The long-awaited return of Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev, the world’s top-ranked Counter-Strike player, to the CS2 professional scene has surely sparked enthusiasm among esports fans. After an extended absence following the conclusion of IEM Rio 2024, s1mple’s return was celebrated by the community. The Ukrainian sniper’s choice to join Team Falcons for the remainder of the year added to the story’s appeal. However, his first match versus 3DMAX in the Thunderpick World Championship 2024 failed to unfold as well as some might have expected. Despite the team’s 0-2 loss, the match provided supporters with a peek of S1mple’s potential and the Falcons’ future.
The first map of the series, Anubis, proved to be a difficult one for s1mple, marking his worst career performance on the map. His 0.64 rating was a clear indicator that rust had accumulated during his seven-month break. While Anubis is not a map that s1mple extensively played during his time with Natus Vincere, the struggles were still surprising. On the T-side, the Ukrainian sniper was hardly involved, managing to secure just one opening kill. The CT-side wasn’t any kinder, with s1mple only picking up two frags, both of which came with his signature AWP in the same round.
Moving on to Nuke, s1mple showcased flashes of his brilliance and started to regain his form. While Falcons failed to secure a win on the map, s1mple carried the team throughout the match, reminding fans why he’s regarded as the best player in CS history. His performance on Nuke stood out, not just because of the 27 frags he secured—15 more than his closest teammate—but also because of how he played.
Notably, he pulled off a crucial 1v2 clutch in a quad-kill round during the first half. This gave Falcons a chance to mount a comeback, though it was ultimately stifled by 3DMAX. s1mple’s ability to deliver high-impact multi-kills in the second half reflected a renewed sense of confidence, signaling that he’s well on his way to returning to the top of his game.
Despite s1mple’s heroics, Falcons fell short, failing to take the series to a third map. This defeat laid bare the team’s lack of synergy and preparation, but also emphasized s1mple’s individual prowess, even after an extended break.
Following the defeat against 3DMAX, things didn’t get any easier for Falcons. In their next group-stage match, they faced Virtus.pro, a team known for their tactical discipline and structure, led by Jame “Jame” Ali. Once again, Falcons found themselves on the back foot as Virtus.pro dispatched them with a 2-0 scoreline—13:9 on Mirage and 13:8 on Anubis.
On Mirage, Falcons struggled to build any momentum, with Petr “fame” Bolyshev and Evgenii “FL1T” Lebedev leading the charge for Virtus.pro. The map saw Falcons trail 8-4 by halftime, and while they won the second pistol round, they were unable to string together enough rounds to recover. Anubis, where s1mple had previously faltered, didn’t offer any respite. Despite a strong CT-side showing from s1mple and Marco “Snappi” Pfeiffer, Falcons squandered their 7-5 lead once they switched to the attack, winning only one round on the T-side against a steadfast Virtus.pro defense.
This defeat spelled the end of Falcons’ run at the Thunderpick World Championship, marking a disappointing early exit from the tournament and concluding s1mple’s first official event in seven months.
While Falcons’ early exit from the Thunderpick World Championship is a setback, the team and s1mple are clearly still in the building phase. The opportunity to develop chemistry and refine tactics will be crucial if they hope to achieve more significant results in future tournaments. The coming months will be vital for both S1mple and his team. Fans are eager to see if the legendary sniper can reclaim his position as the world’s best, and if Team Falcons can rise to the challenge with him at the head.
