Vitality’s 18-match winning run is over. Falcons ended the French side’s dominant streak with a 1-2 victory in the Group A upper bracket final at IEM Rio 2026, sending themselves straight through to the semi-finals and forcing the tournament favourites to take the long way round.

The series went the distance, with Falcons taking Mirage 13-10, Vitality responding with a 13-6 drubbing on Dust2, and the decider on Nuke going to overtime before Falcons closed it out 16-14. For a team that had not dropped a match since before IEM Katowice, it was the kind of loss that reshapes a bracket.

Nuke Decider Slips Away In Overtime

Nuke was where the match was lost rather than won. Vitality started the decider on a brutal 3-9 scoreline on the Terrorist side, and the defensive half that followed was one of the gutsier showings of the tournament. Robin “ropz” Kool dragged the team back into contention almost single-handedly, and for a stretch it looked like they might actually pull off the comeback.

They could not quite get it done. Falcons held their composure in the closing rounds of regulation, forced overtime, and edged the extra frames to take the map and the series. Nikola “NiKo” Kovač and company are now through to the final four without having to play another group stage minute.

ZywOo Goes Missing As Ropz Carries The Load

The headline individual story from Vitality’s side is Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut having one of his quieter series of the year. The French star finished with a 0.94 rating across the three maps, well below his usual output, and never really threatened to take over a round the way he normally does.

Ropz filled the gap as best he could. His secondary AWP work on Dust2 was a big part of why that map was as one-sided as it was, and his performance on Nuke kept Vitality breathing when the series looked like slipping away early. A 1.31 rating in a losing effort tells the story of a player doing too much on his own.

m0NESY Extends Dominant IEM Rio Run

On the other side of the server, Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov continued what has been a ridiculous tournament for him personally. The Falcons AWPer posted a 1.41 series rating with a 59-45 K-D and 90.5 ADR, leading the IEM Rio stats charts by a comfortable margin heading into the playoffs.

He was the most consistent presence on the server across all three maps, and on Nuke specifically he came through in the rounds that mattered. Damjan “kyxsan” Stoilkovski also deserves a mention for his Mirage performance, which set the tone for the series in the opening map.

Read More: karrigan Reportedly Set To Join Falcons Ahead of IEM Cologne Major, Replacing kyxsan

Read More: IEM Rio 2026 Playoff Bracket Locked In – NAVI Get Vitality Rematch

Vitality’s Road To The Grand Slam Gets Harder

Vitality had come into IEM Rio eyeing their second ESL Grand Slam, and before this series they had barely been tested. Cracks had started to show in the group stage, where they scraped past a G2 side playing with a stand-in, and Dan “apEX” Madesclaire has openly spoken about the mental weight of chasing the Grand Slam.

Now the bracket gets ugly. They drop to the quarter-finals, where they will face the winner of the other group’s lower final between Natus Vincere and Aurora. After that, they will need to beat two of FURIA, MOUZ, Spirit and Falcons to reach the Farmasi Arena for the grand final. Four Bo3s in a row against top-tier competition is a very different proposition to the path they would have had as Group A winners.

VRS And Rankings Impact

The Valve Regional Standings took note as well. Falcons picked up +47 points to move to 1866 and climb to fifth in the world rankings, one of the bigger single-match swings of the season so far. Vitality dropped 24 points to 2069, which still keeps them comfortably in the top tier but tightens the gap at the top.

For Falcons, the win is also a statement. They have been building towards this kind of result for months, and taking down the best team in the world in a full Bo3 is the clearest evidence yet that the roster has clicked. The semi-final spot is locked in, and they now get to watch the rest of the bracket tear itself apart while they rest.

The post Falcons Snap Vitality 18 Match Streak To Book IEM Rio Semi-Final Spot appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Rumours about CS2 player salaries have exploded this week, with claims that some of the biggest names in Counter-Strike could be earning eye-watering monthly paycheques.

According to Belarusian caster Konstantin “Leniniw” Sivko, players like Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut and Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev are commanding salaries that would rival top-tier athletes, though it’s important to note these figures are unverified and heavily debated.

Reported Salaries From Leniniw’s Claims

Speaking on a recent podcast and later on Telegram, Leniniw shared what he says are insider figures for several top CS2 players and staff.

The most headline-grabbing number is ZywOo, who is claimed to be earning around €100,000 per month while playing for Team Vitality. That would put him well over six figures in USD terms, making him one of the highest-paid players in the scene if accurate.

