s1mple replaces Broky on FaZe Clan in shock CS2 roster move

Legendary Counter-Strike player Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev is returning to CS2 to replace Helvijs “broky” Saukants, who has been benched from FaZe Clan’s active roster.

s1mple is acclaimed as one of the best professional CS players in the history of the game, and is one of the more accomplished players in all of esports. He last played with Team Falcons after a long hiatus following his trademark run with Natus Vincere. The CS2 pro’s run with Team Falcons was short-lived and he left the team after a brief trial run. Fans have been waiting for the player to return to the professional scene since then.

s1mple’s contract with NaVi is set to end in late 2025 but the player didn’t return to his longtime team. This put his return in doubt and left fans confused about his future plans. On May 5, FaZe Clan announced that s1mple is joining the team on loan and that broky has been benched.

s1mple joins FaZe for IEM Dallas and Austin Major

FaZe announced that broky will remain on the inactive roster while s1mple is stepping in for IEM Dallas and Austin Major events.

s1mple joining FaZe Clan may have come as a surprise to fans, especially due to the alleged bad blood between him and rifler Jonathan “EliGE” Jablonowski, his former teammate at Team Liquid. But the team wanting to become successful by bringing in a talented player isn’t shocking, and the two star players’ mixed history is now many years old. It also makes sense that broky has been benched after a string of shaky performances from the AWPer.

The team has been consistently struggling and many fans felt that a roster change was necessary. Robin “ropz” Kool previously leaving the team was also a big jolt as it affected the roster as a whole. FaZe is putting its trust in s1mple and hoping that his transcendent talent can change the winds for them, bringing them renewed success.

s1mple hasn’t played many pro matches recently and his form likely isn’t how it was at his peak. The player did showcase some good performance with Falcons but likely hasn’t had much practice since then at the game’s top level. IEM Dallas is scheduled for May 19 and that will be the first time FaZe’s new lineup will debut. Fans will be able to gauge the performance of the new roster and decide whether they think the team will see success.

The news has left fans divided with many wondering whether s1mple will be able to showcase his past talent or if he’s now fully past his prime. Some also question whether he’ll adjust to the new side and his teammates well enough to help FaZe Clan progress further to trophy-winning opportunities once again.