Home

Former G2 stars Nikola “NiKo” Kovač and Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov came back to haunt their old squad, powering Team Falcons past G2 Esports in a statement 2–0 win at the Esports World Cup 2025.

The Round of 16 clash ended with Falcons taking Ancient 13–9 and Train 13–7, knocking G2 out of the tournament and sending the Saudi-backed side into the quarterfinals. For Falcons, it was also a much-needed bounce back after their 9–12th finish at IEM Cologne.

And while the win was a team effort, it was NiKo and m0NESY, both previously cornerstones of G2, who stole the spotlight. NiKo looked back to his best with 40 kills and 96 ADR, while m0NESY chipped in with 33 frags and 92 ADR.

“It was a very hard game mentally, and I’m really proud of the boys,” NiKo said after the win. “We lost some stupid rounds but had good protocols the whole way through. There were nerves, but I’m just happy with how we handled everything.”

Same Old Falcons, but Effective

Falcons’ win will come as a relief, but if anyone expected a new, calmer look from them, they’d have been mistaken. The series was messy at times, full of scrappy force buys, lost advantages, and chaotic 2v4s and 3v5s.

That brawly style works when individuals like NiKo and m0NESY are firing, but Maxim “kyousuke” Lukin had a quieter showing this time, leaving the heavy lifting to his teammates.

G2’s Problems Continue

For G2, the defeat was made worse by the struggles of Álvaro “SunPayus” García. The Spanish AWPer has had trouble adjusting to CS2, and Ancient was another low point with a 0.41 rating. Across his first 10 LAN maps, he sits at just 0.82, well below expectations when he was signed from HEROIC.

That weakness leaves a promising G2 roster on shaky ground, especially with the upset-heavy nature of this year’s EWC. With NAVI dumped out by 3DMAX and HEROIC eliminating Team Spirit, the stage was set for G2 to make a run, but instead they’re going home early.

What’s Next for Falcons?

The win books Falcons a quarterfinal showdown with either Virtus.pro or IEM Cologne champions MOUZ.

On top of tournament progress, Falcons also picked up 200 points in the EWC Club Championship race, stretching their lead over Team Liquid to 700. The result mathematically ends Team Vitality’s hopes in the competition, and depending on how Street Fighter 6 pans out, Falcons could even secure the Club Championship crown today.

For now, though, it’s about CS2 glory. NiKo looks revitalised, m0NESY is back in form, and Falcons are dangerous again, even if they’re still living on the edge of chaos.