{"id":192879,"date":"2025-06-17T11:56:02","date_gmt":"2025-06-17T11:56:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/skin.club\/community?p=192879"},"modified":"2025-12-29T13:43:14","modified_gmt":"2025-12-29T13:43:14","slug":"welcome-back-sasha-s1mples-comeback-is-proven-and-real","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/community.skin.club\/en\/news\/welcome-back-sasha-s1mples-comeback-is-proven-and-real","title":{"rendered":"Welcome back, Sasha! s1mple\u2019s comeback is real and undeniable"},"content":{"rendered":"

After half a year of inactivity, Oleksandr \u201cs1mple\u201d Kostyliev returned to CS2 and silenced all doubts at once. Temporarily joining FaZe Clan for IEM Dallas and BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025, his true resurgence came at the Major. With FaZe reaching the playoffs and s1mple emerging as one of the top-5 players of the entire tournament, it\u2019s clear: the legend is back. And perhaps \u2014 just perhaps \u2014 he\u2019s starting to hit his full stride again.<\/span><\/p>\n

Redemption Arc \u2014 The Return Wasn\u2019t Accidental<\/strong><\/h2>\n

This comeback wasn\u2019t just a lucky coincidence. Long before FaZe reached out, s1mple had already started changing his life. In his own words:<\/span><\/p>\n

I had already started changing my life \u2014 no more alcohol, I was going to the gym. And then it all just happened \u2014 rain messaged me about joining FaZe.<\/span><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n

This wasn\u2019t just about CS2 \u2014 it was about mindset, discipline, and timing. That mental reset laid the foundation for everything that followed. s1mple himself described it as fate. He was ready, and FaZe arrived at just the right moment.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

S1mple\u2019s Time with Falcons \u2014 A Forgettable Trial<\/strong><\/h2>\n

s1mple had two short stints with Team Falcons \u2014 one in April 2024 as a stand-in for a single tournament, and another during the Asian RMR in Shanghai later that year. Unfortunately, both campaigns ended without much to celebrate. Falcons failed to qualify, and s1mple\u2019s performance was inconsistent at best.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

His ratings fluctuated from 0.53 to 1.72, averaging around 1.05 \u2014 far from the dominance fans were used to. These underwhelming showings didn\u2019t just hurt his stats; they nearly shattered the community\u2019s trust in his comeback. Several analysts openly questioned whether s1mple still had what it takes to compete at the highest level.<\/span><\/p>\n

Back in the Spotlight: FaZe Comeback in 2025<\/strong><\/h2>\n

After months away, s1mple joined FaZe for IEM Dallas and the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025. But despite the hype, the move was met with mixed reactions across the community. Some believed the king could rise again \u2014 others were convinced his era was over. IEM Dallas turned into chaos, with FaZe forced to play with two stand-ins, and many questioned whether the s1mple experiment was already failing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Still, there was hope \u2014 and the Austin Major became the true test. YNk was among the first to react:<\/span><\/p>\n

FaZe with the ALL IN! And the best chance yet for s1mple in CS2. If karrigan makes this work, it will be his masterpiece.<\/span><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n

Thorin, who had urged FaZe to sign s1mple back in 2024, chimed in:<\/span><\/p>\n

We used to pray for times like these!<\/span><\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n

The expectations were sky-high, the pressure immense, and s1mple had everything to prove.<\/span><\/p>\n

At the Major:<\/span><\/p>\n