“This is a whole different level of play”— analysts reacted to the Falcons’ victory over Vitality at the Major
Counter-Strike 2 analysts on social media reacted to Team Vitality’s elimination from the IEM Cologne Major 2026.
Jakob “Pimp” Winneke said the match was a sensation:
Team Falcons sensationally knock Team Vitality out of IEM Cologne 2026!
The team that many consider the greatest in history was unable to overcome Team Falcons, led by karrigan. An incredible series and a true celebration of Counter-Strike.
13–11;
11–13;
13–11.
Well, could you ask for anything more?
Duncan “Thorin” Shields noted that Team Falcons played at a whole different level:
karrigan defeated the first and second-ranked teams in the world Counter-Strike rankings, deliberately leaving Anubis in the ban list—a map on which his team had never played an official match with him on the roster. And at a Major, no less.
That’s a whole different level of play.
Janko “YNk” Paunović briefly reacted to Team Falcons’ victory:
I don’t even need to say this—you already know everything.
For his part, Alex “Hawka” Hawkins said he had regained his faith in Finn “karrigan” Andersen:
Every damn time, karrigan makes me believe in him all over again. And right now, I truly believe he’s capable of doing it. If Team Spirit plays the way they did against G2 Esports, the match will turn into a messy, chaotic brawl. And it’s in games like these that karrigan is in his element.
James “BanKs” Banks emphasized that the “Falcons” showed resilience and self-confidence even when Team Vitality was trying to mount a comeback:
Team Falcons didn’t flinch even when Team Vitality started a frantic comeback. The final rounds were just insane—pure chaos—and that’s exactly the kind of chaos karrigan loves to play in. And it was clear that the Team Falcons players felt completely at home in that atmosphere!
Guillaume “neL” Canelo expressed regret over the loss of Dan “apEX” Madescler’s team:
What a day it was in Counter-Strike. Yes, I’m sorry that Team Vitality lost, but the emotions were off the charts from start to finish today. <...>
Earlier, Team Falcons defeated Team Vitality in the quarterfinals of the IEM Cologne Major 2026 and advanced to the tournament’s semifinals. Finn “karrigan” Andersen’s team secured their pick, Anubis (13:11), but lost on Inferno, which was chosen by the “Bees” (11:13). The decisive map, Dust2, went to the Falcons (13-11).
