broky has been benched by FaZe. Rest in peace to the final of FaZe’s three musketeers.

It’s been a long time coming, though, his stats just haven’t been good enough this year. So, while we aren’t surprised at all, we can’t help but feel a little sad.

Prime broky is some of the most fun Counter-Strike has ever been. A flashy AWPer that plays like a grandpa until it’s time to pull a clutch out of his arse, he also had an innate ability to man-mark an opposing AWPer out of a game, and his peak level is one that is hard for anyone to match.

Still, when it’s time to go, it’s time to go. This was his time to bid farewell.

If you have any doubts over the decision because of some affinity for him, we can respect it, but just look at FaZe’s recent documentary. This is clearly a fractured team with completely shot mental. A change had to happen, and given the impact of the AWP and the players available to them, broky was the most logical player to go.

And let’s be fair - you can’t go wrong with replacing anyone with s1mple.

Or can you?

s1mple isn’t the player he once was, we all know that. Even if you give him the benefit of the doubt for only ever playing on god awful Falcons teams in his professional CS2 games thus far, the old s1mple would’ve carried them to the Major. 2024 s1mple did not.

His mentality will definitely help. s1mple is a born winner who demands everything from his teammates. If a break hasn’t changed that, s1mple’s personality is the exact thing FaZe need in their camp right now.

We just have to hope that his level is still there.

Until s1mple officially calls time on his career, Counter-Strike needs its GOAT to be exactly that. A superstar. We haven’t seen that s1mple in a long time, and boy, are we excited to see it potentially return.

But we need to be clear on one thing: if we don’t see superstar s1mple on FaZe, if they crash out in Austin like they have everywhere else this year, we’re never going to see that s1mple again.

This is his last chance. Let’s hope he takes it.

Oh, and just because this is a newsletter and we do news here, FaZe have also picked up skullz as a stand-in for rain at IEM Dallas. Don’t care? Yeah, we didn’t either.

rain is fine btw, he’s just having another kid. Congrats, king.