Leniniw also claimed that when s1mple was negotiating a move to BC.Game, he requested a monthly salary of $120,000. According to the caster, s1mple’s goal was to become the highest-paid Counter-Strike player in history.

Other figures mentioned include NiKo and m0NESY, who were both said to be earning roughly $70,000 per month, while NAVI coach Andrii “B1ad3” Ghorodenskyi was described as the highest-paid member within the organisation, though no exact number was given.

s1mple Responds With A Joke

Shortly after the claims began circulating, s1mple responded on Telegram with a tongue-in-cheek comment.

He joked that $120,000 per month was actually “a bit too low”, adding that many tier-one CS players already earn that amount and implying he had asked for even more.

The response didn’t confirm or deny the report, but it did add fuel to the conversation and highlight just how speculative these numbers are.

Conflicting Claims From Falcons Leadership

What makes these salary rumours even more interesting is how they clash with previous statements from Falcons management.

The organisation’s CEO had previously suggested that NiKo and m0NESY were earning somewhere between $16,000 and $32,000 per month, which is significantly lower than Leniniw’s reported $70,000 figure.

Former coach kassad publicly pushed back on those lower estimates, calling them a “blatant lie”, which only adds to the confusion around what top players are actually being paid.

How Reliable Are These Salary Leaks?

Even Leniniw himself admitted that some of the information came indirectly, in one case citing “someone who knows well-informed people” as the source.

Other figures were shared without detailed sourcing, and none of the players or organisations involved have officially confirmed the numbers.

That uncertainty has led to scepticism among fans, with many pointing out that the reported salaries seem extremely high, even by modern esports standards.

The Bigger Picture Around CS2 Salaries

While exact numbers are rarely made public, it’s widely accepted that top Counter-Strike players earn significant salaries through a mix of team contracts, tournament winnings, and sponsorship deals.

If figures like €100,000 per month are accurate, it would signal just how far the esport has grown financially, particularly with increased investment from organisations and sponsors in recent years.

At the same time, the gap between reported figures and official statements shows how opaque esports contracts still are, especially at the highest level.

For now, these CS2 salary rumours remain exactly that, rumours, but they’ve certainly sparked a fresh conversation about just how much the biggest names in Counter-Strike are really worth.

The post CS2 Salary Rumours Claim ZywOo €100K, s1mple $120K Per Month appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

PARIVISION have announced themselves as a serious force in Counter-Strike 2, sweeping Falcons 3–0 to win the BLAST Bounty Winter 2026 finals in Malta. It was a statement victory in every sense, capping off a dominant tournament run where Jame’s side dropped just one map across five series.

🏆 @PARIVISIONGG ARE YOUR BLAST BOUNTY CHAMPIONS! 🏆#BLASTPremier pic.twitter.com/lVFWGxTgUN

— BLAST Premier 💥 (@BLASTPremier) January 25, 2026

For a team that only narrowly scraped into the Budapest Major last year, the turnaround has been remarkable. This marks the first major trophy in PARIVISION’s history and propels them up to fourth place in the global VRS rankings.

A Perfect Finals Performance In Malta

The grand final was one-way traffic as PARIVISION dismantled Falcons across Mirage, Dust2 and Inferno, closing out the series 13:9, 13:11 and 13:11.

Falcons entered the decider without Maxim “kyousuke” Lukin, and the lack of cohesion showed. While they managed early leads on multiple maps, PARIVISION consistently wrestled back control once the economy stabilised, punishing mistakes with crisp mid-round calls and clinical retakes.

Despite flashes of resistance, Falcons simply could not sustain momentum when it mattered most.

nota Shines As Finals MVP

The standout performer of the series was Emil “nota” Moskvitin, who earned MVP honours after an outstanding showing in the final. nota posted 60 kills to just 36 deaths, averaging 93 ADR and finishing with a 7.2 out of 10 rating across the three maps.

His impact was felt in every phase of the game, from multi-frag holds to decisive entry work that repeatedly broke Falcons’ defensive setups. Support also came from Ivan “zweih” Gogin and xiELO, while Dzhami “Jame” Ali delivered key clutch moments, including a pivotal 1v3 that swung momentum firmly in PARIVISION’s favour.

How The Final Played Out Map By Map

Mirage set the tone early. Falcons briefly looked sharp after a pistol-round triple kill from stand-in Matej “NucleonZ” Trajkoski, but PARIVISION quickly took control once rifles were online. Multi-kills across the board and a crucial Jame clutch gave them a comfortable platform to close out the opener.

