Ukrainian superstar s1mple has once again proven his importance on the Counter-Strike scene. After a 229-day hiatus, his much-anticipated return took place on Monday at the Thunderpick World Championship 2024. Although this online event is not among the largest tournaments, it attracted significant attention.

The interest in s1mple's return is not only due to his reputation but also because he is one of the greatest figures in the history of the game. Even in the absence of top-tier opponents or a major offline stage, his participation in the tournament immediately increased the level of interest, especially among fans.

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Return to the server after a long break

s1mple's appearance on the server became the main event of Thunderpick World Championship 2024. For the first time in 229 days, he put on his headphones and joined his new team Falcons. The tournament, though online, gathered a large number of viewers, further confirming his popularity among esports fans.

In one day, s1mple played two matches: the first against 3DMAX, and then with Virtus.pro. In both cases, his gameplay was a sensation, as many eagerly awaited to see the form of the legendary player after such a long absence.

Impressive viewer numbers

While Thunderpick World Championship 2024 is not a major tournament, s1mple's comeback was the main source of interest for viewers. According to Esports Charts, the match between Falcons and 3DMAX gathered 197,795 viewers, and the second match with Virtus.pro broke this record, attracting 247,082 viewers. For comparison, the third most popular game between Virtus.pro and OG gathered only 90,001 viewers, highlighting how much s1mple's return increased attention to the tournament.

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Results and future

Despite the impressive viewership numbers, Falcons' performance was short-lived: the team lost both of their matches with a score of 2-0 and was eliminated from the tournament. Nevertheless, s1mple's return, even in such a minor league by the standards of major events, demonstrated that his impact on esports remains enormous.

Viewers eagerly await his future performances, as this comeback confirmed that the Ukrainian player remains one of the most significant figures in the world of Counter-Strike.

Source: Esports Charts