Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev has once again found himself at the center of controversy — this time following public criticism from former MOUZ player Chris “chrisJ” de Jong. After FaZe’s quarterfinal exit from the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025, the Dutch veteran called out s1mple for skipping a team dinner, implying a lack of team integration. s1mple didn’t hold back in his response, sparking a heated debate across the CS2 community.
Post-FaZe Elimination Drama
After FaZe’s shocking 0–2 loss to The MongolZ in the quarterfinals of BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025, former MOUZ player Chris “chrisJ” de Jong stirred controversy by calling out Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev for allegedly lacking team spirit. According to him, FaZe’s downfall could’ve been predicted after s1mple skipped a team dinner celebrating head coach NEO’s birthday.
“After watching karrigan’s vlog, I realized FaZe would lose in the quarters, because s1mple didn’t attend the team dinner for NEO’s birthday. Unless something serious happened in his personal life, not taking part in team events is a red flag and should not happen,” chrisJ wrote on X.
After I watched Karrigan’s vlog I knew FaZe was going to lose in the quarterfinals; because s1mple didn’t attend the team dinner for NEO’s birthday.
Unless there was an emergency in s1mple’s personal life, not participating in team activities is -EV and shouldn’t happen.
— Chris de Jong (@chrisJcsgo) June 21, 2025
s1mple Hits Back
s1mple wasn’t having it. Responding directly, he explained that his absence was personal:
“Everyone came with their girlfriends or wives. I’m not in a relationship.”
But the Ukrainian star didn’t stop there — closing his reply with:
“U dumb as fu**, best regards.”
Community Reaction
The situation quickly went viral, dividing the CS community. Some backed s1mple, arguing he has every right to set personal boundaries and that informal social events are not mandatory. Others agreed with chrisJ, emphasizing the importance of team bonding ahead of high-stakes playoff matches.
“Or!!! You could listen to any of the interviews with simple where he clearly says that the crowd makes him nervous these days and he needs to work on it because it affects his performance. No connecting dots or anything”
“bros speaking on shit he knows nothing about again?”
One fan wrote on X, echoing the general tone of the pushback from s1mple’s supporters, especially in the Ukrainian scene.
What’s Next for s1mple and FaZe?
This drama adds fuel to the ongoing discussion about s1mple’s temporary status on FaZe. While he’s currently playing on loan, it remains unclear whether the organization sees a long-term future with the star — and whether he’s willing to fully commit to the team environment.
