Recent Changes in the FaZe Clan Roster

FaZe Clan has recently announced a notable decision to bench their long-standing AWPer, Helvijs “broky” Saukants. They will be bringing in Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev from Natus Vincere as a short-term substitute. This move occurs just before the Austin Major, which is stirring reactions in the Counter-Strike community. The recent performances of the roster have not been up to the expected standard. Thus, this strategic change could provide them with the needed push towards improvement.

Helvijs “broky” Saukants, a Latvian sniper, had been a significant part of the FaZe Clan for nearly six years. As such, his removal from the team marks the end of an extended and fruitful period. FaZe Clan has now confirmed signing Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev on loan to fill in for Broky in the scheduled BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025. The official announcement of this move was made on May 5, 2025.

Details of the Transfer

The three-time Player of the Year, s1mple, is being brought in to aid FaZe Clan in elevating their performance level for the upcoming major. The switch in the roster was decided upon just a few weeks after s1mple had criticized FaZe Clan in a freestyle rap. In the song performed during a stream on April 11, 2025, he targeted broky’s AWP skills and described them as “absolute trash.”

Prior Speculations and Context

Before this official statement of the transfer, rumors were floating around about s1mple joining the FaZe Clan. During a stream in April, s1mple was asked about possibly joining the team, to which he quite openly criticized them in a freestyling song. He was particularly critical of broky’s AWP skills and mentioned he had no desire to join FaZe, calling them out for their poor performance.

Despite his rough comments, the events took a surprising turn with this loan arrangement. FaZe Clan probably felt the urge to make a strong move with their competitive stance seeming to waver, especially with broky reportedly not up to par in recent times. Having one of the most acclaimed players in the game joining the team just before a major tournament, indeed, signifies a considerable shift within the competitive CS2 scene. This decision will continue to reverberate within the Counter-Strike community, providing a much-anticipated subplot heading into the Austin Major.