SkinLords CS2 Esports s1mple in CS2 vs. CS:GO: Why is He So Different?

s1mple in CS2 vs. CS:GO: Why is He So Different?

Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev is one of the most technically gifted gamers of all time – and that claim isn’t even a stretch. His style of play mirrors his in-game name as he’s able to make such a complex title like Counter-Strike seem, well, simple.

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CS2 Esports

The days that made him a legendary name in the CS community are, unfortunately, already in the past. He still competes from time to time in CS2, but it’s clear that this version isn’t like the s1mple we all knew and admired. So what really is different this time around?

Counter-Strike 2 is not Counter-Strike: Global Offensive

It’s no secret that s1mple was not a fan of CS2 at launch. As a matter of fact, he was part of the group of people who thought it was straight-up a bad product. While it’s grown on him recently and he has played significantly more than he did early in the game’s life, he is no longer in any “Player of the Year” talks these days.

The game has changed completely, and so has the pro scene. In the CS2 era, s1mple has never been called the best player in the world or even runner-up to that accolade. Those distinctions go to the players who, regardless of opinion about a major update to their chosen esport, stuck it out from day one and kept grinding.

Mental Matters A Lot

The final months of CS:GO were rough for s1mple outside of the server. That was the height of the war between Ukraine and Russia, and as a Ukrainian himself, the CS GOAT made it known that he always had his family and country in mind.

It’s not something to speculate about, but such a conflict happening in your home country would really break almost anyone. He dominated and got crowned as the greatest through a relatively peaceful period in his personal life, but the situation is definitely not the same at the end of CS:GO and the beginning of CS2.

Father Time is Undefeated

At the end of the day, even the greatest players that have ever been born will take one final bow, and that’s to Father Time. CS pros age and generations pass, and that’s life. s1mple was the best player on planet Earth for years, something that both HLTV stats and the eye test wouldn’t dare debate you on. CS history is incomplete without s1mple, but it also may be time for a new chapter.