S1mple’s CS2 debut goes horribly wrong as Falcons lose to underdog

It's not what we expected.

Photo taken of s1mple during PGL Antwerp CS:GO Major in 2022. He looks worried as FaZe were winning the grand final.
Photo via PGL

S1mple made his anticipated CS2 debut on March 6 in a match against Metizport at BLAST Premier Spring Showdown 2024. While Team Falcons were the heavy favorite to take the series, they crumbled versus the Swedish underdog.

Recommended Videos

The Ukrainian star took a six-month break from CS2 to focus on his personal life and announced his return at IEM Katowice 2024. Shortly after, he was loaned to Falcons for a month, specifically to compete at BLAST Premier Spring Showdown 2024. So far, it hasn’t been a successful spell, with Falcons losing 2-1 and being eliminated in the first round.

Falcons took the first map, Mirage, with a tight 13-9 scoreline before losing 13-4 on Overpass and 13-11 on Vertigo. S1mple left much to be desired in the series, with the 26-year-old finishing 38-49, Falcons’ second-worst player.

Photo taken of s1mple with his hands behind his back during a CS:GO match of PGL Antwerp Major 2022.
S1mple wasn’t in the best form last night. Photo via PGL

S1mple’s future remains to be seen. The loan to Falcons will end soon, with the team not playing until ESL Pro League Season 19. The squad failed to qualify for PGL CS2 Copenhagen Major, while s1mple’s Natus Vincere booked their spot confidently. They would unlikely use the 26-year-old at the event unless one of their main players gets injured or can’t travel to Denmark.

There will most likely be a roster shuffle after the Major concludes on March 31. Transfers are common after Valve-sponsored tournaments, with organizations looking for ways to fix their lineups following poor results. Teams like Astralis have already made changes following their failure to secure a spot in Copenhagen. S1mple will almost certainly have some options in the coming weeks.

Author
Image of Mateusz Miter
Mateusz Miter
Freelance Writer at Dot Esports. Mateusz previously worked for numerous outlets and gaming-adjacent companies, including ESL. League of Legends or CS:GO? He loves them both. In fact, he wonders which game he loves more every day. He wanted to go pro years ago, but somewhere along the way decided journalism was the more sensible option—and he was right.