S1mple Ends Historic Nine-Year Chapter with NaVi, Joins BC.Game
After nine years of legendary performances, Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev has officially parted ways with Natus Vincere (NaVi), marking the end of one of the most successful partnerships in Counter-Strike history. The Ukrainian superstar, widely considered the greatest CS:GO player of all time, announced his departure on today, July 28, 2025, in a move that has surprised the entire esports community.
The announcement came after NaVi received "several transfer offers" for s1mple following his performance at the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 with FaZe Clan on loan. In their farewell statement, NaVi expressed gratitude for s1mple's contributions, highlighting his role in securing "countless trophies" and creating "unforgettable emotions and match highlights that will forever remain in the hearts of fans".
A Legacy Written in Gold
S1mple's tenure with NaVi represents one of the most dominant periods in competitive Counter-Strike. During his time with the organization, he accumulated an impressive collection of achievements that solidified his status as the greatest of all time (GOAT).
His trophy cabinet includes 19 major titles with NaVi, headlined by the PGL Major Stockholm 2021 victory where he finally claimed his first Major championship after years of near-misses. The Stockholm Major was particularly special as NaVi became the first team to win a CS:GO Major without dropping a single map, with s1mple earning the tournament MVP award.
S1mple and the rest of NaVi after winning the IEM Katowice 2020. Source: ESLIndividual accolades further cement his legendary status. S1mple was named HLTV's Player of the Year three times (2018, 2021, and 2022) and collected an unprecedented 21 MVP medals throughout his career. His 2018 season is often cited as the greatest individual performance in CS:GO history.
Beyond the statistics, s1mple helped NaVi secure the Intel Grand Slam Season 3 in 2021, adding $1 million to their prize pool and establishing the team as a dominant force in the scene.
The Surprising BC.Game Chapter
In a move that stunned the Counter-Strike community, s1mple announced his signing with BC.Game Esports on the same day as his NaVi departure. The decision to join a team currently ranked 67th in the Valve Regional Standings (VRS) was met with widespread surprise and skepticism from fans and analysts alike.
In his personal statement explaining the move, s1mple revealed his motivation: "Dobby is free. I just want to play, BC.Game gave me the chance, and they're serious about building a top-tier team". He referenced advice from his former coach, noting that "one wise man said - if you want to comeback on the tier 1 scene - you need to join a tier 3 team".
The signing represents a dramatic shift for the three-time world champion, who will take over the AWPer role from Tim "nawwk" Jonasson, who was benched in June. S1mple emphasized his eagerness to return to active competition after spending nearly two years on NaVi's bench, stating: "I haven't done anything for 2 years, it's time to change that, can't waste/lose game time sitting on bench".
Recent Return Attempts
S1mple's departure wasn't entirely unexpected, as he had been exploring options to return to competitive play throughout 2024 and 2025. After requesting to step down from NaVi's active roster in October 2023, citing personal reasons and criticism of Counter-Strike 2, he pursued loan opportunities with other organizations.
His most recent competitive appearance came with FaZe Clan at the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025, where he showed flashes of his former brilliance despite the team's quarterfinal exit. The loan stint with FaZe offered hope that s1mple could still perform at the highest level, though it wasn't enough to secure a permanent transfer to the organization.
Prior to FaZe, s1mple had brief loan spells with Team Falcons in 2024, though these attempts at a comeback were largely unsuccessful, with underwhelming results at various tournaments.
Community Reaction and Future Prospects
The esports community's reaction to s1mple's BC.Game signing has been largely negative, with many fans expressing disappointment at seeing the legendary player join a relatively unknown organization. Critics worry that the move represents a decline from his elite status and question whether BC.Game has the infrastructure to support a player of s1mple's caliber.
However, supporters view the signing as s1mple's opportunity to prove he can still compete at the highest level while building something meaningful with a developing organization. BC.Game's current roster includes experienced players like Nemanja "nexa" Isaković, suggesting the organization is serious about constructing a competitive team around their star acquisition.
As s1mple embarks on this new chapter, the Counter-Strike world will be watching closely to see whether the greatest player in the game's history can recapture his magic and lead BC.Game to unprecedented heights, or if this marks the beginning of a different phase in his illustrious career.
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Featured Image Credits: ESL
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