Is NiKo cursed at Majors, or is it the pressure of being labeled 'tournament favorites' that destroys teams?

Honestly, I think it's both. NiKo has this weird pattern where every "superteam" he joins becomes overhyped and then crumbles under pressure. FaZe 2017, G2 2023, now Falcons 2025 - all major favorites that bombed out early. Maybe it's not entirely his fault, but there's definitely a psychological factor when you're constantly labeled as "the chosen one" who should win everything. The expectations become suffocating

People are being way too harsh on the team. MIBR played out of their minds, and those clutch situations could have gone either way. That 5v3 retake loss was painful to watch, but it happens. Also, let's not forget Falcons literally won PGL Bucharest just months ago with this roster. One bad tournament doesn't erase that. The "curse" narrative is just dramatic nonsense.

Pimp hit the nail on the head with his "dead team" comment. When players know roster changes are coming regardless of results, mental preparation goes out the window. You can't perform at your peak when you're already mentally checked out or thinking about your future. It's like playing a match knowing it's meaningless - your subconscious sabotages you.

The pressure argument is overblown. These are professional players making millions - pressure comes with the territory. What I saw was poor individual performances across the board, not just from NiKo. m0NESY looked lost on day one, team coordination was off, and their anti-eco rounds were amateur level. Sometimes teams just have off tournaments, no need to create conspiracy theories

Looking at the numbers, NiKo's Major record is actually quite impressive despite no wins - 2 finals, multiple semifinals, consistent playoff appearances over 10 years. Most players would kill for that resume. The "curse" is just selective memory bias. As for Falcons, they went from 0-2 to nearly completing an insane comeback against MIBR in triple OT. That's not choking, that's competitive CS at its finest

NiKo at majors is like me in MM - looks amazing in practice, then chokes when it matters  But seriously, man's got the Midas touch in reverse - everything he touches turns to 16-2 losses at majors. Maybe he should try playing under a fake name? "NoKi" might have better luck  Also shoutout to MIBR for reminding everyone that CS isn't played on paper - sometimes David just slaps Goliath and takes his lunch money