In a supriseing move that has sent suprisewaves throughout the CS2 community, FaZe has announced that they have benched Helvijs “broky” Saukants and signed Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyljev on loan from Natus Vincere, ahead of the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025. This bold move has left fans and analysts alike scrambling to make sense of the sudden change in FaZe’s roster.
The benching of broky, a player who has been with FaZe since 2019, comes as no surprise to those who have been following his recent form. The Latvian AWPer has been struggling for months, and his performances have been a shadow of his former self. However, the signing of s1mple, widely regarded as the best CS:GO player of all time, is a different story altogether.
S1mple’s return to the pro scene is a significant one, considering he has been away from competitive play since November 2024, when he and Falcons failed to qualify for the Perfect World Shanghai Major. Despite his impressive resume, s1mple has yet to prove himself in CS2, having played only a few tournaments for Falcons on loan. This lack of experience in the new game makes his signing by FaZe a high-risk, high-reward move.
FaZe clan roster (Image via Getty)The implications of this signing are far-reaching, and it has the potential to either make or break FaZe. The team has struggled this year, following the departure of Robin “ropz” Kool to Vitality, and has only made deep runs at PGL Cluj-Napoca and PGL Bucharest. The addition of s1mple could be just what the team needs to turn their fortunes around, but it could also lead to a disastrous outcome if the Ukrainian superstar fails to adapt to FaZe’s playstyle.
S1mple will make his debut for FaZe at IEM Dallas, which kicks off on May 19th, and will have roughly two weeks of practice with the team before the tournament begins. This short period of time will be crucial in determining how well s1mple can adapt to FaZe’s playbook and tactical protocols.
As s1mple is known for his aggressive playstyle, which is a departure from broky’s more cautious approach, it may take some time for players like Finn “karrigan” Andersen and Håvard “rain” Nygaard to adjust to his way of playing. The duo has been playing with broky for an extended period, with karrigan and rain having played with broky since 2021 and 2019 respectively.
FaZe clan roster (Image via Getty)Broky’s benching marks the end of an era for the Latvian AWPer, who joined FaZe as a promising player from the FACEIT Pro League (FPL) and became a key part of the team, helping them win various championships, including an Intel Grand Slam in 2023 and the PGL Antwerp Major in 2022.
The success of this experiment will depend on how well s1mple can adapt to FaZe’s playstyle and how the team can gel with their new player. If the partnership works out, broky could find himself back in the team after the BLAST.tv Austin Major, but if things don’t click, it could spell the end of his time with FaZe. Only time will tell if FaZe’s gamble will pay off, but one thing is certain – the CS2 terrain has just gotten a lot more interesting. As quoted, no words were altered.