Dust2 followed a similar pattern. Falcons again jumped out to an early advantage behind a pair of B-site retakes from Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov, but a fearless pistol-only mid-B split from PARIVISION ignited a dominant run. Even when Falcons clawed back to level the score twice, near-flawless late-round retakes saw PARIVISION seal the map.

Inferno offered Falcons their best chance. Nikola “NiKo” Kovač finally came alive on the CT side, racking up 15 frags and dragging his team to six rounds after a 0–5 start. PARIVISION, however, remained composed, retaking the lead early in the second half and holding firm when Falcons equalised at 11–11 to close out the sweep.

Falcons Fall Short Despite Big Names

Falcons’ struggles were not limited to one player. NucleonZ finished the series with a 0.64 rating, while m0NESY endured an uncharacteristically quiet final. NiKo only found consistent impact on Inferno, leaving the international lineup unable to match PARIVISION’s depth and coordination.

Damjan “kyxsan” Stoilkovski’s squad will have little time to dwell on the loss, with travel to Kraków looming and a tough group ahead that includes Vitality and MOUZ, where a top-three finish will be required.

Coach Dastan On A Breakthrough Moment

After the win, PARIVISION coach Dastan “dastan” Akbayev described the victory as a defining moment for his young roster.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling. I’ll be happy for at least one day,” he said. “Counter-Strike life is very hard, it’s a lot of losses. Only one team is winning, and today this team is PARIVISION. I hope this team will help my young players be confident in the future.”

He also highlighted the significance of beating elite opposition, noting wins over Spirit, FURIA and a Falcons lineup featuring NiKo and m0NESY as major milestones for the squad.

Prize Pool, Viewership And What Comes Next

BLAST Bounty Winter 2026 ran from January 22 to 26 in Attard, Malta, with a total prize pool of $452,500, alongside an additional club share distributed across organisations.

PARIVISION walked away with $254,687 plus a $40,000 club share, while Falcons earned $71,562 and their own $40,000 club allocation. The final also proved a major draw, peaking at nearly 800,000 viewers, underlining the growing appeal of the BLAST Bounty circuit.

With confidence sky-high and a VRS climb to fourth place secured, PARIVISION now look like a genuine contender heading into the next stretch of the 2026 CS2 season.

The post PARIVISION Sweep Falcons To Claim BLAST Bounty Winter 2026 Title appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Team Falcons will head into the BLAST Bounty Winter 2026 Finals in Malta without their head coach, Danny “zonic” Sørensen, following the sudden passing of his brother. The organisation confirmed the news in an official statement, stressing that the coach has the team’s full support as he returns home to be with his family during this difficult period.

Official statement

Unfortunately, our coach @zonic won’t be able to be with the team in Malta. He has our full support during this difficult time. pic.twitter.com/P7ps9kNArA

— Falcons Esports (@FalconsEsport) January 19, 2026

The announcement adds a deeply human layer to Falcons’ first LAN event of the 2026 season, as the squad prepares to compete on one of Counter-Strike’s biggest early-year stages without one of the most decorated coaches in esports history.

Official Statement From Team Falcons

Team Falcons released a public message on January 19, extending its condolences to Danny zonic Sørensen and confirming that he will not be present for the remainder of the BLAST Bounty Winter 2026 Finals in Malta.

The organisation made it clear that family comes first, noting that there is no pressure on zonic regarding his return timeline. Falcons also thanked fans for their continued support, while expressing hope that the coach will be back with the team when he is ready.

Zonic Confirms Absence After Learning The News Mid-Event

Zonic later shared that he learned about his brother’s sudden passing shortly after Falcons’ opening BLAST Bounty match against ECSTATIC. He flew home immediately to be with his family, while still taking a moment to praise his players for qualifying for the LAN finals.

After our game vs Ecstatic, I learned that my brother suddenly passed away.
I’ve flown home to be with my family.
Tough times, but I’ll try to be back as soon as I can. Proud of the boys for qualifying for Malta ❤️

— Danny Sørensen (@zonic) January 17, 2026

“Tough times, but I’ll try to be back as soon as I can,” zonic wrote, adding that he was proud of the team for securing their spot in Malta.

