Are s1mple and Falcons a good match for each other? Pros and cons of the transfer.
At the end of 2023, the Falcons team entered the market with new investors and immediately made a big statement. There were many rumors surrounding the team, mostly about the most successful figures in Counter-Strike. Initially, it was said that the roster would be built around Niko and m0NESY, but G2 managed to retain their leaders, so the team shifted focus.
The first transfer was the legendary Danish coach, zonic. He led his teams to victory at the Major 5 times (4 times with Astralis and 1 time with Vitality). His teams always included top-level players, and it was no doubt that Falcons would be no exception. Ultimately, zonic brought Magiks with him, and after some time, a trio from Ence joined them (Snappi, Maden, and SunPayus). The promising young sharpshooter BOROS was already on the team and got his chance to prove himself in the star-studded lineup.
The team showed decent results, and after reaching the top 4 at IEM Katowice 2024, it seemed like the lineup unexpectedly clicked. However, after failing to qualify for the first CS2 Major, Falcons immediately started making changes. BOROS didn’t seize his opportunity and was benched. Simultaneously, on February 19, 2024, the team announced the loan of Alexander “s1mple” Kostylev.
The pros of s1mple's transfer to Falcons:
The news of the transfer of the best player of the last decade could not go unnoticed by the community. Alexander took a short break in his career in the fall of 2023, and during one of the IEM Katowice 2024 broadcasts, he announced his intention to return to competitive CS.
Falcons unexpectedly stumbled at PGL Major Copenhagen 2024: European RMR and realized that the team needed to change. Recruiting a player of s1mple’s caliber is an undeniable strengthening. His experience, individual skill, and confidence in his own game are exactly what a team aiming for immediate results needs.
After six months of inactivity, he is clearly highly motivated to return to the game. Only a motivated athlete can deliver their best performance. When that motivated player is s1mple, opponents on the server will be fearful.
Of course, we haven’t seen what form the player is in yet, but does anyone doubt that Sasha won’t perform in CS2? There could hardly be any questions about his gameplay qualities in any team in the world, but there might be doubts about the emotional aspect. However, let’s remember that s1mple is joining a team with zonic as the coach, and could you imagine a more authoritative coach in the pro scene? It feels like zonic’s presence on the coaching pedestal is almost the main reason for this transfer. The Dane has repeatedly proven his competence, and he has won more trophies than s1mple himself, almost twice as many.
As for the other future teammates, there are also many positives here. Experienced and stable Magisk, who came with his unwavering coach to the new team. A solid core from ex-Ence with the 33-year-old captain Snappi. Although the latter hasn’t won many trophies, he’s also never had such a star-studded lineup before. Throughout his career, s1mple has said that he would willingly give up the sniper role if a worthy candidate emerged. SunPayus became a top-6 player according to HLTV, and his AWP play was admired all of last year. There’s no doubt that no one will take this weapon away from him in Falcons, and Alexander will be entrusted with the star player role he has long dreamed of.
At first glance, this transfer seems beneficial for all parties involved. Falcons get the best player of recent years, attract a huge army of fans, media attention, and raise their gaming potential several times over. Moreover, they have a “trial period” for which they didn’t pay millions of dollars (recall that the organizations agreed on a 1-month loan).
NAVI get the opportunity to see how their star player’s form is and calmly prepare for the Major with their current lineup. Now their performance in Copenhagen will be even more indicative and will determine the future of the club. After the end of the loan and the completion of the Major, the management will be able to make a more reasoned and optimal decision.
As for Alexander, he comes out of his “vacation” a month earlier. He joins a team where they can satisfy his financial and career appetites. The long-awaited relief from the sniper role and transition to the rifle. An experienced coach and teammates where half of the lineup knows how to win tournaments, and the other plays with incredible passion and thirst to raise trophies above their heads.
Negatives of s1mple's transfer to Falcons:
It’s quite difficult to find obvious downsides for Falcons or NAVI, especially for the latter. It’s no secret that s1mple has a huge impact on the organization. There are rumors that NAVI are tired of the player’s “unmanageability” and would be willing to sell him for a profitable price. But the team would lose a huge fan base and their main media asset. So, there are definitely negatives for NAVI, otherwise, they would have gotten rid of him last fall.
Falcons, on the other hand, risk facing the same problems. Everyone knows about Alexander’s volatile character, which can affect the atmosphere within the team. If the loan turns into a full transfer, NAVI will demand a lot for their player. Problems with s1mple’s character may not surface immediately, and it’s not excluded that the money will be wasted. Let’s not forget about the “honeymoon period” of each team when everything starts perfectly and only then do problems arise. There’s also the risk that CS2 will affect the level of play of even such a talent. Paying a large sum for not just a “fragging machine” but a stable +KD player might not meet management’s expectations.
For Alexander himself, this is almost his only chance for a worthy career revival. Playing on a salary in a top-20 team is unlikely to satisfy him in the future. If he can’t prove himself now, it will be quite difficult to get a second chance. If NAVI performs well at the Major, he will also become unnecessary to them, as the current lineup is just starting to gain momentum.
Assessment of s1mple's transfer to Falcons:
When evaluating this transfer, it’s worth considering the interests of all parties involved. Based on this, the current deal can be rated at 8/10.
Falcons have still managed to get one of the best (if not the best) players in the world in their hands, despite all the mockery from skeptics. If they have a successful first month, their financial capabilities allow them to make NAVI an offer they can’t refuse. In such a scenario, we could see Vitality 2.0, where s1mple will be the one doing the fragging instead of ZywOo, and experienced figures like zonic and Snappi will be able to allocate roles among such skilled players wisely.
NAVI will get their money’s worth or at least attempt to “show off” their product to potential buyers.
Alexander Kostylev will find himself in a team with reliable partners, an authoritative coach, and an organization that can meet any of his demands. Plus, early in his career, he had an example where a move to an international organization turned him from a toxic teenager into a top player. In Liquid at the time, there was hiko, whom Sasha still remembers very warmly. Why couldn’t zonic become such a person and shake up his career once again?
The move to CS2 prevents this transfer from getting a perfect score, but as time has shown, all the top players have been able to return to their previous level. Sasha has a lot of work ahead of him: learning new spots, angles for peeking, grenades, etc. It will be interesting to see how he handles all of this and whether one month in Falcons will be enough for him.
The entire community is eagerly awaiting the start of the BLAST Premier: Spring Showdown 2024, which will be s1mple’s first tournament with Falcons and in CS2.