Following a confident victory by Team Vitality over BC.Game in Group B at IEM Kraków 2026, the French side’s in-game leader Dan “apEX” Madesclaire shared his thoughts on the match — and spoke in detail about facing Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev once again after a long break.
“It’s always good to play against s1mple”
In an interview with Bo3.gg, apEX admitted that the match against BC.Game was not as easy as it might have looked from the outside. According to him, the opponents showed a solid T side, while Vitality struggled at times on CT. At the same time, the French captain stressed that BC.Game are still at an early stage of development and need time:
They haven’t been together for very long. The most important thing for them is patience and giving their best every day. It’s still too early to judge them too harshly.
apEX also focused on s1mple’s return to top-level competition and their renewed head-to-head matchup. The last time the two faced each other was back in 2023, shortly before the Ukrainian star took a long break from competition:
It’s always good to play against s1mple — the CS:GO GOAT. Let’s be honest, he’s still very good. He plays good CS, has strong AWP rounds, and shows his quality.
What exactly surprised him about s1mple
Rather than aggressive plays, apEX highlighted s1mple’s awareness and positioning as the most impressive aspects of his game:
There were moments where I tried to come behind him, but he was already checking his back. He almost always knows where the opponent can be. His reaction time and game sense are just really strong. So yeah, he surprised me — but in the way he always does.
The Vitality IGL also noted that there was no additional pressure on his team going into the match — they simply focused on winning and executed their plan successfully.
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What’s next for apEX and Vitality
Reflecting on his career, apEX admitted that in terms of “first-time achievements,” there is little left to conquer — Majors, a Grand Slam, and IEM Katowice are already in his trophy cabinet. Now, motivation comes from a different place:
Now it’s about making history. I want to win as many trophies as possible. Winning a fifth Major to equalize dupreeh would be really special.
At the same time, the French captain made it clear that his playing career will not last forever. His focus is on making the most of the time he has left with a roster he truly believes in. Vitality’s win over BC.Game pushes them further through the upper bracket at IEM Kraków 2026 — and apEX’s words once again confirm that even in the CS2 era, facing s1mple remains a special moment for the entire scene.
