When I saw the news about kyousuke potentially joining Falcons, I was excited at first. The Counter-Strike fanbase was about to witness another prodigy stepping into the limelight. But as the news grew on me, I started wondering if Falcons will be the best breakthrough for him into Tier-1 Counter-Strike. One bad decision can cost you your career, no matter how untouchable you think you are. Whether it was coldzera to FaZe, kjaerbye to North, GuardiaN to NAVI, or s1mple’s decision to take a break.
As for Falcons, they have been causing chaos in the scene for a hot while now. I think they earn the hate they have been getting. Sure, maybe they’re making all the “right” moves on paper, picking up star players and positioning themselves as a serious contender. In chasing greatness, they’ve left a trail of wreckage behind, slowly but surely poisoning the ecosystem they claim to be part of.
Okay, I’ve held it in long enough.
Falcons ruined one of the best international teams
Falcons first got their hands on the core of ENCE in December 2023. Now, back then, ENCE had climbed the ladder all the way to the #2 spot in the world rankings. They’d bagged IEM Dallas 2023, finished second at IEM Cologne, and second at Gamers8. At other events, a top-four finish was par for the course.
Then came the move to Falcons, and, well, the wheels came off. It all started decently with a 3rd-4th finish at IEM Katowice 2024, but then the house of cards began to tumble. An early exit from the Major. A 21st-28th place flameout at EPL 19, 9th-12th at IEM Dallas, same story at IEM Cologne, and another 21st-28th nosedive at EPL 20.
A team that once rubbed shoulders with the elite had now fallen off the cliff all the way down to a VRS rank of 61 by the end of 2024. From top 3 to being lost in the wilderness.
The move was a lose-lose for ENCE, Falcons, and every player involved. ENCE has been struggling with their new projects. Falcons didn’t win anything. And coming to the players, where’s Snappi now? Grinding his way back up from Valve rank 50 now, trying to claw his way out of the abyss. Was that one year chasing the bag at Falcons worth torching the team he built from scratch? Was it worth the public flogging, the pressure, and the constant flak he caught during his time there? What about SunPayus, who got stabbed in the back by his own org, stepping down for a s1mple that hadn’t played an official in CS2…ever? Or Maden, who was once a hot prospect and is now gathering dust on the Falcons bench since the start of the year?
The players are being taken for granted
When the ENCE experiment crashed and burned, Falcons shrugged and said, “Let’s run it back.” The infinite money glitch had their back. And this time, they struck gold, landing a genuine superstar, which became a golden ticket to rope in the HEROIC trio. In no time, ENCE was old news, and the Falcons took a fresh flight.
To be fair, the HEROIC core had no slouch, but competent, battle-hardened players. I won’t twist the facts for the sake of argument. Yes, degster had been benched for a year before getting his HEROIC shot. Yes, TeSeS was one of the Danes left in the rubble after the stabbi fiasco. Yes, kyxsan was still unproven on the biggest stage. But even with the cards stacked that way, they had managed to reach playoffs at the Perfect World Shanghai Major 2024.
Two of these three are about to be shown the door, and will be tossed aside like yesterday’s news. Just like Snappi or Maden. Now ask yourself, which top 20 team will roll out the red carpet for them? degster is not even going to play the Major. TeSeS will have to grin and bear it, playing the Major while knowing full well his days are numbered.
How long before kyxsan gets thrown under the bus too?
Is kyousuke making a mistake?
Kyousuke is the next name to watch out for from Spirit Academy after donk. Some say he’s donk’s counter, others disagree. But it’s pretty evident that his playstyle is slightly different. Unlike donk, who bulldozes into sites, kyousuke has a knack for picking his duels. Don’t get me wrong, his aim is sharp, but he resembles NiKo much more in my opinion.
But is Falcons the right call for a 17-year-old with the world at his feet?
When m0NESY joined G2, he had to weather the storm, floating between 1.06 to 1.15 ratings before breaking through to the 1.30s and 1.40s. And that was as an AWPer, not an entry. Kyousuke doesn’t have that cushion. The pressure cooker will already be on full blast by the time he taps the server in Falcons’ jersey. Sure, he’ll be surrounded by the stars everyone dreams of playing with. But he’s still a kid who needs more Tier-1 exposure. And the start of that journey will shape the rest of it.
And let’s not forget what happened to Bymas. Where is he now? Exactly. I just don’t know if a team with a track record of chewing up talent and spitting it out is the best place for kyousuke. But then again, I could be wrong. Maybe this is the endgame roster that Falcons always wanted to build, and they will stick with it. Because if history has taught us something, a totally new roster doesn’t instantly start to work even if you get the best 5 players in the world.
