Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyljev and the Falcons faced yet another disappointing outing, finishing last at the ESL Challenger Katowice 2024. This early exit marks a troubling trend for the team, as they now sit on a streak of seven consecutive map losses across four matches.
Here’s a closer look at their performance and what lies ahead.
Performance Overview
Despite their struggles, s1mple stood out as the top performer on the team, a stark contrast to Emil “Magisk” Reif, who recorded a career-low impact rating of 0.57. Magisk’s stats—63.8% KAST and just 0.57 kills per round—signal a concerning situation for the Falcons, especially with the Perfect World Shanghai Major Europe RMR approaching.
First Match: SAW
The Falcons’ opening match against SAW was a nail-biter, extending to the maximum of 25 rounds. Both teams battled fiercely on Ancient, with SAW clinching a 9-3 lead in the first half.
Although the Falcons managed to turn the tide after switching sides, taking a brief lead at 11-10, they ultimately fell short. SAW’s newcomer, André “Ag1l” Gil, delivered a critical clutch that sealed the victory for his team.
Second Match: Eternal Fire
In their next challenge against Eternal Fire, the Falcons initially held their ground on Dust2, but ultimately struggled. Despite s1mple and Pavle “Maden” Bošković each scoring 13 kills in the first half, they could not maintain momentum.
They fought valiantly to push the match into overtime after an impressive round win with unarmored pistols, but the team fell apart in overtime, losing four consecutive rounds and costing them the map.
Moving to Inferno, the Falcons struggled to find their footing, managing only one round on the T side and ultimately losing 4-13, demonstrating their lack of cohesion and experience under the leadership of Snappi.
Quotes and Reactions
After the team’s elimination, s1mple took to Telegram, expressing frustration yet hopeful for improvement: “Guys, enough hate, we’ll win a map someday, hopefully in 21 days. We’re too weak as a team right now.”
Current Standing and Future Outlook
The Falcons exit the tournament without winning a single map, exacerbating their recent woes with only one victory in their last 14 series.
Looking forward, they will prepare for the RMR starting on November 17, with Danny “zonic” Sørensen confirming plans for a bootcamp aimed at improving performance before heading to China. The goal is clear: to turn things around and make an impact with s1mple leading the charge.
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