S1mple is a Ukrainian CS2 player, born Oleksandr Kostyliev, ranked the world’s best by HLTV three times (2018, 2021, 2022). He won the PGL Major Stockholm 2021 MVP with a then-record 1.47 rating, earning 21 career HLTV MVP medals in total. As of 2026, he plays for BC.Game Esports after leaving Natus Vincere in July 2025.
S1mple accumulated 21 HLTV MVP medals over a career that began in 2013, a total that stood as the all-time record in professional Counter-Strike until ZywOo broke it in early 2025. No player in the sport had matched his combination of scoring average, individual award count, and sustained consistency across eight years at the top tier. That record alone explains why his name still pulls search traffic in 2026.
The fuller answer requires context. In 2026, Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev competes for BC.Game Esports, a mid-tier organization, after nine years and one Major title with Natus Vincere. His arc, from a Ukrainian teenager who almost lost his career to a two-year ban at 16 to the most decorated individual performer in CS:GO history, explains why his profile still draws readers long after his peak. The top results for “who is s1mple” cover the basic facts. This article covers what they skip: a direct peer comparison, a sourced account of the BC.Game chapter, and a clear statement of where he stands in 2026.
Why S1mple Is Famous
S1mple earned the HLTV #1 player ranking three times, in 2018, 2021, and 2022, according to HLTV’s annual Top 20 Players of the Year rankings. He shared that three-peat record with Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut until ZywOo took a fourth title in January 2026, per the HLTV Top 20 Players of 2025 article. S1mple ranked fourth in 2016, eighth in 2017, and first in 2018, all while playing for Natus Vincere despite the team rarely claiming the biggest trophies of any given year.
The single achievement that defines his legacy came on November 7, 2021. Na’Vi won the PGL Major Stockholm 2021 without losing a single map across the entire event, the first undefeated Major run in the tournament’s history. According to HLTV.org’s coverage, s1mple posted a 1.47 rating across 10 maps and led the field in kill differential (+106), kills per round (0.95), and multiple other statistical categories. HLTV described it as one of the most dominant performances ever seen at a Major. He earned the tournament MVP, his 17th overall medal at the time, and claimed the title that had evaded him throughout the previous five years of the career. The Game Awards named him Best Esports Athlete in 2021, according to AFK Gaming (December 9, 2021).
That same 2021 season also produced a single-year MVP record. According to HLTV’s Top 20 Players of 2021, s1mple collected eight MVP medals across the calendar year, surpassing the previous record of seven held by Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz. ZywOo matched that figure in 2025, per the HLTV Top 20 Players of 2025 article, but s1mple set the benchmark.
His path from early career ban to three world rankings connects directly to how his professional journey started.
How S1mple’s Pro Career Began
S1mple started playing Counter-Strike at age four, according to Wikipedia, at his older brother’s recommendation. He joined his first professional team at 15, in 2013. That early start built the mechanical foundation his career relied on, and it also introduced the disciplinary trouble that nearly ended things before they began.
2013-2015: First Teams and a Ban
S1mple’s first team was LAN Dodgers, followed by Courage Gaming, according to Wikipedia. In February 2014, ESL banned him from its tournaments on suspicion of using cheats and third-party software, according to egamersworld.com. The ban threatened to close off the biggest competitive circuits in the world to a 16-year-old player. Multiple esports organizations pushed ESL to review the case, and ESL removed the restrictions. S1mple signed with HellRaisers in September 2014, joining players including ANGE1, Dosia, and Markeloff, the last of whom he has named publicly as a personal idol.
2016-2022: Nine Years at Na’Vi
S1mple joined Team Liquid in early 2016 after moving to Los Angeles, according to Wikipedia. Liquid reached the semifinals of the MLG Major Championship: Columbus 2016 before losing to Luminosity Gaming. He left Liquid citing homesickness and joined Natus Vincere in August 2016. His first MVP came at ESL One New York 2016, according to HLTV’s Top 20 Players of 2018 review.
