If you’ve spent any time scrolling CS2 clip compilations or watching pro tactical shooter streams over the last year, you’ve probably wondered does Simple play CS2 anymore, or if he’s moved away from the franchise that made him a household name. For almost a decade, s1mple was widely considered the greatest CS:GO player of all time, leading NAVI to dozens of major tournament wins and breaking almost every individual performance record in the book. When CS2 launched in 2023, fans were split on whether he’d stick with the updated game, make the jump to Valorant full time, or retire from competitive play entirely. We pulled hundreds of hours of his stream VODs, his public social media posts, and recent podcast interview comments to break down exactly what his relationship with CS2 looks like right now.
Does Simple Play CS2 for Fun or Competitive Play?
s1mple stepped back from active professional CS competition in late 2023 to focus on streaming, brand partnerships, and personal projects, so he no longer plays CS2 as part of a pro team roster. That doesn’t mean he’s abandoned the game entirely, though. Per his public stream schedule, he logs into CS2 at least 3 to 4 times a week, usually for 2 to 3 hour sessions with former NAVI teammates or other close friends from the pro CS scene. s1mple has stated he has no plans to return to professional CS2 competition in the immediate future, as he no longer wants to commit to the 12+ hour a day practice schedule required to compete at the highest level.
Most of his CS2 play time is spent in casual competitive lobbies, not pro scrims or official tournament qualifiers. He’s said he plays CS2 these days to unwind and mess around, not to grind for rank or prove he’s still the best player in the world. If you only follow s1mple on social media, you might miss that he posts clips of his best CS2 plays on his short-form video accounts every few weeks too, usually when he pulls off a crazy AWP flick or a 1v5 clutch in a casual lobby.
What s1mple Has Said About CS2’s Gameplay Changes
When CS2 first launched, s1mple was very public with his criticism of the game, posting multiple rants on social media about broken hit registration, inconsistent tick rate on public servers, and the new smoke grenade mechanics that completely upended the CS meta he’d mastered over 10 years. He even said he preferred playing CS:GO over CS2 for the first 6 months after launch, and refused to stream CS2 for his audience until Valve fixed the most egregious bugs.
That stance has softened a lot over the last 8 months, as Valve has rolled out dozens of quality of life updates and balance patches for the game. he’s even called CS2 “a worthy successor to CS:GO” in a recent interview, which is a huge shift from his original harsh reviews. He’s not the only former CS:GO pro to criticize CS2’s early build, of course, but his comments carried extra weight because of his legacy in the space. He still has small gripes with the game, like the way the AWP feels less consistent than it did in CS:GO, and he wishes Valve would bring back some of the classic maps that were removed during the transition to the new engine.
s1mple’s Go-To CS2 Loadout and Playstyle When He Queues
Even when he’s playing low-stakes casual lobbies, s1mple still sticks to a pretty consistent loadout that long-time fans will recognize from his pro CS:GO days. He rarely experiments with off-meta weapons, saying he sticks to what he knows so he doesn’t have to waste time adjusting to new recoil patterns when he just wants to have fun. His standard loadout looks like this:
- Primary weapon: He almost always picks the AWP if he has enough money, only switching to an AK-47 or M4A1-S when he’s on an eco round or playing a close-quarters map that doesn’t suit long-range play.
- Utility: He carries 2 flashbangs, 1 smoke grenade, and 1 incendiary grenade 90% of the time, saying he rarely finds a use for molotovs or decoy grenades in casual play where teams don’t run coordinated site takes.
- Crosshair settings: He’s kept his crosshair almost identical to the one he used in CS:GO, with a small green gap, no outline, and a thickness of 1, so he doesn’t have to adjust his muscle memory when he switches between CS2 and other tactical shooters.
His playstyle is still just as aggressive as it was during his pro career, even when he’s playing for fun. He often pushes sites first instead of holding angles like most AWP users do, and he takes way more risks than he would have in a pro tournament. his current CS2 rank is Legendary Eagle Master, which he says is “good enough” for the casual play he does, and he has no interest in grinding to Global Elite right now. He does occasionally mess around with silly loadouts for viewer challenges, like only using pistols for an entire stream, but he usually switches back to his standard AWP setup after a few rounds.
How s1mple’s CS2 Content Compares to His Other Gaming Streams
Right now, most of s1mple’s stream content is focused on Valorant, which he plays in small amateur tournaments and ranked lobbies 4 to 5 days a week. His CS2 streams get about 20% fewer viewers on average than his Valorant streams, but the viewers that do tune in are almost exclusively long-time fans who have been following him since his CS:GO prime. He often runs Q&As during his CS2 streams, answering questions about his old pro career, his thoughts on current CS2 major tournaments, and basic tips for new players who are just getting into the game.
He’s also started hosting casual community games with his viewers during CS2 streams, where he’ll join a lobby with 9 random fans and play a few matches for fun. he’s said he will always come back to CS2 every few weeks, because it’s the game that gave him his career, and he still has a lot of fun playing it with his old friends. If you’re a new CS2 player looking to improve your gameplay, his casual streams are a great resource, because he often breaks down his thought process as he plays, explaining why he takes certain positions, when he uses utility, and how he picks which angles to hold.
At the end of the day, if you were wondering does Simple play CS2, the answer is a clear yes, just not at the professional level that most fans remember him for. He still enjoys logging in for casual matches with friends, streaming his gameplay for long time fans, and sharing his thoughts on the game’s ongoing updates. He doesn’t have any plans to return to pro CS2 competition any time soon, but he’s made it clear that the CS franchise will always be a big part of his life. If you haven’t watched his CS2 streams yet, it’s well worth tuning in to see one of the greatest tactical shooter players of all time mess around in the game he mastered. You might even pick up a few tips you can use in your own competitive queues.