Team Spirit player Danil "donk" Kryshkovets discussed the chances of Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev returning to the professional CS2 scene. In a conversation with "Khazyaevy," he noted that the former Natus Vincere sniper shouldn't have any issues regaining his form.
"I think s1mple will always have a chance [to return to the competitive scene] because he understands this game better than 99% of the scene. Maybe a little less—95%. But still, he's in the top 5%. If he just starts training and playing a lot, like he used to, he'll be fine. The game is new, and he needs to regain his form and get used to the mechanics again. So, he just needs to grind hard and focus on himself. Then he can make a comeback easily. It depends on his desire. I think he's the kind of person who, if he wants to, can make it happen."
Since October 2023, s1mple has been inactive with Natus Vincere. During this period, he played one official match as a stand-in for Team Falcons at BLAST Premier: Spring Showdown 2024. Previously, Kostyliev mentioned that he had received several offers from clubs, but the organizations either lacked the funds to buy out his contract or didn't have a suitable roster for him. The Ukrainian also emphasized that he wants to continue his career as a sniper.