Professional CS2 player Alexander "s1mple" Kostyliev has explained why he has not been able to return to active play. In a Telegram post, he attributed the issue to his transfer fee and also called for support in buying out Alexey "OverDrive" Biryukov.
"You need to understand how Counter-Strike works. It's becoming like a sport, and by 2025, if I'm not mistaken, there will be Olympic Games for it. So let's create a new hashtag: #OverDriveBuyOuts1mple. Then I'll have the chance to join any team and earn my 22nd MVP. In our current reality, you have to understand that it's not easy to play professionally in CS when you're with an organisation that can't sell you because you're too expensive. But I think Skufedrive, Overskuf, Overdog, or Dogiskufi can manage this."
S1mple also reminded OverDrive of their past involvement in a Moscow LAN tournament where they were on the same team.
"Alright, Lexa, don’t be offended. I remember how you tried to pay off the guys who defeated us in Moscow. What year was that: 2014 or 2015? What tournament was it? I remember you tried to pay them off so that we could advance, and they were disqualified from the tournament. Don’t be offended; I remember the good you tried to do for me, kucher, ANGE1, and Dosia. You will always stay in our hearts.
Guys, everyone has their own [mistakes]. I once scammed knives when I was 16. OverDrive once tried to bribe people when he was 40. Everyone has their flaws and merits; there’s no reason to blame anyone. We just need to correct our actions and strive to be better in this world.
I tried to set up courses to buy myself out. It didn’t work, and I need help.”
S1mple left the main roster of Natus Vincere in 2023, before the release of CS2. Since then, he has only played one official match as a stand-in for Team Falcons, which ended in a loss for the team. A few days ago, Kostyliev also participated in a show match in China, where local players joined his roster and the team of Kenny "kennyS" Schrub. This match was also lost.