Following many star-studded years of competing at one of the highest levels in esports, Oleksandr ‘s1mple’ Kostyliev has been crowned the Best CSGO Player of the Decade. Behind closed doors, a panel of seventy-five iconic CSGO players voted for the person who was the most deserving of this award, and of course, that person was s1mple. For several years, s1mple has been a world-class competitor, fighting relentlessly to be classed as the greatest player in the game.
He has been playing competitively for a decade, has secured almost $2 million in earnings, and has proven himself a world-champion CSGO player. With Natus Vincere, s1mple has worked to set the CSGO bar for more than six years, winning trophy after trophy. He’s an award-winning player in more ways than one, securing not just this accolade, but also Esports Awards, and Player of the Year awards.
This could be the feather in s1mple’s cap, as out of every player to compete over the course of a decade, he’s the best.
For Every Cloud
Image Credit: BLAST
At the IEM Rio Major, Natus Vincere was dealt a crushing blow at the hands of FURIA, being forcefully ejected from the competition. It was a hard-struck hit for the team, which many thought would go on to win the ultimate prize in the end. Nonetheless, Natus Vincere bowed out of the tournament, pulling a fifth-place finish overall. Following this devastating result, s1mple received his award – and he was grateful for it, despite the loss.
He remained humble as he accepted his award, saying:
‘The game changed my life. I just want to play, play, play.’
Reportedly, thirteen of the best CSGO players were voted on, and s1mple topped that list. He was closely followed by dev1ce, f0rest, karrigan, FalleN, and coldzera. This list was apparently put together based on these players’ contributions to the CSGO scene, the esports industry, and their level of play and in-game consistency. It was a monumental moment for s1mple, who, bizarrely, didn’t win his first Major until 2021, when Natus Vincere struck gold at the PG
Esports.net