Falcons Also Hit By Visa Issues In Malta

Compounding the challenge, Falcons will also be without young rifler Maxim “kyousuke” Lukin at the Finals due to unresolved visa complications. As a result, academy player Matej “NucleonZ” Trajkoski will step into the lineup for the Malta event.

Falcons are expected to field the following roster at the BLAST Bounty Finals:

• Nikola “NiKo” Kovač
• René “TeSeS” Madsen
• Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov
• Damjan “kyxsan” Stoilkovski
• Matej “NucleonZ” Trajkoski

The absence of both the head coach and a starting rifler makes the task significantly harder, especially at a high-pressure LAN environment.

Strong Form Heading Into The BLAST Bounty Finals

Despite the off-server setbacks, Falcons arrive in Malta in excellent competitive form. The team delivered confident 2–0 victories over Monte and ECSTATIC during the online stage, showing strong map control, disciplined team play, and consistent individual performances.

NiKo continues to lead as a primary firepower threat, m0NESY remains elite with the AWP, and the supporting core of TeSeS and kyxsan has provided stability across roles. That consistency may prove crucial as Falcons attempt to navigate the Finals without their tactical leader on site.

How Zonic’s Absence Could Affect Falcons

Zonic’s role within the team goes far beyond calling tactics. He is widely respected for his opponent-specific preparation, mid-event adaptations, and ability to maintain mental composure during tense matches. Losing that presence at the LAN stage removes a key layer of between-match preparation and strategic adjustment.

At the same time, situations like this can sometimes galvanise teams. Falcons may lean on in-game leadership and pre-planned structures, playing with added motivation to perform in honour of their coach during an emotionally charged tournament.

A Human Moment In A High-Stakes Tournament

The BLAST Bounty Finals are a major opportunity for ranking points and early momentum in the 2026 season, but Falcons have made it clear that results come second to supporting their coach. While the competitive implications are significant, the story surrounding this event is first and foremost about people, not trophies.

Falcons now face a defining test of resilience in Malta, one that will measure not just their skill on the server, but their unity as a team under difficult circumstances.

The post Falcons To Play BLAST Bounty Winter 2026 Finals Without Zonic After Family Tragedy appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

After months of frustration and near-misses, Team Vitality have finally returned to the top. The French organisation stormed through the ESL Pro League Season 22 Grand Final, sweeping Team Falcons 3-0 to claim their first Counter-Strike 2 trophy in four months.

🏆🏆🏆3 TIMERS🏆🏆🏆@TeamVitalityCS ARE YOUR #ESLProLeague SEASON 22 CHAMPIONS.@Vitality_apEX@zywoo@flameZcsgo@kingmezii@ropz@XTQZZZ pic.twitter.com/NyDlVNWyUO

— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) October 12, 2025

The win not only ends their title drought but also cements back-to-back ESL Pro League triumphs, having lifted the Season 21 trophy earlier this year.

flameZ Shines Bright

Israeli rifler Shahar “flameZ” Shushan delivered a star-making performance in the final, securing Player of the Map honours on both Inferno and Train. His explosive playstyle turned the series into a one-sided affair, highlighted by a crucial quad-kill on Inferno’s B site and several clutch multi-kills that swung the early rounds in Vitality’s favour.

100+ ADR over 3 maps in a Grand Final is crazy work @flameZcsgo 👀#ESLProLeague pic.twitter.com/g4f6Zymyb6

— ESL Counter-Strike (@ESLCS) October 12, 2025

flameZ continued his dominance on Train with 16 kills in the first half, setting up Vitality’s comfortable second-map win. On Dust II, British teammate William “mezii” Merriman joined the spotlight with sharp entries, while flameZ closed out the series with yet another clutch and four opening kills to secure the clean sweep.

Road to the Championship

Vitality’s run through the playoffs wasn’t without challenges. The team survived tight series against FURIA and FaZe Clan before finding their best form in the final. Captain Dan “apEX” Madesclaire credited the team’s resilience and hard work for the victory.

“We’ve been working hard and we really wanted to get back to trophies,” apEX said after the win.

The veteran IGL has set his sights on matching Astralis’ record of 10 titles in a single year, and Vitality are now just two trophies away from that goal with IEM Chengdu, BLAST Rivals Season 2, and the StarLadder Budapest Major still to come.

m0NESY Earns MVP Honours

Despite the loss, Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov of Team Falcons walked away with the ESL Pro League Season 22 MVP award. The 20-year-old AWPer posted a phenomenal 1.38 rating and 1.12 kills per round, his best event since joining Falcons and his first MVP medal of 2025.

