NiKo and m0NESY reunite on Team Falcons: Can they make it to the top?

It's finally official! Team Falcons have announced the signing of the former G2 Esports AWP superstar Ilya "m0NESY" Osipov, who will come in to replace Abdul "degster" Gasanov.

Though the move itself comes as a surprise to few, the Falcons' announcement comes with the promise of "a new era of dominance." Now the question needs to be asked: can this new roster live up this promise, or will the squad come to yet another disappointing finish for the Falcons in the end?

NiKo and m0NESY: United against Vitality

After lifting three consecutive trophies to start the year, all teams in Tier-1 CS are gunning for this nigh-unbeatable Team Vitality. To challenge the top dogs, the Falcons have managed to reunite one of the best duos in the game in m0NESY and Nikola "NiKo" Kovač.

During the pair's tenure in G2, NiKo and m0NESY managed to lead the organization to several trophies, even if the team did always fall one step short of that coveted Major title. For now, the prospect of having the two stars together once more sounds great at a glance, and will no doubt do wonders for the Falcons' viewership numbers.

The idea of taking down a team like Vitality to become new Kings on the hill, however, still appears a faraway dream for an organization that is doing all that it can to climb (or pay) their way to the top.

Falcons lose an MVP

The current Falcons squad with NiKo and m0NESY at the helm still looks just short of firepower when compared to the roster the duo worked with in the past on G2. Furthermore, with degster's most recent MVP level performance to lead the Falcons to the PGL Bucharest 2025 trophy just days before his departure from the team, is the addition of m0NESY really that much of an upgrade?

The young AWPer can perform at a star level on a more consistent basis than degster, that much we know. But the truth is that even with degster playing lights out, the Falcons still only just managed to make it past the Swiss Stage at Bucharest after the team's 0-2 start at the tournament.

With all the top teams — namely Team Vitality, MOUZ, and Team Spirit — missing from the tournament, the Falcons showing at Bucharest was not enough to elevate the team to contender status, and neither is the inclusion of m0NESY. Or at least not yet it isn't...

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Featured Image Source: Team Falcons

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