Falcons crash and burn at the BLAST Austin Major, but at least the roster change won’t be awkward

Oh dearie me, Falcons. It wasn’t supposed to be like this, was it? A 2:1 defeat at the hands of MIBR has seen the big-money roster crash and burn out of the BLAST Austin Major 2025, dropping out of the 1:2 bracket in Stage 2. For each player on the roster, this 20th-22nd finish is their worst result ever in a Major. For the likes of NiKo and m0NESY, it’s a far cry from their Semi-Final finish at Shanghai just six months ago. All of a sudden, Snax doesn’t look too bad, ay?

Falcons lose the battle of who wants it less

When Falcons went head-to-head for survival against MIBR at the BLAST Austin Major, you’d be forgiven for seeing the 2:1 score and the 22:20 overtime on map three, and thinking this was a match filled with quality. A war of attrition between two teams fighting to keep their spot in the biggest CS2 event of the year. The reality was anything but.

No, this was truly a battle of who wanted it less. A series so devoid of quality, it makes NIP vs. Amkal look like prime Astralis vs. 2015 Fnatic in comparison. At one point, Falcons had a 5v3 post-plant to win it all, which they somehow threw away in seemingly impossible fashion. To describe it as a train wreck would almost be too kind.

THE 3VS5 TO SEND US TO TRIPLE OVERTIME! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/euBxhKU8Ko

— BLAST Premier 💥 (@BLASTPremier) June 9, 2025

It’s easy to look at the scoreboard on the Inferno decider and point a finger at NiKo. 18 kills across 42 rounds is borderline harrowing numbers from a star rifler, and it will do him no favors to shake off the ChoKo mantle that seems to loom over his Major performances like a shadow. But the reality is Falcons had their chances to close this one out. Two match points thrown away. This was a team mess, and they all played their role.

At least that roster change won’t be awkward for Falcons

Circumstances were strange for Falcons coming into the Major. Despite being touted among the favorites to win in Austin (behind Vitality), it was no secret that they’re a dead roster. Falcons have already arranged for an extortionate amount of money to be lobbed in Spirit’s direction for their academy prodigy kyousuke, replacing one of Magisk or TeSeS (if this MIBR series was an audition to save their skin, they both failed).

Falcons could have been crowned champions of the BLAST Austin Major 2025, and they would still have to drop one of the two for the young rifler. “Thanks for helping us win, but you’re out, buddy.” As far as awkward conversations go, that one would be right up there for whoever would’ve had to have it.

If there’s any silver lining for Falcons to take from this event, it’s the fact that this conversion simply doesn’t have to happen anymore. Sure, Falcons results have largely been pretty good in 2025, but bombing out of a Major you were widely expected to be Finalists in is as good an excuse as any to try something different heading into the second half of the year.