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All eyes were on Maxim “kyousuke” Lukin at IEM Cologne 2025, and he did not disappoint. The 17-year-old Russian prodigy, who was reportedly bought for a jaw-dropping $2 million USD (unconfirmed), made his Tier 1 LAN debut with Team Falcons and left a serious mark, even if his team couldn’t make it out of the group stage.

Falcons’ overall performance? Disappointing.
Kyousuke’s debut? Electric

Who is Kyousuke?

If you haven’t heard of him before Cologne, you’re not alone. Until recently, kyousuke was grinding it out on Team Spirit Academy, quietly building a name for himself in the CS2 scene. He averaged a 1.29 HLTV rating in 2024 and caught the attention of top-tier players, seven of the HLTV Top 20 from last year picked him as their “bold prediction” for 2025, including ZywOo and now-teammate m0NESY.

Falcons took the gamble, benching legend Magisk to bring in kyousuke. And while the org hasn’t confirmed the numbers, multiple reports say they splashed around $2 million USD to sign him, making him one of the most expensive academy-to-pro transitions in CS history.

Holding His Own on LAN

Kyousuke entered Cologne with massive expectations, and despite his team faltering, he showed he’s got the nerves, and the skill, to hang with the best.

Across the group stage, he put up:

  • 95 ADR (Average Damage per Round)
  • 0.94 kills per round
  • 1.39 HLTV rating

Those are serious numbers for a player fresh out of academy leagues.

It’s clear kyousuke was consistently Falcons’ top performer. Against FURIA, he delivered one of the biggest highlights of the tournament, a clean ace, taking down all five players in a single round. It was the kind of play that makes you sit up straight.

The Team Around Him Didn’t Deliver

Unfortunately, individual brilliance couldn’t carry Falcons out of the group stage.

  • NiKo had one of the worst events of his career
  • m0NESY struggled to find rhythm post-break
  • Other teammates simply didn’t step up

To be fair, this is a squad still adjusting after major reshuffles. NiKo, for instance, now finds himself with fewer openings as kyousuke commands more of the fragging spotlight.

Still, for a team with grand finals finishes earlier this year and a reputation for shaking up rosters, it was a rough start to the second half of the season.

What’s Next?

Despite the group stage elimination, there’s still plenty of optimism surrounding Falcons, largely thanks to kyousuke. If anything, Cologne served as proof that he’s the real deal. As one post-event analysis put it, “Kyousuke showed that he absolutely doesn’t care who he plays against.”

Falcons now set their sights on Esports World Cup 2025, kicking off August 20. With a few weeks to regroup and a rising star on their hands, there’s still hope they can live up to the hype.

As for kyousuke? He’s already lived up to the “bold prediction” label, now it’s time to see if he can lead this team to something bigger.