NiKo Reflects on Falcons’ Major Collapse: “Unacceptable to Drop the Ball”

“It’s just so unacceptable to drop the ball in such a crucial moment from a team like ours.” — Nikola “NiKo” Kovač didn’t mince words after Falcons’ stunning elimination at the BLAST.tv Austin Major Stage 2. What was supposed to be a coronation for one of the strongest CS2 rosters this season ended in heartbreak, confusion, and frustration.

From Favorites to Fallout

Falcons entered the tournament as heavy favorites—not just to qualify, but to contest the entire event. A powerhouse lineup stacked with experience and firepower, their run seemed destined for greatness. Instead, they limped out with a sole victory, a gritty win over OG, before being knocked out by a relentless MIBR in another tense showdown.

“I could never really imagine that we would be in this situation,” NiKo admitted in a post-match interview with HLTV. “Considering how we performed before this and the preparation we’ve put in… just very sad and frustrated.”

Inside the Collapse

So, what went wrong?

“There are a lot of reasons why we crumbled,” NiKo said. “Our individual level was just off. We weren’t hitting the same level we’ve shown in the past few events.” He also pointed to poor pistol round win rates—an Achilles’ heel that made it near impossible to build early momentum. “We were under pressure every game, always trying to fight back. It kept stacking.”

Falcons, a squad that had consistently challenged Vitality’s dominance, now faced a sobering reality: their biggest shot at glory had ended in disarray. And it’s not just a bad tournament—it’s a major. The one event that defines legacies.

“A Disappointing Season—for Me, at Least”

“When you perform like this at a Major, it stains everything,” NiKo confessed. “This is the tournament we were building towards since the start of the season. The rest didn’t matter as much. This was it.”

Despite consistent performances and even better chemistry after m0NESY joined, this result hangs like a shadow over what should have been a proud first half of the year. “It’s just a shame we ended up here after all the work we’ve put in.”

Meanwhile: 3DMAX Take Revenge on FaZe

In another plot twist, 3DMAX stunned FaZe Clan with a commanding 2-0 win to book their ticket to Stage 3. After two painful losses to FaZe earlier this year, the French squad flipped the script on Nuke and Inferno, showcasing tactical precision and mental grit.

On Nuke, Lucky went nuclear—dropping 16 kills and 140 ADR on defense. Inferno started slow, but Ex3rcice and bodyy clutched crucial rounds to close the deal. “Very good prep,” bodyy said post-match. “The staff did an amazing job. We only had to focus on ourselves. A big team effort today.”

FaZe now stare down a must-win fifth-round clash against MIBR. After failed attempts against Legacy and 3DMAX, the pressure is at an all-time high for karrigan’s squad.

s1mple Owns the Blame

Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev had a rough outing, averaging just a 0.75 rating. After the match, he took to X with brutal honesty: “No excuses, playing like garbage.”

What Now?

The Falcons must regroup. FaZe are on the brink. 3DMAX are soaring. The BLAST.tv Austin Major continues to throw curveballs—and for teams like Falcons, this isn’t just a loss. It’s a moment of reckoning.