IEM Cologne 2025 is one of the most prestigious tournaments of the CS2 season. For most top-tier teams, it’s an essential proving ground before the final push toward the autumn Major. Yet for Team Falcons, a star-studded and heavily funded roster, Cologne is shaping up to be a massive gamble: the team will only return to training on July 15, leaving just 7 to 8 days of practice before the event kicks off.
A Month of Silence After a Collapse
The last time Falcons played an official match was June 9, when they were knocked out of BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 in the opening stage after a shocking 1:2 loss to MIBR. The result — a disappointing 20th–22nd place finish — was a brutal setback for an organization with massive expectations and financial investment.
Immediately after that loss, the team entered a full vacation mode. They skipped every event and bootcamp in June and early July, becoming the last Tier-1 team to return to practice. With the first matches in Cologne scheduled for July 26, they now face a race against time.
One Roster Change — But a $2M One
There hasn’t been a major roster rebuild. The only change was the arrival of 18-year-old rifler kyousuke, considered one of the brightest young talents in the scene. According to reports, his transfer cost Falcons approximately $2 million, replacing Magisk after a string of underwhelming performances in the spring.
While minimal on paper, this change is far from trivial. Integrating a new player, especially a young one, into a lineup filled with superstar egos and expectations, takes time. Time that Falcons have decided not to give themselves.
Skipping Events for Show Matches
What further frustrated fans was the team’s decision to skip FISSURE Playground #1, a lower-tier LAN that could’ve served as a warm-up. Instead, NiKo and m0NESY traveled to China for a commercial show match — a move seen by many as prioritizing brand over performance. While other teams trained or competed, Falcons remained inactive.
2025 So Far: A Spring of Highs and a Crushing Low
Falcons started the year with a bang — lifting a trophy at PGL Bucharest — but the months that followed were filled with heartbreak. The team repeatedly reached finals only to fall short, usually at the hands of Vitality. The worst blow came in Austin, where they collapsed at the first Major of the CS2 era.
Falcons key results in 2025:
- PGL Bucharest 2025 — 1st place without m0NESY
- IEM Melbourne 2025 — 2nd place with m0NESY
- BLAST Rivals Spring 2025 — 2nd place
- Intel Extreme Masters Dallas 2025 — 3–4th place
- BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 — 20–22nd place
A dominant start, a strong run through spring — but no titles beyond Bucharest, and a humiliating early Major exit.
Not Rumors — Strategy: Falcons Are Betting on the Major
Let’s be clear — this isn’t based on rumors or insider sources. This is an analytical conclusion based on clear patterns. Falcons have made it obvious: IEM Cologne is not their top priority. The extended break, the skipped tournaments, the lack of urgency — all point to one thing: the organization is setting up for a peak at the next Major.
From a long-term performance management perspective, this makes sense. Many top teams — from Liquid in 2019 to G2 in 2022 — have built their season around peaking late. Falcons are seemingly doing the same: sacrificing form in Cologne in hopes of redemption later this year.
But this comes with a price. Arriving cold to a Tier-1 S-tier event, without recent match experience or synergy with a new player, is an enormous risk — especially with eyes watching every move after the Austin failure.
$10 Million Spent — With Little to Show For It
There’s another layer to the pressure. Falcons have reportedly spent over $10 million on CS2 transfers in just six months, making them the most expensive project in the game’s history. Signings like NiKo, m0NESY, frozen, and now kyousuke didn’t come cheap — and so far, those investments have brought just one trophy and one of the worst Major performances imaginable.
For fans, analysts, and most importantly — stakeholders — Cologne is a milestone. If the team fails again, questions will be raised not just about player performance, but about the very management and strategic vision of the project.
Conclusion
Seven days of practice. A new player. A month of inactivity. No tournament prep. Falcons arrive at IEM Cologne 2025 not as favorites, but as the biggest mystery of the event. While the long-term strategy may make sense, the short-term risks are massive. In CS2, success belongs to the teams ready now — not someday. And right now, Falcons look anything but ready.
