Magisk on s1mple: “No one will ever come close to him in terms of the impact he’s had on the community.”

As a professional athlete, I think one of the biggest challenges is constantly finding the motivation and reasons to keep moving forward, especially when you’ve already achieved the goals you set for yourself. As for me, I’ve always been the kind of person who’s willing to put others first, to make room for others, and to let others take the spotlight. And I think that’s exactly why my new role as captain—as the in-game leader—suits me so well. At the same time, over time, people have come to view this role as one of the most important. Being an IGL is a huge responsibility, but at the same time, it’s a tremendous honor to become one of the best captains in the world.

I wouldn’t say I feel more pressure. I think there’s always pressure—for both young and experienced players. It just manifests itself differently. When you’re young, you want to make it to the big stage, to be part of the place where everyone dreams of playing. And as you get older, the situation is similar: you want to stay in demand, stay at the top, play big matches, and compete for titles. So the pressure remains the same; it’s just the reasons that change. After all, I’ve already become part of history. I’ve helped build a legacy that very few can boast of. And that thought is always in the back of my mind.

device was a very serious contender for the title of greatest. But then, I think, s1mple took that spot. However, to be honest, after the last year and a half that Team Vitality has had, I believe that ZywOo has now surpassed him. He’s won everything in CS:GO and won everything in CS2. And I think s1mple still has something to prove in CS2 specifically if he wants to be considered the greatest player of all time. At this point, though, I’d still pick ZywOo because he’s racked up a huge number of titles, MVP awards, and everything else. But when it comes to influence on the community—and greatness isn’t just about titles, medals, and achievements—there’s no doubt about it: s1mple is the greatest of all time. No one will ever come close to him in terms of the impact he’s had on the community, the fans, and the game as a whole.

My task is quite simple: to create good conditions for them so they can make the right decisions in duels, and to understand how to help them find themselves in the most comfortable positions. Of course, that’s much easier said than done. But if I can ensure they consistently find themselves in those situations, I think that’s when they’ll be able to exceed expectations and perform at an even higher level than before. That’s why it’s very important for me to help them relax a bit. I want them to feel comfortable on the team and to feel trusted. But at the same time, I want them to respect me enough that when I tell them not to do something, they understand: it’s not that I don’t trust them. It’s just that I see the situation differently and believe that right now we need to act differently. This comes with experience, with mistakes, with victories, and with defeats. It comes through discussing gameplay situations.