BACK
[09]
Jan 30, 2026

The legendary s1mple has named himself the best sniper in Counter-Strike 2, mentioning only ZywOo.

Michael Torres
By Michael Torres Video Game News and Features Editor
Last updated: Jan 30, 2026
The legendary s1mple has named himself the best sniper in counter strike 2 mentioning only zywoo

Legendary s1mple Names Himself the Best Sniper in Counter-Strike 2, Only Acknowledging ZywOo

Sniper for BC.Game, Alexander "s1mple" Kostylev IEM Kraków 2026. According to the rules of the game, the esports athlete was supposed to remain silent until the host named a player who was stronger than Alexander in his prime years.

Absolute Dominance

Kostylev ignored the entire list of suggested stars, thereby placing himself above them. Among those s1mple considered weaker than himself were:

  • Legends of the past: kennyS, GuardiaN, FalleN, device.
  • Modern top players: m0NESY, sh1ro, w0nderful, Jame.

The Only Competitor

Only one name elicited a reaction from Alexander. When the nickname of Mathieu "ZywOo" Herbaut was called, Kostylev also remained silent, but after the timer ended, he gave a brief comment.

"He was close," acknowledged s1mple, assessing the level of the French Vitality sniper.

This moment sparked a lively reaction in the community: some fans supported the legend's confidence, while others considered the statement debatable, given ZywOo's dominance in 2019–2020. However, s1mple himself has repeatedly emphasized that he considers his peak to be in 2021 — the season in which he became the Major MVP and topped the HLTV ranking.

While s1mple displays confidence outside the game, his team is experiencing a difficult start at IEM Kraków 2026. BC.Game confidently defeated Legacy, but then lost to 3DMAX in the decisive match for a slot in the main stage of the tournament. Now the team must fight through the lower bracket.

On January 30 at 6:00 PM Moscow time, BC.Game will face Ninjas in Pyjamas. This will be an elimination match: the loser leaves the tournament, the winner continues the fight for a spot in the main part of IEM Kraków.

The day before, G2 Esports snatched victory from Team Liquid in a dramatic showdown, securing a slot in the group stage. Despite a heroic performance from the "Liquid" sniper, Ilya Osipov's team proved stronger in the decisive moments of the series and advanced further.

Earlier, the captain of paiN Gaming shared expectations for the match against B8, highlighting the main threat in the opponent's camp. Rodrigo Bittencourt admitted that he is most wary of npl's actions, who could cause serious problems for the Brazilians in the elimination match.