Falcons just won one of the biggest tournaments of the season — PGL Bucharest 2025. In the grand final, they took down G2 with a clean 3-0 scoreline and earned $400,000 in prize money. But the most interesting part is that this victory came right before a major change. Very soon, Ilya "m0NESY" Osipov will join the team and replace Abdulkhalik "degster" Gasanov as the main AWPer.

This change has been rumored for a while. And now, after two straight grand finals — one lost at PGL Cluj-Napoca 2025 and one won in Bucharest — the roster move will finally happen. Falcons have been solid already, but with m0NESY, they have the chance to become a real title contender at every top-tier tournament.

Why m0NESY makes Falcons so much better

Let’s look at the core of this team. Falcons already have incredible players in every role. Nikola "NiKo" Kovač is one of the best riflers in CS history. Emil "Magisk" Reif is a legendary support and anchor. René "TeSeS" Madsen brings strong firepower and experience. Damjan "kyxsan" Stoilkovski is a young and smart in-game leader. And let’s not forget Danny "zonic" Sørensen, the best coach of all time.

Now imagine adding one of the top three AWPers in the world into that mix.m0NESY brings more than just flashy plays. He is incredibly consistent, deadly in clutch rounds, and explosive when his team needs it most. That’s exactly what Falcons were missing with degster — someone who performs under pressure and doesn’t disappear in key moments.

What degster gave — and what he couldn’t

To be fair, degster wasn’t bad. He helped Falcons reach two grand finals. He had some great maps and played a role in stabilizing the team. But he was also inconsistent. On big stages, he sometimes vanished or made risky decisions that cost Falcons rounds. For a team that wants to win championships, that’s not enough.

Here’s a comparison of their stats over the last three months:

• m0NESY: Rating 6.9, 0.83 KPR, 84 ADR, 0.135 opening kills/round, 0.368 AWP kills/round
• degster: Rating 6.1, 0.69 KPR, 67 ADR, 0.111 opening kills/round, 0.308 AWP kills/round

The gap is clear. m0NESY is better in every area that matters for an AWPer.

Falcons are already improving

Even before the roster change, Falcons were starting to look much stronger. Their map pool is growing — they now play Ancient with confidence, beating teams like G2 and The MongolZ on it. Inferno, which used to be their worst map, has become a weapon. They took down GamerLegion in the playoffs on it.

In Bucharest, they went 0-2 in the group stage but still made a miracle run by winning six matches in a row to take the trophy. That kind of mental strength is rare and shows the potential this team has. Add m0NESY to that mix, and the sky’s the limit.

Their biggest weakness is turning into a strength

In past tournaments, Falcons struggled to close out games. For example, at BLAST Open Spring 2025, they had massive leads on every map against Virtus.pro but ended up losing 2-1. Those are the matches you need your AWPer to step up.

With m0NESY, those mistakes will happen less often. He brings calm and firepower in the most important rounds. That’s a big upgrade for Falcons, especially when playing against the best teams in the world.

What’s next?

Even before this change, Falcons were around the top-5 in the world. Some might argue they only made finals because teams like Vitality, Spirit, and MOUZ weren’t attending. But it’s still true — they were the best among the rest. And when they’re at their peak, Falcons can compete with the likes of NAVI, Eternal Fire, and The MongolZ.

Now with m0NESY joining, they don’t just look good — they look scary. Falcons have the structure, the firepower, the coach, and now soon, the superstar AWPer. It’s a big bet, but if it works, Falcons might be lifting more trophies this year.