S1mple Admits A Break From CS:GO Could Be Coming Soon
The jury is rather unanimous as to crowning Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev as the greatest Counter-Strike: Global Offensive player of all time - having won the player of the year accolade twice in the last four years, finishing second in the others, and finally winning a Major Championship. However, as the GOAT slips down HLTV's rankings to second, it could be the time that s1mple steps away from CS:GO, as he's admitted a break is on the cards.
The entire Natus Vincere roster has been affected by off-field circumstances, in particular the ongoing conflict between their native Ukraine and Russia, following the unjust invasion of their home country. Despite flying the flag for peace in Ukraine and helping fund thousands of pounds for the cause, s1mple, more than most, has struggled to focus solely on the game amid the conflict.
Now, following more trouble in the Na'Vi camp with Kirill "Boombl4" Mikhaylov and some poor results by their standard, s1mple has confessed that he might take a step away from the game to focus on some real-life problems.
Why Does s1mple Want A CS:GO Break?
Speaking in an interview with HLTV ahead of the BLAST Premier Spring Final, s1mple admitted that he is tired of living out of the same bag, and that he might take some time off.
Answering questions about his and Na'Vi's future, s1mple said, "I don't know what is going to happen with the organisation and all the players. We still need to decide if we will stick together or if we should do more changes."
Click to enlarge"Maybe I will take a break because I need to do things in life, like I need to move, I need to get a lot of documents... when you have a tournament after tournament you just have no time," he added.
"I live everywhere, just travelling and travelling, and I have become mentally tired of this."
s1mple on the impact of the Ukraine Russia War
The Counter-Strike mogul has often been vocal about supporting his nation and family throughout the ongoing war, but one thing has allowed him to stay focused on competing: stopping FaZe Clan.
After admitting that when the war broke out that the Na'Vi roster was "mentally destroyed", s1mple continued to say that stopping FaZe Clan from winning the BLAST Premier Spring Finals is why he has yet to take such a break.
But after the event, it might be time for s1mple to have some time to himself and protect his family. "I don't have a flat right now or a house where I can always live, that is the main problem. I need to set up my life, I want to play and stream and not worry about other things, not travel with the same bag for six months," he said.
Many other CS:GO greats have taken time out of the game and managed to come back just as good, if not better. However, it would be weird seeing AWP greatness like s1mple and Nicolai "dev1ce" Reedtz battling it out for European and global championships.
