The rumors about s1mple to Falcons explained

Ivan Frigato Published September 14, 2024

Natus Vincere and Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyljev may be making a deal with Team Falcons for the rest of the player’s contract.

News came out earlier this month that Natus Vincere was offering a buyout price of $3 million for any organization looking to get s1mple on their roster. The Ukrainian player has competed in several CSGO and CS2 majors, taking home the gold at ESL One Cologne 2018 and the 2021 Stockholm Major. Many, including the highly reputable CS2 ranking site HLTV, consider s1mple to be the greatest player of all time. However, Navi is putting up s1mple’s contract, due to the team’s success despite his absence.

Here’s are the claims about s1mple joining Team Falcons and why it might not pan out.

s1mple is potentially set to reunite with Team Falcons

New information suggests that executives on Team Falcons are interested in buying out s1mple’s contract.

In a video posted about Nikola “NiKo” Kovac‘s move to Falcons, esports journalist Richard Lewis revealed that the organization is also looking to acquire s1mple. An executive allegedly compared having both players to signing Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. NiKo and s1mple have a history of being volatile players, which could lead to conflicts in and out of the game.

The possible buyout corresponds with Reddit speculation that took place after s1mple’s buyout price was revealed. Many fans suggested that Team Falcons would be the only group able to afford the $3 million price tag. While their exact finances have yet to be revealed, the organization is likely funded, in part, by the Saudi Arabian goverment through sponsors. This means it would have the cash to get s1mple if Falcons really wants him.

Despite this, s1mple has also competed with Team Falcons in the past with not exactly good results. During February 2024, Navi loaned the player out so that Falcons could compete in BLAST Premier: Spring Showdown. The team was knocked out during the first elimination round and came in last place overall. s1mple especially didn’t perform well as a rifler with only a 0.94 rating. Team Falcons since then have been using Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen as their extra player. After BLAST, one player added that s1mple wasn’t the right fit.

Whether or not Team Falcons will actually buy s1mple’s contract from Natus Vincere remains to be seen. His track record with the organization and new leaked information seem to be at odds. If not Falcons, though, then Navi could keep s1mple benched until his contract expires in 2025.