SK trio look to add s1mple and flamie
A trio of SK players are currently in talks with Natus Vincere pair Aleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev and Egor "flamie" Vasilyev, according to HLTV.
The move to acquire the CIS duo comes at a time when both teams have languished in the time following the ELEAGUE Major Boston, where both squads ended the tournament in the semifinals.
Most recently, SK imploded at WESG, which the team had stated was the most important event on the calendar for them. Preceding WESG, Natus Vincere failed to qualify for ECS Season 5, following which both s1mple and flamie opted not to join their national squads in China.
Reportedly on the outs from the Brazilian heavyweights would be long-time member Epitácio "TACO" de Melo and newest addition Ricardo "boltz" Prass. Both players have had a downturn of form in the new year. Despite the team winning three straight events after bringing boltz into the fold, it has been mostly downhill since.
s1mple, on the other hand, has been the one-man engine that has powered Natus Vincere, and has only been getting better since joining the organization in late 2016.
HLTV has reported that the talks for s1mple are further along than flamie, as the buyout for him is proving to be a barrier in negotiations. Both players are tied to Natus Vincere until late 2019.
If the talks are to be successful, the proposed line-up would look as follows:
- Gabriel "FalleN" Toledo
- Fernando "fer" Alvarenga
- Marcelo "cold" David
- Egor "flamie" Vasilyev
- Aleksandr "s1mple" Kostyliev
It is unknown what region the roster would call home, or even what jersey they would wear, as rumors have swirled regarding the current SK squad joining the Immortals organization under a revived Made in Brazil brand.