Counter-Strike’s most legendary name just hit the reset button.
Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev has officially parted ways from Natus Vincere “NAVI,” the Ukrainian group that helped define his era, after NINE memorable years together. Widely regarded as the Counter Strike GOAT, s1mple now embarks on a comeback journey few saw coming, joining BC.Game, a crypto casino-backed team ranked 67th in the world.
Welcome to the new era🚨@s1mpleO is now part of BC GAME ESPORTS 💚
Full vid – https://t.co/tldok2Ha0A@bcgame #BCGAME pic.twitter.com/nwhGGNXtJE— BC Game Esports (@BCGameEsports) July 28, 2025
One of esport’s most legendary runs comes to an end with this surprising decision. In his stint with NAVI, S1mple established himself as the face of CS:GO by winning three HLTV #1 Player of the Year titles, more than 20 MVP awards, and a Major championship in 2021.
The Fall from the Throne
s1mple had not been a regular starter for NAVI since late 2023. He has been benched or on loan for the majority of the last two years, including his most recent stay with FaZe Clan at the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025. He showed fans why he’s still one of the best AWPers in the game despite some rust.
But FaZe chose not to retain him permanently, instead bringing back broky. After the Major, NAVI confirmed they received multiple transfer offers for s1mple, all of which were presented to him for review. The legend made his decision.
Following the last Major, we received several transfer offers for @s1mpleO, all of which were submitted to him for consideration.
Today, we want to announce that after 9 years with the club, s1mple is leaving Natus Vincere.
We are incredibly grateful to Oleksandr for the… pic.twitter.com/cQ4eMXShCZ
— NAVI (@natusvincere) July 28, 2025
The Gamble
BC.Game is a far cry from NAVI’s prestige. The organisation, backed by a crypto casino, has recently made noise by signing players like nexa, CacaNito, and pr1metapz, but still lacks tier-1 recognition. In typical fashion, s1mple addressed that head-on in his X, formerly Twitter.
Dobby is free
I just want to play, @BCGameEsports gave me the chance, and they’re serious about building a top-tier team. Let’s see what moves we make and how I can impact things. Maybe some things will change, maybe not – only results will show
One wise man said – if you want…— Sasha (@s1mpleO) July 28, 2025
Can the GOAT Rise Again?
This isn’t just a team transfer, it’s a statement. s1mple isn’t chasing paychecks or glory. He wants to play. He wants to grind. And he’s betting on himself to make a comeback the hard way.
The CS2 community is split: some call it career suicide, others see it as some kind of a redemption arc. One thing’s for certain, whenever s1mple is on the server, everyone watches.