Falcons are not leaving EPL empty-handed as @FLCm0NESY secures our HLTV and @1xBet_Esports MVP award

The fifth of his career 🏅 pic.twitter.com/FcY5KAb0nG

— HLTV.org (@HLTVorg) October 12, 2025

It’s the fifth MVP of his career and another sign of his growing status as one of Counter-Strike 2’s most consistent stars.

Looking Ahead

The ESL Pro League title marks Vitality’s eighth trophy of 2025, continuing their push for one of the most successful seasons in Counter-Strike history. With flameZ in blistering form, Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut steady as ever, and the team firing on all cylinders, Vitality look ready to dominate the closing stretch of the year.

The post Vitality End Title Drought with Dominant ESL Pro League Season 22 Victory appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Ten Counter-Strike 2 stars jumped into a fan-service special that actually delivered on the hype. Billed as “The Most Stacked CS2 PUG of All Time,” ESL’s All-Star draft put Team m0NESY against Team donk. On the server, though, it was Team kyousuke that ran away with it, closing 13–6 on Mirage with real ±100 FACEIT Elo at stake.

The line-ups and the draft that swung it

The captains were decided by FACEIT ELO, which meant m0NESY had first pick. He chose NiKo, leaving kyousuke to snap up donk and ZywOo in quick succession. The full squads were:

• Team kyousuke: kyousuke, ZywOo, donk, frozen, Wicadia
• Team m0NESY: m0NESY, NiKo, ropz, b1t, Senzu

A standard veto left Mirage. From there, kyousuke’s five had the confidence and firepower to dictate pace.

The key beats on Mirage

• donk top-frags with 20 kills and 12 deaths, bullying mid and entries with trademark tempo.
• ZywOo steals rounds with late-round reads and tidy clutches, including sharp decisions around kitchen and short.
• Wicadia surprises with impact plays and well-timed swings that kept momentum on kyousuke’s side.

“Do this every EPL”  the community loved it

Reactions across YouTube and Reddit were overwhelmingly positive, and a big chunk of the discourse asked ESL to make this a regular feature.

• “Lowkey the best showmatch I’ve seen. Stacked teams, serious CS, great vibes.”
• “Finally, a proper All-Star for CS, like the NBA or NHL.”
• “Watching donk and ZywOo together feels like Messi and Ronaldo on the same side.”
• “Big W, ESL production. This should be a regular thing.”
• “Even NiKo thinks m0NESY was crazy not to pick donk or ZywOo.”
• “Comms were elite from ZywOo, donk and m0NESY. That’s what it takes at the top.”

It wasn’t just the highlight reels. Viewers loved the personality on show, donk joking with kyousuke, ZywOo hyping frozen, and wholesome post-round banter. One comment thanked m0NESY “for letting donk and ZywOo be on the same team,” while another teased that Falcons were “testing new team combinations.”

Image via ESL FACEIT Group

Why the format worked

• Real stakes: The ±100 FACEIT Elo twist kept it competitive.
• Super-team novelty: Rivals sharing sides gave us chemistry and comms we rarely get in officials.
• Broadcast polish: ESL’s pace, observing and sound bites made it feel premium without losing the fun.

The result

Team kyousuke beat Team m0NESY 13–6 on Mirage, with donk leading the server and ZywOo adding class in the clutch. If the community gets its way, this won’t be a one-off. The message is clear: run the ESL All-Star again, keep the draft, and let the fans feast.

kyousuke + donk + ZywOo got a victory in the showmatch against m0NESY + b1t + NiKo, with donk top fragging 20 kills on 12 deaths.

Teams played classic Mirage, for the victory kyousuke’s team got 100 FACEIT Elo each, while m0NESY’s lost 100 Elo each. pic.twitter.com/NS5PGHKX7b

— CS2 NEWS (@CS2News_EN) October 9, 2025

The post Team m0NESY vs Team donk CS2 All-Star by ESL appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

Rumours are swirling around Counter-Strike 2’s newest prodigy, Maidar “nocries” B., as fans begin to wonder if he could be the next name to join Team Falcons’ star-studded lineup.

The speculation started after a recent interview with content creator 666unique666 that was shared by CS2 News on X, where the 18-year-old FACEIT sensation casually talked about his dream lineup, one that included big names like kyousuke and m0NESY,  on X, and it quickly blew up, with fans connecting dots that might not even exist yet.

