"In the end, s1mple can cost $500k or $6 mln, or leave for free if the contract ends." OverDrive backpedals his report Rumors
2024-09-09 11:10:00Insider Aleksey "OverDrive" Biryukov commented on his previous report about Oleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev's buyout from NAVI. He specified that he meant only the starting price of potential negotiations. The insider clarified his claims on Telegram.
My information about s1mple's buyout was refuted. Obviously, the actual buyout will be known only after a deal. $3 mln is the starting price.
In the end, he can cost $500k or $6 mln, or he can leave for free if the contract ends. No need to be surprised that the buyout is that big. S1mple has the strongest media presence in esports. His brand recognition is on the level of Counter-Strike itself. It wouldn't surprise me if there were people who have heard of s1mple but haven't heard of the game.
Earlier, Biryukov implied that NAVI were ready to part ways with s1mple if another organization would pay $3 million. The player himself claimed this amount was underestimated. It's unclear if this information comes from actual negotiations or not.
S1mple has a massive following and recognition beyond CS2. He can almost definitely boost an organization's viewership. For example, even Juventus's TikTok once benefitted from his popularity. NAVI's viewership decreased after he went inactive in October 2023. The superstar's contract will end somewhere in 2025. According to s1mple, before that, he remains a hostage of his buyout.
