Insider Alexey "OverDrive" Biryukov shared his thoughts on the future of former Natus Vincere (Na'Vi) member Alexander "s1mple" Kostylev in Counter-Strike 2. The content creator expressed doubts about s1mple's return to the professional scene in a video on his personal YouTube channel.
"No s1mple should come here under any circumstances. Not as an AWP, not as a rifler. The return of s1mple to CS is questionable for now. It seems like he wants something there, doesn't want something, but right now, I think the train has already left, and he won't succeed in whichever team he joins. He will either break it apart or he will be a very barely noticeable shadow of s1mple. CS2, after all, leaves all this legacy of CS:GO purely in history," OverDrive commented.
Previously, Bleed Esports coach Alexander "kassad" Trifunovic stated that "it's time for s1mple to return to NAVI." He noted that the team is running out of strength, and none of the current lineup members are showing good statistics. "I don't care if he will be a rifler or a sniper, he just needs to come back," Trifunovic emphasised.
S1mple moved to inactive status in October 2023. Since then, he has played only one official match as a stand-in for Team Falcons. Earlier, Kostylev mentioned receiving several offers from clubs, but organisations either lacked the funds to buy out his contract or did not have a suitable roster for the esports athlete.