Expert on s1mple: It’s a tough road if he ever wants to be a top-three player in the world again
Three competitive maps are all that Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev has played since he decided to take a break last year.
Have we seen the best of the Counter-Strike phenomenon that goes under the name of Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev?
For more than four months, the Ukrainian superstar was nowhere to be found on the server, until making a shock a shock return last month when Falcons announced him as a loanee.
Loan deal or not, s1mple still only has one single match to his name in Counter-Strike 2.
And if you ask Mathieu “Maniac” Quiquerez – a well-known expert and analyst – s1mple’s road to the very top of the game is not that straightforward, the Swiss explained in the most recent episode of Counter-Points.
- I am a bit sceptical about s1mple’s comeback (…), Maniac started before continuing:
- I think we might underrate how high the current level is in the top scene compared to five years ago. So, the road s1mple has ahead if he wants to ever be considered a top three player in the world is a tough road. Like the candidates now at the very top are extremely hard to go up against.
- And we are even sort of discussing in what capacity is he going to come back in, will he be a rifler now or will he be a main AWPer. Are you telling me with the main AWP that’s he going to be better than m0NESY for example? I don’t really think so. m0NESY has completely embraced the Counter-Strike to itself.
You can watch the entire podcast with Duncan “Thorin” Shields and Maniac down below.
s1mple’s rankings | HLTV Player of the Year
2023 - #7
2022 - #1
2021 - #1
2020 - #2
2019 - #2
2018 - #1
2017 - #8
2016 - #4
