100 Thieves Eliminate Team Falcons in Their First Match of BLAST Bounty Summer
100 Thieves pulled off one hell of an upset, knocking the reigning Major champions, Team Falcons, out of the BLAST Bounty Summer 2026 qualifier on Wednesday, closing out the round with a 2-1 series win that nobody in Counter-Strike saw coming.
Falcons Come Crashing Down
The story here isn't just about the scoreline. It's about rain getting his first shot at karrigan since both left FaZe Clan, and walking away with the win. Falcons drew first blood on Nuke, running away with it 13-4 behind a dominant showing from m0NESY and kyousuke. But 100 Thieves weren't going down without a fight.
They fired back hard on Dust2, taking it 13-7 to even the series, then held their nerve on Anubis to close it out 13-11. Rain led his squad, while poiii and the newly minted captain Gizmy chipped in when it mattered. On the other side, m0NESY and kyousuke put up monster numbers, but karrigan's steady performance wasn't enough to save Falcons from their earliest exit of the year, straight off their biggest win.
Where This Leaves Both Sides
Before the match, NiKo admitted that the matchup felt personal, calling the rain-vs-karrigan storyline "an interesting confrontation," and one he'd been looking forward to. With the loss, Falcons bow out at 17th-32nd place, though the Major champions still have time to regroup before the Esports World Cup comes around in August.
100 Thieves, meanwhile, march on to the next round of the qualifier, riding the momentum of the biggest win of their young CS2 era.
Don't forget to follow Strafe Esports for the latest news about your favorite esports and to check out our X account for the most recent content and coverage.
Also, stay tuned to the Strafe YouTube channel for exclusive interviews, press conferences, and much more.
Featured Image Credit: BLAST
Read More:
Tier 1 CS2 Returns: BLAST Bounty Closed Qualifier Match-Ups Revealed

