Olexander “s1mple” Kostyliev, one of the most famous players in Counter-Strike history, is returning to active play. Over the past few days, he has played nine matches on FACEIT with very impressive statistics, immediately attracting the attention of the community. With his loan to FaZe Clan coming to an end and NAVI remaining silent about his future, this may not just be a warm-up, but the beginning of a new chapter in his career.

s1mple on FACEIT: returning to form
From July 10 to 11, s1mple played nine matches, mostly with ratings above 1.15. He played on the maps mirage, ancient, dust2, and anubis and consistently ranked among the top players in terms of damage and entry frags.

Average stats:

Rating 2.0: 1.15
ADR (average damage): 91.7
K/D: 1.06
KPR (kills per round): 0.83
KAST (participation efficiency): 65.5%

This shows not only his fighting form, but also his serious motivation. s1mple looks ready to return to T1 play — and quickly.

What happened with FaZe?
s1mple joined FaZe Clan in May 2025 on a temporary loan. He was brought in at the last minute before IEM Dallas after broky was moved to the bench. Although FaZe failed in Dallas, at BLAST.tv Austin Major, the team with s1mple made it to the playoffs and looked much more convincing than before.

Many fans and analysts believed that FaZe would sign Kostyliev on a permanent basis. But that didn't happen. On July 9, FaZe officially returned broky to the active roster, leaving s1mple without a team.

What is preventing s1mple from signing?
One of the main problems is his contract with NAVI, which is still in effect. Kostyliev left NAVI's active roster in the fall of 2023, after which he played on loan for Falcons and FaZe. But all negotiations for a full transfer from NAVI are reportedly running into financial and legal barriers.

NAVI has not yet made any public comments about his status. But s1mple hints that he is not happy with the situation.

Hints on social media
On X, one of the fans asked under s1mple's photo if he would officially join FaZe. The answers were eloquent:

Fan: Will it be your boost when you join FaZe?
s1mple: Seems like I'm not joining, keep it a secret.
Fan: We need you, bro!
s1mple: Sometimes it's hard to get out of prison.

This probably refers to his contract with NAVI, which remains in force.

What's next?

There have already been many big transfers in the 2025 summer transfer market, but the question of s1mple remains open. His play, activity, and form indicate a desire to return to the top. But no team has announced a signing yet.