Interview with s1mple for HLTV

CS2 / News / 20 January 2021 — 16:11

Oleksandr was ranked second

Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev is ranked as the second best player of 2020 by HLTV.org. Here is an interview with the Natus Vincere player.

The year obviously started out great for you, as you qualified for the BLAST Finals, placed second at ICE Challenge, and peaked with the dominant win at IEM Katowice. What made the team click so quickly with Perfecto? How did you enjoy the return to the AWPing role - is that where you're most comfortable now?

Oleksandr «s1mple» Kostyliev

I I I

I think that the team clicked so fast thanks to good roles and our coach, who distributed them and set our team's gameplay. Regarding the AWP, I always felt most comfortable with it, and it was a good experience to be a rifler before the arrival of Ilya ( Perfecto).

Why do you think NAVI couldn't keep up that level as a team going into the online era?

Oleksandr «s1mple» Kostyliev

I I I

I think it's connected to our last online match, prior to the online era, being two years ago. Later, we started playing better, more or less.

How much do you think you were affected by the pandemic? Did much change for you in terms of the way you prepared or how much motivation you had as a team and individually?

Oleksandr «s1mple» Kostyliev

I I I

I think it affected our team positively, as we always gained form during bootcamps and tournaments, but this year there were a lot of problems connected to this. Perhaps we stopped feeling the significance of the matches as there were too many of them and they were the same. Personally, my motivation remained at the same level and it didn't even cross my mind that it could disappear somehwere.

In an otherwise very consistent year, NAVI seemed to struggle against regional competition in the CIS. Can you explain why, in your opinion?

Oleksandr «s1mple» Kostyliev

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As I mentioned before, we really haven't played online matches in a while, especially against CIS teams. As far as I remember our individual forms at these tournaments would dip, and it would be different for each person. Also, we were told that it is likely that these qualifiers could bear no significance if the Major doesn't take place.

What was the thinking behind adding B1t as a sixth player and what has that brought to the team so far?

Oleksandr «s1mple» Kostyliev

I I I

Andrey ( B1ade) saw issues on one of our maps and came to this decision. Besides, the 6-man system worked well for Team Vitality, where a player like Nivera could demonstrate a stable performance on maps he's comfortable on.

How do you reflect on the last year in general and how much you achieved?

Oleksandr «s1mple» Kostyliev

I I I

I would say that our team showed consistent results in 2020, but we lacked tournament victories. I wouldn't say that we achieved anything extraordinary, but we've clearly made progress as a team with new players.

What was your favorite memory of 2020 and why? Do any particular matches stand out in your mind?

Oleksandr «s1mple» Kostyliev

I I I

I think my favorite memory is our victory in Katowice, even though there weren't any viewers. We showed our dominance over other teams, and that was a fantastic feeling. My most memorable match was during the ESL Pro League finals, where we lost against Astralis. We lost on Train, but the actual comeback before the overtimes was wonderful.

What about the toughest challenge in 2020, or a bad period?

Oleksandr «s1mple» Kostyliev

I I I

The most unpleasant thing was losing our last finals and realising that we won't be able to gather as a team on bootcamp, because the time you can spend in the country where our bootcamp is based is capped at three months. Because of the coronavirus it was difficult for us to gather and train even better.

What are your wishes and goals for 2021?

Oleksandr «s1mple» Kostyliev

I I I

My goal is my team's goal: become even better and become the #1 team. I hope LAN events return and we'll finally meet each other at the world stage with an unbelievable amount of viewers. We'll once more feel that competitive spirit and enjoy the moment.

Bold prediction: Name at least one up-and-coming player who you think has the potential to reach a top level in the next few years

Oleksandr «s1mple» Kostyliev

I I I

Woro2k. He might only be playing FPL, and he might not make it this year, but in a year's time he definitely will. His level of mastery allows him to play his own game, he finds the correct timings and offers interesting ideas.