s1mple returns to CS2 with Falcons, is it permanent?

Team Falcons has finally confirmed that it will be picking up Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyljev from Natus Vincere on a trial basis, bringing the star back to the game.

After Navi put up s1mple’s contract for an outsized $3 million, many fans speculated that only Team Falcons would be able to buy him out. s1mple has been called one of the best CSGO players of all time, winning two different majors in the past decade and competing in several more. However, given his absence from competition and notable disdain for CS2, some wonder if the Ukranian player still has what it takes.

Despite a rocky record within and outside of the team, it seems that Team Falcons is considering buying out s1mple’s contract after a test run.

s1mple is returning to Team Falcons on a loan

Falcon Esports announced that it would be acquiring s1mple from Navi on a three-month loan.

Team Falcons welcomed back s1mple to their 2024 roster on September 27, 2024, calling him”The Legend” and sharing their hopes of “soaring higher.” In his first X post in months, s1mple acknowledged his excitement at joining Team Falcons and hope of reaching the Shanghai Major. He did not share any details on how he’s been preparing during his CS2 hiatus.

This isn’t the first time that s1mple and Team Falcons have worked together. During his February 2024 loan to compete in BLAST Premier,  he only performed at an 0.94 rating with a rifle that contributed to the Saudi Arabian esports team coming in last. Still, leaked information earlier in September revealed that top executives at Falcons still wanted to add him to the team. His legendary status from CSGO holds a lot of sway, even over newer and arguably better players.

Alvaro “SunPayus” Garcia benched in favor of s1mple

Team Falcons has benched renowned player SunPayus to make room for s1mple’s return.

In a following post, Team Falcons stated that they would be benching SunPayus because of a “recent lack of results.” Many find this to be a surprising move. HTLV ranked SunPayus as the sixth best CS2 player of 2023, bringing Spain back onto the international stage while competing in majors with ENCE. Additionally, he only joined Team Falcons in December 2023 and helped them place third-fourth in two major tournaments.

In an X post, SunPayus expressed his disappointment at being benched by Falcons and stated that it came down to team dynamics. However, he aims to continue playing and refining his skill. This puts SunPayus in prime poaching position for any team looking to acquire such a high-rated player.

Whether or not s1mple will become a permanent member of Team Falcons will depend on his performance in the next three months. Because he’s only playing on a trial basis, s1mple could still end up out of the game if he doesn’t play well.