A Falcons Win in Cluj-Napoca Could Start Something Great

EliGE hitting his stride, frozen looking sharper than ever, and broky and rain packing a punch. Well, none of that seemed to matter yesterday for the tournament favorites at PGL Cluj Napoca 2025 as Falcons took down the beast that FaZe has been this tournament.

And what a way to do it. Falcons looked in their best ever form with this current roster. NiKo’s new viewmodel was somehow working wonders, degster had highlight-reel moments, kyxsan proved that a “fragging IGL” isn’t a myth in 2025, and, of course, Magisk did what Magisk does best. But this win carries an ominous weight for what’s to come this season.

The start hasn’t been easy for Falcons

Let’s not beat around the bush, this Falcons roster wasn’t exactly the org’s first choice. But when VRS forced their hand to secure a core for invites, their options were limited. That did in fact spark debate, was this roster better than the G2 one, and did NiKo make the right call? For most, the answer was a resounding “No.”

Still, the long-term vision of stacking more stars and molding this team into a so-called “super team” was enough of a driving force for NiKo to take the leap. And that’s what always bugged me, if the plan was that obvious, then the pressure on this roster runs far deeper than what meets the eye. Pressure has crushed many before. Even the previous iteration of Falcons led by Snappi couldn’t get much done despite s1mple stepping in for a couple of stints.

The start of this season suggested more of the same. A quick exit at BLAST Bounty Season 1, followed by a barren run at IEM Katowice 2025. Even here in Cluj-Napoca, their journey was anything but smooth. A loss to paiN early on, then barely scraping through three-map series against Astralis, MOUZ, and Eternal Fire. That’s why this clean 2-0 win over FaZe might just be the foothold Falcons needed.

Implications of winning Cluj-Napoca

For many players on this roster, this could be their first taste of real success, or at least, their first in a long time. NiKo has his BLAST World Finals 2024 trophy, sure. But degster? No big event wins. Kyxsan? Nada. TeSeS’ last triumph was BLAST Spring Final 2023, nearly two years ago. Magisk’s last major victory was Gamers8 in August 2023. A win here at Cluj-Napoca might be the blood in the water this team needs to sharpen their teeth.

The Austin Major is just around the corner, and the battlefield is already heating up. National teams like Eternal Fire and The MongolZ are making waves, Spirit and Vitality have already flexed their muscles, FaZe is still a powerhouse, G2 can pull off miracles on a good day, and now Falcons have thrown their hat into the ring.

People have been complaining that the VRS system keeps the same teams in all the big events. Well, if the competition is this cutthroat, I say bring it on.