn`t unfold as smoothly as many hoped. While s1mple demonstrated he still possesses the desire and, more importantly, the capability to shoot and land crucial shots, his team`s overall performance was far from optimal. This analysis delves into the superstar`s individual play at the tier-1 level and highlights the issues currently facing FaZe.
Before evaluating s1mple`s form, it`s crucial to recognize that the team couldn`t realistically showcase its full potential in this initial match. Firstly, they had virtually no time to practice together. A single week is barely enough for teams to polish default strategies; building true synergy is out of the question. Secondly, the team was forced to play without Håvard “rain” Nygaard, meaning FaZe had two stand-ins completely unfamiliar with the team`s intricate setups and strategies.
Felipe “skullz” Medeiros stepped into roles typically played by the Norwegian anchor, while s1mple occupied positions usually held by Håvard “broky” Saukants. FaZe opted for this direct substitution approach rather than attempting to drastically change roles before their first significant tier-1 event. Nevertheless, even with the core players maintaining their usual positions, the two stand-ins significantly disrupted the team`s flow. s1mple`s arrival at FaZe differs from m0NESY`s move to Falcons; where zonic`s team was on an upward trajectory needing a final piece, s1mple seemed to join a team struggling to stay afloat, a “sinking ship” he couldn`t single-handedly rescue. Consequently, we didn`t witness an immediate, dramatic transformation in the roster`s performance.
FaZe appears to have placed considerable trust in s1mple, granting him significant freedom, almost a “carte blanche,” in his actions. This was particularly noticeable in pistol rounds, where Kostyliev often took on a “tank” role, purchasing early armor and utilizing unconventional pistols like Dual Berettas on Ancient defense and a P250 on Ancient attack. On Inferno, he sometimes opted for just a flashbang or armor, yet in the attack pistol round, s1mple clearly showed the impactful plays he can make for the team.
By positioning s1mple back in his signature freestyle, roaming role where he constantly switches locations, he frequently found himself in early engagements with opponents. He remained dynamic throughout the maps, constantly monitoring areas like mid, A site, and B. This led to moments where enemies seemed to walk directly into Kostyliev`s crosshair, reminiscent of his peak performances with NAVI.
On Inferno, however, s1mple`s role was somewhat more static; on defense, he primarily held the A site, occasionally rotating towards B. Despite this, the map provided intriguing moments. A crucial instance occurred in the sixth round where skullz and s1mple demonstrated the challenges of FaZe operating like a `mix` team at IEM Dallas 2025. Facing Twistzz in a 2v1 scenario, Kostyliev and Medeiros failed to coordinate their play. s1mple`s webcam suggested he was actively communicating calls to his teammate, yet he chose to engage in a 1v1 duel without waiting for skullz. This lack of synergy contributed to Liquid securing two consecutive rounds.
Also on Inferno, Kostyliev proved that his reaction time remains sharp. In one round, s1mple held the “apps” position with skullz providing support. While quick shots in such positions can be tricky, often requiring backup, s1mple didn`t need assistance here. His reaction speed was estimated at approximately 0.27 seconds. Although his personal best, noted by blogger Raize at BLAST Premier Fall 2020 Finals, was a remarkable 0.17 seconds, this slight decrease after a significant break from competitive play is not considered a critical issue.