s1mple leaves NAVI for VRS #67 team – Esports News UK

After spending nine years signed to Natus Vincere, commonly known as NAVI, Oleksandr ‘s1mple’ Kostyliev is now leaving the organisation for new ventures. 

S1mple cemented his place as one of the greatest Counter-Strike players of all time under the NAVI logo. 

In a shock move, it appears that s1mple has joined BC.Game, an organisation with a Counter-Strike roster currently sitting at rank 67 in the VRS. With this in mind, some speculate that he will instead pursue content creation at the organisation.

The NAVI s1mple legacy comes to a close

Before CS:GO became Counter-Strike 2, s1mple was one of the game’s golden children. Globally, he was recognised as one of the best players of all time. 

Now, he has left his former team and is embarking on new adventures. 

Across his career, he has received the 2nd most HLTV MVP awards (21), the most HLTV MVP awards in a calendar year (eight in 2021), and has eight various “Player of the Year” (or variants of this award type) in total. 

However, the switch from CS:GO to CS2 was not one that s1mple enjoyed. He was widely reported to “hate” the change back in 2023.  

Since 2023, he has adopted a more relaxed approach to re-entering competition. In 2024, the iconic Counter-Strike player joined Team Falcons on two loan deals. Most recently, he joined FaZe Clan on loan during the 2025 BLAST Austin Major, playing with fellow legend and icon Finn ‘Karrigan’ Andersen.

It has been rumoured in the community that NAVI were requesting an extremely high buyout figure for the star player, despite him not being on an active roster. 

The organisation confirmed on July 28th, 2025, that they were finally letting the player go.

What lies ahead for the star Counter-Strike Player?

In a move that has shaken the Counter-Strike community to its core, s1mple has been signed to a relatively unknown organisation, BC.Game. 

BC.Game is a site dedicated primarily to slots and gambling. The company also fields a Counter-Strike roster, which currently ranks 67th in the VRS (Valve Regional Standings). 

Many had expected FaZe to make a bid for the player after his time on the roster in Austin. Nobody expected a move to BC.Game.

He will be joining the team on their main roster. From his post on X (formerly Twitter), it appears as though s1mple and BC.Game are aiming to take the low-tier team to the top, with s1mple himself at the helm. 

Less than a week before the shock signing, s1mple made comments alluding to a career change to focus on gambling livestreams. Now, gambling livestreams could be a viable side hustle for the player, given the nature of BC.Game.

Largely, the initial community reaction is one of shock. Many were expecting a grand return to the height of Counter-Strike competition from the player, but presently, this is not a reality. Instead, he signed to a team embroiled in controversy with currently non-existent tier 1 value. 

NAVI’s announcement that s1mple has left the team raises far more questions than answers. What will s1mple’s future in competitive Counter-Strike be?