The first match for m0NESY in Falcon’s colors saw the team secure a convincing victory over sAw in IEM Melbourne 2025. While there is a lot of work to be done, the team looks like they have integrated the star sniper well into the team, as both he and NiKo were firing on all cylinders against the Portuguese side.
VETO
- SAW removed Mirage
- Falcons removed Anubis
- SAW picked Nuke
- Falcons picked Dust2
- SAW removed Ancient
- Falcons removed Train
- Inferno was left over
Map 1: Nuke; Pick: sAw; Winner: Falcons
Flawless start to the map for Falcons saw the team go 6-0 up as a NiKo masterclass kept sAw at bay earlier in the first half. As sAw continued to adapt, Falcons failed to hold onto their lead but managed to edge out the final rounds, thus closing the half with a 7-5 scoreline. Losing the pistol, Falcons lost the two-round lead but hit sAw back right afterwards. From the first gun round of the second half, NiKo and co. managed to put together a streak of rounds and ended up closing the half with a 13-8 scoreline.
Map 2: Dust 2; Pick: Falcons; Winner: Falcons
Falcons started well on the offence in D2 but sAw did manage to keep with them for a few rounds before they stretched their lead to a whopping 8-4 before switching sides. Falcons did manage to go 11-4 up before sAw pulled a few rounds back. The massive lead that the Falcons garnered was slowly fading before they got back on their feet to close out the map with a 13-9 scoreline.
While Falcons shone on m0NESY’s debut, there is still a long way to go for the team if they want to take on the likes of Vitality and Spirit. The team looks to be on an uphill journey since their stunning run at Bucharest, but a win here would put them into the conversation of title contenders.