Oleksandr Olegovich Kostyliev (born 2 October 1997), known by the gaming alias s1mple, is a Ukrainian professional player of the first‑person shooter series Counter‑Strike. He is presently a member of the BC.Game Esports roster competing in Counter‑Strike 2.
Early life
Kostyliev was born in Kyiv, Ukraine. He began playing the original Counter‑Strike at the age of four, encouraged by his older brother, and transitioned to Counter‑Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) upon its 2012 release. He entered the professional scene a year later.
Professional career
2013–2015 – Early teams
His first professional affiliation was with LAN DODGERS, after which he joined Courage Gaming and, in September 2014, Hellraisers. While with Hellraisers he cited veteran player Markeloff as an idol.
2015 – Controversy and team changes
In early 2015 s1mple was removed from Hellraisers following inflammatory remarks and an ESL ban for cheating in Counter‑Strike 1.6 (later clarified as an in‑game ban in CS:GO). He subsequently signed with Flipsid3 Tactics, but the team’s early exit from ESWC 2015 led to his departure.
2016 – Team Liquid and Natus Vincere
After a brief period studying Chinese, s1mple moved to Los Angeles and joined Team Liquid. With Liquid he reached the semifinals of the MLG Major Championship: Columbus and later the finals of ESL One Cologne 2016. Mid‑year he transferred to Natus Vincere (Na’Vi), initially as a stand‑in for Danylo “Zeus” Teslenko.
2017–2022 – Na’Vi prominence
During his tenure with Na’Vi, s1mple transitioned to the AWPer role after the departure of GuardiaN. Although the team experienced mixed results in 2017, s1mple’s individual performance remained elite, earning him top‑10 placements in the HLTV top‑20 rankings. In 2018 he helped Na’Vi secure multiple tournament victories, including StarSeries & i‑League Season 5, CAC 2018, and ESL One Cologne 2018, and received several MVP awards. The 2021 PGL Major Stockholm marked a career milestone when Na’Vi captured the Major title, with s1mple named Major MVP. He was also a three‑time HLTV Player of the Year (2018, 2021, 2022) and accumulated 21 HLTV MVP awards across his career.
2023–present – Recent moves
Following organizational changes, s1mple was loaned to Team Falcons in 2024 and subsequently to FaZe Clan later that year. In 2025 he signed with BC.Game Esports, where he continues to compete in the evolving Counter‑Strike 2 environment.
Playing style and reputation
s1mple is widely regarded as one of the greatest Counter‑Strike players of all time. Analysts note his “hyper‑aggressive” approach, exceptional mechanical skill, and consistent high‑impact performance across all weapon types. His peak statistical rating in 2018 remains among the highest recorded in HLTV’s history.
Awards and honors
- CS:GO Major champion – Stockholm 2021 (with Na’Vi)
- HLTV Major MVP – Stockholm 2021
- IEM Grand Slam champion – Season 3
- HLTV Player of the Year – 2018, 2021, 2022
- 21 × HLTV MVP awards (tournament‑level)
- 8 × HLTV Top 20 Player of the Year (2016–2023)
Personal life
Kostyliev holds Ukrainian citizenship and has spoken publicly about his Ukrainian heritage, particularly in the context of the ongoing conflict affecting his home country.
References
- Wikipedia contributors, “S1mple,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
- HLTV.org player profile for s1mple.
- Liquipedia Counter‑Strike entry for S1mple.