After a two-month run with Counter-Strike legend Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev, FaZe Clan has decided to bring Helvijs “broky” Smits back into its starting CS2 roster.
FaZe’s stint with s1mple was far from a failure, but the esports organization is now shifting its focus back in-house after experimenting with an external solution to its AWP issues. The team has announced that broky will reclaim the AWP duties following a two-month break from the starting CS2 lineup. This also puts to rest the rumors of s1mple signing with FaZe, at least for the foreseeable future.
With s1mple’s contract with NAVI posing a major financial hurdle and no stronger AWP alternatives on the free agent market, FaZe was left with no real alternative to bringing broky back into the starting CS2 roster.
FaZe decided to bench Helvijs “broky” Smits in May 2025 following a stretch of underwhelming results and a prolonged slump for the sniper, opting to instead bring in Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev on loan from NAVI. While s1mple maintained an excellent personal rating with FaZe, the team failed to bag any big titles during his run. Still, s1mple’s performance helped stabilize the AWPing role FaZe had been struggling with and the team performed well considering how briefly he was a part of the team.
In comparison, broky had been averaging around a 1.00 rating across most events in 2025, a noticeable drop from his peak form. This led both fans and even s1mple to express interest in keeping the BLAST Austin Major lineup intact for FaZe Clan. However, that clearly didn’t end up being the case.
According to reports, s1mple’s buyout with NAVI is set at around $3 million, which may be too steep even for an esports heavyweight like FaZe Clan. The player had been on loan for two months, and since no buyout deal was reached, the organization chose to bring broky back from the bench. Given the current free agent landscape, broky remains FaZe’s most realistic option as arguably the only AWPer available who could come close to matching peak s1mple’s impact.
Since joining FaZe in 2019, broky has been central to some of the team’s most iconic runs, helping FaZe to win nine notable events including PGL Major Antwerp, the Katowice-Cologne double in 2022, and an Intel Grand Slam title. He also boasts four HLTV Top 20 appearances and three MVP awards. FaZe’s announcement video hints that broky has been focusing on both his mental and physical well-being while away, suggesting to fans that he may be well on track to return to his peak form.
It’s still technically possible that s1mple could eventually join FaZe Clan once his contract with NAVI expires in October 2025, as both the player and his team seemed to enjoy their team together. broky will need to perform well in the months leading up to that time if he wants to quiet those whispers.
21+ and present in VA. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