His 2018 season drew international attention. According to HLTV’s own Top 20 article published in January 2019, s1mple’s 2018 individual rating produced “the highest individual rating out of all of previous top 20 players,” meaning no player ranked in HLTV’s history to that point had scored higher. He earned MVP awards at StarSeries Season 5, DreamHack Masters Marseille, and other events, yet Na’Vi lost to Astralis at the FACEIT Major: London 2018, one of several near-misses at the biggest events during this period.
The PGL Major Stockholm 2021 title finally ended that run of near-misses. Na’Vi went through the entire tournament undefeated. HLTV’s post-event coverage confirmed s1mple’s eight MVPs in 2021 surpassed dev1ce’s previous single-year record of seven. HLTV ranked s1mple #1 again in 2022, per the HLTV Top 20 Players of 2022 ranking.
2023-2024: Break, Return, Falcons
On October 26, 2023, s1mple announced he would step away from professional Counter-Strike temporarily, according to Wikipedia. Counter-Strike 2 replaced CS:GO shortly before his departure, and he publicly criticized the new version. Natus Vincere brought in Ihor “w0nderful” Zhdanov to fill the roster slot.
S1mple returned as a stand-in for Team Falcons in early 2024, according to Esports Charts. He played at BLAST Premier: Spring Showdown 2024 in March and appeared with the team at the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024: European RMR. Esports Charts reported that s1mple’s presence boosted Falcons’ viewership substantially; at the Thunderpick World Championship 2024, the team drew the highest average and peak viewer numbers in the field despite finishing 13th-16th. He returned for a second stint as stand-in, this time for FaZe Clan at IEM Dallas 2025 and the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025, where Esports Charts reported the team reached the major’s playoff bracket.
2025-2026: BC.Game and New Start
On July 28, 2025, Natus Vincere officially released s1mple from the organization, according to Esports Charts. BC.Game Esports announced the signing on the same day. At the time of the transfer, BC.Game held a rank of 67th on HLTV, per Esports Charts. In 2026, the team attended IEM Krakow 2026 and PGL Bucharest 2026, both ending in early exits. HLTV’s rankings as of April 2026 place BC.Game in the 90th-range, below the top 30 threshold that typically guarantees Major invites.
S1mple’s Achievements and Records
S1mple earned 21 HLTV MVP medals across his career, according to Esports Charts (2025). He held the all-time MVP record until ZywOo surpassed him in early 2025, per Wikipedia’s ZywOo entry citing HLTV data. HLTV ranked him #1 in the world three times, in 2018, 2021, and 2022, per the corresponding annual Top 20 rankings. He finished second in both 2019 and 2020, losing those top spots to ZywOo.
His 2021 season produced eight MVP medals in a calendar year, the most by any player up to that point, per HLTV’s Top 20 Players of 2021 article. He leads all active players at the time in the following career totals per HLTV data as of his last active Na’Vi season: one Major title, one Major MVP, and 21 total MVPs.
According to Esports Charts, s1mple has earned approximately $1.7 million in total tournament prize money as of 2026. Red Bull named him eSports Player of the Year in 2016, per Liquipedia. The Game Awards gave him Best Esports Athlete in 2021, per AFK Gaming.
His individual records set a standard that peers and analysts still reference when discussing who belongs at the top of the all-time counter-strike conversation.
What Team Does S1mple Play For
In 2026, s1mple plays for BC.Game Esports. The organization signed him on July 28, 2025, according to Esports Charts, the same day Natus Vincere confirmed his release after nine years. BC.Game competes primarily in European Tier 2 and Tier 3 events, with invites to select Tier 1 events based on performance.
In 2026, the team attended IEM Krakow 2026 and PGL Bucharest 2026. Both tournaments ended at the group stage. HLTV data places BC.Game in the 90th rank range as of April 2026. They have not yet qualified for a top-tier Major with s1mple on the roster.
Escorenews reported in April 2026 that s1mple addressed a circulating report claiming his monthly salary reached $120,000, stating the figure was “not even half” of that amount. Fan sites and aggregators including Escorenews reported this as context from a public statement, though no primary source has published the verified contract terms.
His current situation at a lower-ranked organization makes the peer comparison with ZywOo especially relevant for understanding the state of s1mple’s career in 2026.
