Undeniable aura: s1mple draws massive audience in epic CS2 career revival

As a die-hard CSGO fan with a soft spot for Ukrainian legends, I can confidently say that s1mple’s return to Counter-Strike 2 has been nothing short of electrifying! Despite his team, Falcons, bowing out early in the Thunderpick World Championship, the sheer excitement and anticipation surrounding his comeback was palpable.

Alexander “s1mple” Kostyljev has returned to Counter-Strike 2 after several months away, and his more than 240,000 followers were eagerly awaiting this moment.

In a surprising turn, s1mple’s return with his new team Falcons in the CS2 event didn’t go as planned, as they were eliminated swiftly without winning a single map against Virtus.pro. However, fans of the 27-year-old Ukrainian star have enthusiastically declared that the CS:GO icon appears to be making a strong comeback and is even surpassing his previous form following their loss.

As a dedicated fan, I found the star AWPer a touch more amiable about the outcome, yet the brilliance he showcased throughout the two series left me eagerly anticipating Falcons’ upcoming events. Will s1mple and the team manage to transform his resurgence into trophies? Let’s wait and see!

Thunderpick viewership record shattered with s1mple’s return

Just as anticipated, Thunderpick’s World Championship saw records shattered swiftly following s1mple’s entry into the CS2 server. Approximately 200,000 viewers tuned in to catch the Falcons versus 3DMAX match, which kicked off the tournament, based on Esports Charts data.

Undeniable aura: s1mple draws massive audience in epic CS2 career revival

An additional 50,000 spectators joined later in the day to witness the Falcons’ elimination game against VP. Although numerous viewers departed following s1mple’s elimination, his impact remains significant. The viewership record for Thunderpick was previously set during last year’s group stage match between BIG and FURIA, which attracted 144,317 concurrent viewers.

Over 100,000 additional spectators flocked to s1mple’s comeback match during the group stage, indicating a strong interest even after his extended absence from the scene and publicized dislike for CS2. It seems that fans are eager not to miss out on watching this star perform live once again.

According to s1mple, the poor outcome was due to insufficient preparation and numerous errors made by the team. He added that they had only been rehearsing for around ten days, explaining their rocky start on Telegram. [Paraphrased via CS2News on X/Twitter]

He noted that making preparations and correcting errors requires time. It’s essential to understand that, although S1mple has worked with the Falcons before, this is an entirely new team for him. There’s a lot of rust he needs to remove before he can function optimally on the server once more.

Despite that setback on Anubis, we still managed to catch prime s1mple in action for several rounds during CS2. In the initial skirmish on Nuke against 3DMAX, he truly shone, racking up a staggering 26 kills and numerous game-changing clutches. Unfortunately, they ended up losing that match.

In the face of VP’s VP and ex-teammate Denis “electronic” Sharipov, S1mple maintained a cordial stance, leading the scoreboard with a 1.24 HLTV rating, even after the loss of 0-2. Interestingly, among all Falcons players in their elimination game, only S1mple managed to record a positive score.

After that point, the audience has started tuning out from the event. Although Thunderpick’s group stage carries on until late October, the number of simultaneous peaks has fallen below 100,000, despite the event becoming more intense. This decline in viewership is easy to understand.

In the world of Counter-Strike, S1mple’s reputation is nothing short of iconic. This three-time Player of the Year has amassed more than a dozen top-tier tournament victories and MVP awards, a feat achieved before he stepped away from the game at the end of 2023. While on a break, he temporarily filled in for the Falcons during a single event and also contributed to creating a training program for Counter-Strike.

The class turned out to be a dismal flop, drawing heavy criticism from numerous spectators about the superstar’s instructional methods. Consequently, they requested their money back following the decision to make the initiative exclusive.

At the end of the day, s1mple’s best work is done in the server playing competitively. It’s up to Falcons to work with the Ukrainian sniper if they hope to crack the top 10 and add to their trophy cabinet. S1mple and Falcons will suit up in Katowice this week at ESL Challenger, s1mple’s first LAN in over a year.

2024-10-25 02:42