Five brilliant CS2 snipers who can replace s1mple in NAVI

As you already know, Aleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev has announced that he is taking a break from competitive play in Counter-Strike. Currently, the main contender to replace him is Igor "w0nderful" Zhdanov. On paper, such a replacement is the most likely, but there are several factors that could prevent it. That is why we have prepared five players who can become the new sniper of Natus Vincere.

w0nderful won't replace s1mple: perhaps no one will

First of all, we must mention the unreal ability of s1mple to show phenomenal play in difficult and big matches. Aleksandr doesn't get lost in such moments, but seems to play even better, trying to show that he is the one who dictates the rules of the match. With w0nderful, everything is a little different, he lacks stability and experience. During critical moments, Igor does not take the initiative, but trusts the captain or other teammates.

Individual w0nderful statistics for the last six months

Another major factor is that he was speaking for the Russian organization Spirit during Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This page in his history will definitely not please many Ukrainian fans, who would prefer to see NAVI a little weaker, but clean from such stories. Recall, the organization removed Kirill "Boombl4" Mikhailov from the roster precisely because of reputational risks.

Considering these factors, we should not talk about w0nderful's transfer to NAVI as a settled deal before it becomes official.

Aleksandr "hades" Miskiewicz, 9INE, 23 years old

Hades has always been considered one of the most talented snipers of the new generation. He is currently playing quite successfully for the Polish squad 9INE. It was after the arrival of hades that the team started to progress quickly and reached its highest successes. All this has translated into good stats for the last six months: 6.2 rating, 0.71 W/R and 71.37 SSR.

Spinx and hades in ENCE at EPL S15 | ESL Copyright | Adela Sznajder

In addition, the sniper has experience playing in international teams at the highest level: together with ENCE, he reached the playoffs of the PGL Major Antwerp 2022 and took second place at the ESL Pro League Season 15 and IEM Dallas 2022. We would like to remind you that hades is only 23 years old!

Artem "r1nkle" Moroz, B8, 18 years old

R1nkle is one of the best and most effective snipers on the current Counter-Strike 2 Tier 3 scene. Despite his young age (18), he has been repeatedly linked to joining NAVI. However, it was all just talk before. Now this option has become real, and the Ukrainian's confident performance at two RMR tournaments only goes to his advantage.

Although his B8 team hasn't been showing any outstanding results lately, there are no questions about r1nkle's individual performances: 6.2 rating, 0.71 B/P and 74.37 SR. Artem is very stable on all maps and can play not only with AWP, but also with rifle. The biggest issue with him is his lack of appearances in English-speaking squads.

Fritz "slaxz-" Dietrich, ALTERNATE aTTaX, 24 years old

Many people were probably surprised to see the name slaxz- on this list. However, you shouldn't dismiss his candidate too quickly, because lately the German has been showing an unreal game for ALTERNATE aTTaX: 6.6 rating, 0.77 B/P and 76.96 USR.

Yes, he plays at a very low level compared to the same hades, but he has experience in serious tournaments. Together with Sprout slaxz-, he has attended many LAN events, including IEM Rio Major 2022.

Daniil "headtr1ck" Valitov, NIP, 19 years old

For a long time, Headtr1ckwas almost the main talent in the youth ranks who deserved a chance at the Tier 1. Many predicted that the guy would wait for his chance in NAVI, but it didn't happen and he moved to NIP.

headtr1ck at IEM Rio 2023 | ESL Copyright | Luc Bouchon

Headtr1ck did not get lost at the new level and immediately became the leader of the pro team: 6.2 rating, 0.70 B/P and 69.18 USR. During this year, he traveled to various major tournaments and gained experience in important matches, including his first major at BLAST.tv Major Paris 2023. Rumor has it that NAVI even has the right to a priority buyout of headtr1ck from NIP.

Aurélien "afro" Drapier, fnatic, 24 years old

Afro, at the age of 24, is a newcomer to the big Counter-Strike scene. Even joining fnatic seemed like something very unexpected and incomprehensible, because before that, the Frenchman's most famous team was HEET. And he had never spoken English on a professional level.

However, after a few months in the new place, it is clear that afro is an unusual player and has a place on the modern scene: 6.4 rating, 0.73 B/R and 74.58 USR. He plays rather passively, but it is clear that he tries to be useful at every possible moment.

These five snipers represent excellence and incredible skills in the CS2 world. While s1mple is important to NAVI, world-class snipers are not limited to it. These talents can become worthy heirs and continue the team's glorious tradition.