Counter-Strike icon s1mple has delivered countless legendary moments over his storied career, but one highlight continues to resonate above all the rest.
On July 9, 2016, during the ESL One: Cologne Major, a young s1mple, then playing for Team Liquid, etched his name into Counter-Strike‘s history books with one of the most iconic plays ever witnessed. The scene was set during the second map of their semifinal clash against Swedish giants Fnatic.
With Liquid up 1-0 in the series and leading 9-4 on Cache, the North American squad aimed to further tighten their grip on the match as Round 14 began. Despite only having two AKs, Fnatic managed to turn the round in their favor. Olofmeister claimed a double kill to make a 3v5 into a much more manageable 2v3 for KRIMZ and dennis. The two then whittled the odds down to a 2v1, leaving s1mple alone against them.
The Fnatic duo then pushed toward the B site, and s1mple gave chase, taking position in Heaven. Dennis had already made it to the site, while KRIMZ held an angle from B Main. What happened next became legend.
In a moment of pure brilliance, s1mple jumped off Heaven and hit a no-scope AWP shot on dennis mid-air. Unaware of what had just happened, KRIMZ peeked Heaven expecting s1mple to still be perched above. But s1mple had already landed, realigned his scope, and fired off another no-scope, this time taking down KRIMZ.
That clutch gave Liquid the momentum to close out Cache 16-13, and complete a stunning 2-0 sweep of Fnatic in the series. Though Liquid eventually fell to Brazilian powerhouse SK Gaming in the grand final, s1mple’s magical moment became immortalized through a graffiti tribute on the map and an unforgettable commentary call by James Bardolph.
Even nearly a decade later, fans continue to celebrate the play as one of Counter-Strike’s most magical moments. “To this day one of the greatest things in CS I’ve witnessed with my own two eyes,” one fan said on Reddit.
“No one has the presence and the magic he had in his prime. Prime s1mple was the most entertaining player and the best of all time,” another fan chimed in. “That’s why he’s my GOAT. Zywoo (is) nice and all but where (are) the timeless magical highlights?” another one said.
For those lucky enough to witness s1mple’s magical play live at the Cathedral of Counter-Strike (nickname for the Lanxess Arena), the memory is even more vivid.
“I was there. At first, we didn’t realize what did hit us. Then we saw the replay, we lost our sh*t. Amazing times. I missed the Cathedral of Counter-Strike,” one fan reminisced. “I was here. I’m never gonna forget the crowd when this moment happened. Everyone lost their mind,” another one recalled.
Since then, s1mple has gone on to claim numerous titles and individual accolades with NAVI, continuing to deliver exceptional performances and highlight reels. While his CS2 career remains in limbo, that single moment at Cologne serves as a timeless reminder of why many regard him as the CS GOAT.
Now, with IEM Cologne 2025 on the horizon, fans are eagerly anticipating yet another legendary moment at the Cathedral of Counter-Strike.