I think I understand where you’re going with this… 🦅 pic.twitter.com/6mVcEfTcO8

— CS2 NEWS (@CS2News_EN) October 5, 2025

It didn’t take long before the replies were full of wild theories. One user joked, “yeah. sure. why not. -kyxsan +nocries NiKo to IGL turn Falcons to NiKo and his Russian children.” Others pushed back, calling it “fake hype” or saying Falcons are being linked to everyone these days.

From FACEIT Grind to FPL Fame

The attention isn’t random. Just days ago, FACEIT officially cleared nocries of any wrongdoing after a full integrity investigation, ending weeks of suspicion about his sudden rise to the top of the North American leaderboard.

That deep-dive review confirmed that nocries, who has Buryatia roots and Mongolian heritage, plays clean and earned his way up fair and square. The review even included supervised LAN matches at FACEIT’s New York office, where his stats matched his online results. He’s now been granted an indefinite FPL invite, letting him compete with professional players on a regular basis.

All of that makes the Falcons talk sound a little less far-fetched. After all, this is the same organisation that dropped big money to bring together NiKo, m0NESY, kyxsan, TeSeS, and kyousuke earlier this year. If anyone could afford to take a chance on a raw but proven talent, it’s them.

“I’ve Never Played a Pro Tournament — Yet”

In the same interview, nocries admitted he’s never played a professional Counter-Strike tournament, but that hasn’t stopped him dreaming big.

“I’d love to play alongside players like m0NESY and kyousuke. They’ve got insane potential,” he said. “But for now, I just want to reach the top of HLTV with my team someday — that’s my biggest goal.”

The interview also revealed a lot about his mindset. He started playing when he was just 11, grinding thousands of hours before ever touching FACEIT. When people accused him of cheating, he said he understood their doubts, and used them as motivation.

Fans Split Over the Possibility

Online reactions have been all over the place. Some fans think adding nocries could give Falcons even more firepower, while others say it’s too soon to throw an untested rookie into such a high-pressure roster.

Still, with Falcons known for surprise moves and nocries now proven legit, the timing couldn’t be better for at least a trial run. Whether the team makes a move or not, the hype shows just how fast this young player has become a name everyone’s talking about in CS2.

The post Could Nocries Join Team Falcons? appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

The Esports World Cup 2025 wrapped up in Riyadh this weekend, and while Falcons didn’t manage to lift the trophy on home soil, they did bounce back to claim a podium finish with a strong 2–1 win over Vitality in the third-place decider.

Falcons stomp Vitality to secure 3rd place at EWC 🥉 pic.twitter.com/OaGZZcz0Dp

— HLTV.org (@HLTVorg) August 24, 2025

For Falcons, the victory wasn’t just about bragging rights, it also brought in valuable VRS points, a confidence boost after their semi-final stumble, and a tidy US$130,000 prize. Vitality, meanwhile, had to settle for fourth place and US$70,000.

A Back-and-Forth Start

The series kicked off on Inferno, Vitality’s map pick. Falcons started hot, racing to an 8–4 lead at the half. But things quickly flipped when William “mezii” Merriman powered Vitality’s T-side with a standout 2.92 rating, helping them storm back and close the map 13–9.

T-side Inferno was easy for mezii 💪 pic.twitter.com/HhjWiZUUZP

— HLTV.org (@HLTVorg) August 24, 2025

Falcons Hit Back on Train

With their pick of Train, Falcons looked determined not to repeat their semi-final heartbreak against Aurora. They came out swinging, putting up a blistering 9–3 attacking half before closing the map 13–3. It was one-way traffic, and Vitality struggled to find any answers.

Prime NiKo 👑 pic.twitter.com/ZvD2GrF3DO

— HLTV.org (@HLTVorg) August 24, 2025

But before the result was sealed, fans were treated to a cheeky moment of brilliance from Mathieu “ZywOo” Herbaut, who pulled off a sneaky ninja defuse in one of the early rounds. It was the kind of play that had the crowd roaring and social media buzzing.

Robbed in broad daylight by @zywoo! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/t5VC3UyTF6

— EWC Extra (@EWC_Extra) August 24, 2025

Still, the highlight couldn’t stop Falcons’ momentum as they cruised through the rest of the map.

