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Photo via BLAST

After a whirlwind return to competitive CS2, legendary AWPer s1mple still isn’t quite sure where he’ll end up next, but one thing’s clear: he’s not done yet.

In FaZe Clan’s post-Austin Major vlog, the Ukrainian superstar opened up about his short stint with the team and his outlook on the future. Over the course of just one month, s1mple suited up for FaZe in two big events—IEM Dallas and Austin Major—and he seems to have enjoyed every second of it.

“I enjoyed. From Dallas, even when we played with Filipo (skullz) and the bootcamp after, I enjoyed,” s1mple said with a smile. “Actually I like all of those guys. We had fun.”

S1mple looked back on his short but sweet stay in FaZe. Photo via BLAST

The recognized CS:GO GOAT joined FaZe on loan from NAVI after taking a break from competitive play following his three-month loan spell in Team Falcons that ended in December 2024. 

At IEM Dallas, FaZe visibly struggled, with s1mple still new to the team and skullz just standing in for rain. They bombed out of the group stage with a single match win and two defeats. S1mple wasn’t quite in form, but fans still caught flashes of his brilliance in those three series.

Things started to click more heading to the Austin Major, where the full roster, including rain, reunited for bootcamp. By the time the Major Stage 2 came around, s1mple’s comeback was on full display as he landed his trademark AWP flicks and made clutch moments. His performance against The MongolZ in Stage 3 was vintage, where he dropped a dominant 37-18 KD and posted a 1.47 rating in their clean 2-0 sweep to lock in a playoff spot.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1933949698655597006

However, in the quarterfinals, FaZe couldn’t repeat their success against MongolZ, losing 0-2 and finishing tied for 5th-8th. Despite the roaring support from the Austin crowd, the Asian powerhouse squad’s cohesion from playing numerous tournaments together proved too strong for FaZe to break.

With the first Major of the CS2 2025 calendar wrapped, so too ended s1mple’s run with FaZe. And according to HLTV editor-in-chief Striker, it’s not turning into a permanent deal. “I’ve 100% heard that s1mple is not signing with FaZe,” he said in a recent HLTV Confirmed podcast episode.

Lots of uncertainties about the GOAT’s CS2 future. Photo via HLTV

That means the renowned North American organization won’t be buying s1mple out of his current NAVI contract, which still runs for a few more months following a three-year extension he signed back in late 2022. So far, there’s been no indication that NAVI plans to bring him back into the main lineup either.

Still, s1mple isn’t sweating it. Whether it’s FaZe, NAVI, or somewhere else entirely, he’s determined to stay in the game.

“We will see what’s gonna happen. But I’m pretty sure I will find a new home until end of this year,” he said. “Even if FaZe is not going to buy me (or) if NAVI don’t want to let me go back, I’ll still find a home because I want to play.”