Counter-Strike player
s1mple: the individual peak of Counter-Strike
For most of a decade the argument about the best Counter-Strike player alive had one answer, and s1mple's statistical peak in 2018 and 2021 is still the benchmark every new star is measured against. What took longer was the trophy: he reached a Major final in 2016, lost it, and did not win one until 2021.
His career is unusually easy to follow — one long spell at Natus Vincere in the middle, bookended by short ones — which puts him in our easy tier despite the sheer number of years involved.
- Real name
- Oleksandr Kostyliev
- Country
- Ukraine
- Game
- Counter-Strike 2
- Role
- Sniper / rifler
Career timeline
| Team | Years |
|---|---|
| HellRaisers | 2013–2014 |
| FlipSid3 Tactics | 2014–2016 |
| Team Liquid | 2016 |
| Natus Vincere | 2016–2024 |
| FaZe Clan | 2024 |
| Team Vitality | 2025– |
The North American detour
The six months at Team Liquid in 2016 are the part of the career people forget, and they matter: he reached the ESL One Cologne Major final with an American roster, losing to SK Gaming. That run is why a Liquid line-up from 2016 is a genuinely tricky quiz round — the Ukrainian name in a North American five looks like a mistake.
Stockholm and after
The 2021 Major run completed the résumé: NAVI won without dropping a map in the playoffs and s1mple was named the tournament's best player. He stayed until 2024, took a break as the roster was rebuilt around Aleksib, spent a short stint at FaZe Clan and then joined Team Vitality.
Because he has played for six organisations across three regions, his career reveals slowly in our Who Am I? rounds — the early Ukrainian teams give almost nothing away.
Keep reading
Compiled from public tournament and roster records. Last reviewed: September 2026.