Dominance on Nuke

That momentum carried into the decider on Nuke. Falcons didn’t let up, once again steamrolling Vitality with another 13–3 finish. The French side could only watch as frustration set in, captain Dan “apEX” Madesclaire was even seen with his head in his hands as Falcons shut the door on any comeback hopes.

The star of the show was Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov, who delivered an MVP-worthy performance with 54 kills, a +29 K/D, and a 1.70 rating across the series. Backing him up was Nikola “NiKo” Kovač, who racked up 53 kills of his own and underlined just how much this win meant for the team.

A dominating series from m0NESY 🔥 pic.twitter.com/L7uQ2tueJx

— HLTV.org (@HLTVorg) August 24, 2025

“This game was super important for us, for the VRS points, and for our confidence as well,” NiKo said after the match. “The game yesterday was very tough, especially on Train, so I’m glad we didn’t end on that note and had the opportunity to show better CS today.”

The Bigger Picture

The Esports World Cup 2025, held from August 20–24 at Boulevard Riyadh City, brought together 16 of the world’s best Counter-Strike 2 teams for a massive US$1.25 million prize pool. While Falcons couldn’t deliver the ultimate win for their home crowd, a third-place finish still ensures they walk away with momentum heading into the next leg of the season.

Vitality, on the other hand, leave Riyadh with more questions than answers. Once seen as one of the favourites, the French side struggled to find form, and their reliance on mezii’s bursts of brilliance wasn’t enough to carry them past this weekend.

The post Falcons Defeat Vitality to Claim Third Place at Esports World Cup 2025 appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

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.

#FalconsAreHere 🦅@FalconsEsport open their CS2 at #EWC2025 run with a statement sweep! pic.twitter.com/bx9n98toWC

— EWC Extra (@EWC_Extra) August 21, 2025

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.”

Brilliant start to the series for NiKo against his former team 🔥 pic.twitter.com/FLwg4IHKt6

— HLTV.org (@HLTVorg) August 21, 2025

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.

“Played like shit? Bro, are you serious?” – a post-win shared clip from the young star duo. pic.twitter.com/gEiJNXJeCM

— CS2 NEWS (@CS2News_EN) August 21, 2025

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.

The post NiKo and m0NESY Crush Former Team as Falcons Dump G2 Out of EWC 2025 appeared first on Shane the Gamer.

If you were scrolling through X last night and saw that Chinese organisation TYLOO had just signed CS2 superstar Danil “donk” Kryshkovets for a record-breaking $5 million, you probably did a double take. The post went viral in minutes, racking up over 500,000 views and more than 2,500 likes before anyone could even process it.

Deleted Donk Joins Tyloo Announcement | Image via @tyloogaming on X

The idea of Asia’s biggest Counter-Strike brand scooping up the hottest talent from Team Spirit was massive news, but as most fans quickly guessed, it was too good (or too wild) to be true.

The Hack Heard Round CS2

Just a few hours later, TYLOO jumped back on their official account to set the record straight: they’d been hacked.

🚨 Our account got hacked earlier, and someone decided to drop the wildest fake news ever: “donk joins TYLOO.”

We’ve now locked the account with extra security 🔒, so no more funny business.
— This time it’s actually us tweeting 😎

— TYLOO (@tyloogaming) August 19, 2025

So yeah, no $5 million deal. No donk in TYLOO jerseys. Just a cheeky “hacker” causing chaos for a night.

OverDrive Weighs In

Of course, the drama didn’t stop there. Well-known scout and insider Alexey “OverDrive” Biryukov chimed in on Telegram with his own take. He pointed out that even if the rumour had been true, the numbers didn’t add up.

“Donk costs several times more than $5 million, so nice try.”

And he’s not wrong. Reports suggest the largest CS2 transfer so far has been Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov’s move to Falcons, which landed somewhere in the $2–2.5 million range. That deal already set a record, and Falcons were apparently willing to pay even more at the time. So for TYLOO to snag donk for $5 million? Yeah, not happening.

Why It Went Viral

Part of the reason the fake post blew up is because of who donk is right now. At just 17, the Team Spirit rifler has been tearing through the CS2 scene, and plenty of fans call him the future of the game. So when people saw TYLOO’s post, it wasn’t just believable, it was the kind of “what if” scenario that everyone wanted to talk about.

But for now, donk’s still Spirit’s golden boy. And TYLOO? Well, they’ve got stronger security on their socials and a funny little footnote in CS2 history.

The post Donk Joins TYLOO for $5M? appeared first on Shane the Gamer.