Not long ago, we wondered whether the return of the legendary Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev to the big stages of Counter-Strike with FaZe Clan was a good idea: the numbers say yes. His debut match recorded a peak of 800,000 simultaneous viewers at IEM Dallas, a number that some major finals barely reach. We’re talking about a preliminary match (not a semifinal or final) that is almost three times the average viewership for a match at this stage of a tournament.
The monstrous Team Vitality, fresh off a Grand Slam, for example, attracted “only” 330,000 viewers at this stage of the tournament. Of course, this is an extraordinary event, but it means that s1mple can still move mountains when it comes to Counter Strike. His performance was not outstanding, but the Ukrainian champion defended himself well, pulling off a couple of clutches and even a double kill with an AWP.
FaZe Clan lost to Team Liquid in their debut match, won against BC.Game Sports, and lost again to Heroic, earning a respectable 9-12th place tie with Team Liquid and Furia. FaZe Clan’s move, therefore, can be described as a non-competitive but media success because never before, at least in the last two years, have so many eyes been on the American organization’s Counter-Strike team.
The world of sports has taught the world of esports that legends are not only hard to kill but are worth their weight in gold. Now, however, Natus Vincere, the organization from which s1mple was borrowed, is waiting for the champion at the door to see whether to sign him again and turn him into a magnet for views, or whether his appeal will have waned by the next major, given the lack of results that have eluded the Ukrainian player since the release of CS 2.