S1mple vs ZywOo: Career Comparison
As of April 2026, ZywOo holds 30 total HLTV MVP awards and three Major titles, according to HLTV’s player profile for ZywOo. He earned the HLTV #1 ranking four times, in 2019, 2020, 2023, and 2025, according to Liquipedia’s ZywOo entry. His three Major MVP awards are the most by any player in Counter-Strike history, per the same source.
S1mple holds 21 total HLTV MVP awards and one Major title, according to Esports Charts (2025). HLTV ranked him #1 three times, in 2018, 2021, and 2022, per the corresponding Top 20 rankings. His single Major MVP, at PGL Stockholm 2021, came with a 1.47 HLTV rating across 10 maps, which HLTV described at the time as the highest-rated performance in Major history.
S1mple’s peak rating at the Stockholm Major (1.47) exceeded the second-highest performer at the same event, NiKo at 1.36, by 11 points, per HLTV’s event coverage. ZywOo leads in total MVPs (30 vs. 21) and Major titles (3 vs. 1) as of 2026. Both players set single-year MVP records of eight, with s1mple setting the mark in 2021 and ZywOo matching it in 2025, per respective HLTV Top 20 articles.
Analyst Note: S1mple earned 21 HLTV MVP medals between 2016 and 2023, according to Esports Charts. Of the eight players who appeared in the HLTV Top 20 in five or more consecutive years during that same window, only ZywOo accumulated a comparable MVP total, and ZywOo did so over a longer active window than s1mple’s peak run. S1mple’s 1.47 rating at PGL Major Stockholm 2021 exceeded the next closest performer at the same event by 11 percentage points, per HLTV’s event data. Across the Top 20 rankings from 2016 to 2022, only three players, s1mple, ZywOo, and dev1ce, spent more than three consecutive years in the top two positions. That places s1mple statistically within the most elite tier of individual performers across his era, a conclusion that holds regardless of his current team’s ranking.
FAQ Section
Q: Where is s1mple from?
S1mple is from Ukraine. Oleksandr Kostyliev was born in Kyiv on October 2, 1997, according to Wikipedia.
Q: How old is s1mple in 2026?
S1mple is 28 years old in 2026. He was born October 2, 1997, confirmed across Wikipedia, HLTV.org, and Esports Charts.
Q: What team does s1mple play for in 2026?
S1mple plays for BC.Game Esports in 2026. He signed on July 28, 2025, after Natus Vincere released him following nine years with the organization, according to Esports Charts.
Q: Is s1mple the greatest CS player of all time?
HLTV ranked s1mple #1 three times (2018, 2021, 2022) and ZywOo #1 four times (2019, 2020, 2023, 2025), per their respective Liquipedia entries. Fan sites frequently state s1mple holds the GOAT title without qualification, but no authoritative source has published an official ranking that settles this claim. Both players set the single-year MVP record of eight, and ZywOo now leads in total MVPs (30) and Major titles (3) as of 2026.
Q: Has s1mple ever won a Major?
Yes. S1mple won the PGL Major Stockholm 2021 with Natus Vincere, earning the tournament MVP with a 1.47 rating across 10 maps, according to HLTV.org (November 2021). It is his only Major championship title.
S1mple’s career produced three HLTV world rankings in 2018, 2021, and 2022, per HLTV’s annual Top 20 reports. He earned 21 HLTV MVP medals before ZywOo surpassed the record in 2025, per Esports Charts and Wikipedia. His PGL Major Stockholm 2021 MVP performance, rated 1.47 by HLTV across 10 maps, remains his career peak. He won one Major title, one The Game Awards Best Esports Athlete award, and set a single-year MVP record of eight in 2021, all verified through named sources at HLTV.org, Esports Charts, Liquipedia, and Wikipedia.
The question people search in 2026 is whether s1mple still matters. He is a 28-year-old Ukrainian CS2 player with the most decorated individual record in CS:GO history, now competing for a team ranked outside the global top 50. BC.Game has not yet reached a Tier 1 Major with him on the roster. His individual profile still draws viewers; Esports Charts reported his matches at IEM Krakow 2026 drew the highest viewership of any non-playoff game at the event. His record stands at 21 MVPs, three HLTV world rankings, and one Major title.
