FURIA Esports made headlines this year after finally breaking their curse and lifting their first-ever Big Event trophy at FISSURE Playground 2. But as it turns out, the Brazilian organisation came close to signing an even bigger name before their breakthrough.
Head coach Sidnei “sidde” Macedo has revealed that Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev, widely considered the greatest Counter-Strike player of all time, was on their shortlist before they decided to bring in Kazakh sniper Danil “molodoy” Golubenko.
“We considered s1mple, when he was on NAVI’s bench. Between molodoy and s1mple I chose the former, although he wasn’t a cheap purchase either,” sidde explained in an interview with BLAST.
At the time, s1mple was still trying to find his footing after leaving Natus Vincere. His later stint with FaZe Clan showed far stronger form compared to his brief run with Team Falcons. These days, the Ukrainian star is competing in the tier-2 scene with BC.Game, where he recently secured his first tournament victory in over three years and is now chasing qualification for the ESL Pro League.
molodoy explains why he chose FURIA
Molodoy’s signing in April 2025 caught many by surprise, but the 20-year-old quickly proved his value, helping FURIA secure their long-awaited title in Belgrade. Speaking with Escorenews, he explained why he chose the Brazilian squad over other offers.
“I thought hard about it, because I had a lot of offers. I chose FURIA, primarily because I knew that FalleN was there. And when we discussed the contract, they told me they’d get another person from the CIS who would help me,” molodoy said. “In life you need to go through stages when you get out of your comfort zone and improve. That’s why I chose FURIA, and I think I made the right choice.”
The move wasn’t without its challenges. Molodoy admitted that his English was “an absolute zero” when he first joined, but he has since made significant progress. Despite the language barrier, he says the team’s veteran core, including FalleN, YEKINDAR, KSCERATO and yuurih, have been invaluable in helping him adapt both inside and outside the server.
A bold decision pays off
FURIA’s gamble to sign molodoy instead of s1mple looks to have paid off. The team finally broke their eight-year drought at a Big Event, edging out The MongolZ in a marathon five-map grand final that lasted nearly six hours in Belgrade.
While many fans will wonder what FURIA might have looked like with s1mple in the line-up, the organisation’s bold call to trust in fresh talent has already rewritten their history.