s1mple Departs NAVI After Nine Iconic Years, Signs with BC.Game

On July 28, Ukrainian esports powerhouse NAVI officially announced the departure of Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev, one of the most iconic players in Counter-Strike history.

The move marks the end of a legendary nine-year run, during which s1mple rose to global stardom and became synonymous with the NAVI brand.

“After the last Major, we received multiple transfer offers for s1mple, all of which were shared with him.

Today, we want to announce that after nine unforgettable years, s1mple is leaving Natus Vincere. We’re incredibly thankful for the trophies, memories, and countless highlights.

This is goodbye for now — but we’ll be waiting for you on the server. GOAT,” NAVI said in their farewell statement.

Shortly after the announcement, BC.Game revealed that they had signed s1mple as their newest player.

Why s1mple Is Considered the GOAT

• 🏆 PGL Major Stockholm 2021 — s1mple’s first and only Major victory
• 🏟️ IEM Cologne — a triumphant LAN return after the pandemic
• 🥇 Champion at ESL Pro League, IEM Fall CIS, and multiple BLAST Finals

The 2021 season solidified s1mple’s legacy as he was crownedHLTV’s #1 player in the world, the most respected ranking in CS esports. He also appeared in HLTV’s Top 20 for eight consecutive years (2016–2023) — an unprecedented achievement.

What Went Wrong?

The switch from CS:GO to CS2 proved difficult. In October 2023, s1mple stepped away from NAVI temporarily, citing the need to handle personal matters.

In 2024, he had two short-lived loan spells with Team Falcons, both ending without success. He also launched a beginner CS course that flopped — it was shut down within two months, and many users demanded refunds.

In 2025, s1mple briefly joined FaZe Clan for IEM Dallas and the Austin Major, where they reached the quarterfinals. However, FaZe chose not to sign him permanently.

BC.Game: A New Chapter, A Step Down

In a surprising move, BC.Game Esports — a team founded in July 2024 — announced they had signed s1mple. He replaces Tim "nawwk" Jonasson, who was benched in June.

BC.Game is a Sweden-based team competing in Europe. Their biggest achievement so far is winning CCT Season 2 Europe Series #19, earning $22,000. The team currently sits at #67 in Valve’s global rankings and is still assembling its full roster.

Current lineup:

• s1mple
• Nemanja “nexa” Isaković
• Luca “pr1metapz” Voigt
• Aleksandar “CacaNito” Kjulukoski

There’s no coach yet, and the lineup is far from finalized.

Even s1mple admits this is a downgrade in his career:

“Dobby is free. I just want to play. BC.Game gave me a shot and they’re serious about building a top team. Let’s see what steps we take and how I can help shape the process.

Maybe things will change, maybe not — results will speak.

Someone once said: if you want to return to tier-1, start from tier-3. I’ve wasted two years doing nothing. Time to fix that. I can’t keep losing game time sitting on a bench.”

BC.Game’s Controversial Reputation

BC.Game has faced growing criticism in the esports scene. As a crypto-gambling platform tied to online betting and casinos — and offering bets on CS2 matches — the organization raises serious ethical concerns. Many believe there’s a conflict of interest in owning a competitive team while allowing betting on their own games.

In addition, BC.Game was embroiled in a cheating scandal in 2024. Player joel was banned mid-match by anti-cheat software during a CCT Series match against Ukrainian team B8. As a result, the team was handed a forfeit and disqualified from two tournaments.