“karrigan turned everything upside down”: Former pro players react to the Falcons’ victory at the IEM Cologne Major
Daria Ushakova
Former Counter-Strike pro players, as well as Russian esports athletes, commented on Team Falcons’ victory at the IEM Cologne Major 2026.
Olof “Olofmeister” Kaibier said that Finn “karrigan” Andersen and Nikola “NiKo” Kovac deserved the victory:
What a damn cool story. I’m so happy for you, my friends, karrigan and NiKo—enjoy this moment, because you really deserve it! And it all ended on Inferno...
Epitácio “TACO” de Melo also addressed NiKo:
Congratulations, legendary bro NiKo! The day has finally come—now you can climb on the table. You’ve earned it, enjoy it!
In addition, TACO shared his thoughts on FURIA’s performance at the championship:
FURIA played very confidently throughout the entire tournament, but the final was tough for them. Nevertheless, I’m proud to have seen another strong Brazilian team in the Major final. To the guys—stay strong and patient, and thank you for representing Brazil so well!
Marcelo “coldzera” David noted that NiKo had long aspired to become a Major champion, and it finally happened:
I have to congratulate Team Falcons on their victory. And special respect to NiKo for his first Major title. It was the last missing trophy in his already legendary career. Congratulations, my friend! You’ve been working toward this for an incredibly long time, and you fully deserve it.
For his part, Kenny “kennyS” Schrab also emphasized that Kovacs fully deserved to take first place in the tournament:
Yeah! NiKo, bro, this is exactly where you belong. You’ve rightfully ended up exactly where you were meant to be.
Lincoln “fnx” Lau congratulated the Team Falcons rifler:
Congratulations, NiKo! After so many years of hard work and trying, he’s finally won his first Major.
Richard “shox” Papillon listed the main reasons why Team Falcons managed to beat FURIA in the Major’s grand final:
The mood and atmosphere within the team are always the deciding factors. Team Falcons didn’t win because they radically improved their playstyle. They won because the players understand, trust, and like each other. Achieving this is much harder than many people think. GG, Falcons.
Finally, NiKo. Legendary karrigan—I’ll always remember our conversation in Budapest, when things weren’t so easy and I told you that the future would be better. To be honest, brother, I didn’t expect it to get this much better—and this quickly.
Former esports player Mikhail “Dosia” Stolyarov congratulated the Team Falcons players and also noted that FURIA fought until the very end:
That was a magnificent final!
Yes, FURIA lost, but they showed character and a true fighting spirit. And Team Falcons are now the well-deserved and undisputed champions.
And, as I said earlier, I’d be happy to see NiKo finally win his first Major. After so many years of trying, he didn’t give up and ultimately achieved his goal. Congratulations, NiKo—you’re the champion!
As for m0NESY, he’s a rising star who’s just beginning to carve his name into Counter-Strike history. And the best is yet to come for him.
Former pro player Denis “seized” Kostin said that the Falcons’ long journey to the title reminded him of the old Natus Vincere roster:
I’m incredibly happy for you, NiKo. You’ve finally gotten what you rightfully deserved.
I’m also happy for m0NESY. Your journey to this title reminded me of our endless second-place finishes with Natus Vincere many years ago. Back then, we weren’t able to keep the roster together, but you and NiKo stayed together and finally made it to victory.
Congratulations! And karrigan turned everything upside down.
Professional player Ilya “Perfecto” Zalutsky highlighted the contributions of NiKo, m0NESY, and kyousuke:
Quote reproduced with the source’s spelling and punctuation preserved
Well, I’m actually incredibly happy for NiKo—it’s a story with a happy ending.
And of course, Ilya, Max—you guys are the best.
An incredible run
Earlier, Team Falcons took first place at the IEM Cologne Major 2026, defeating FURIA in the grand final with a 3-0 map score. As a result, Finn “karrigan” Andersen’s team earned $500,000 in prize money. The team’s sniper, Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov, was named the tournament’s MVP.
Daria Ushakova
