Team Falcons has emerged victorious at the PGL Bucharest 2025, defeating G2 Esports in a thrilling Grand Final held on April 13, 2025. This win marks a significant milestone for the Saudi Arabian esports organization, as it secures their biggest trophy to date in the world of Counter-Strike. With this championship, Team Falcons claimed the lion's share of the event's impressive $625,000 prize pool, approximately £493,156.
The PGL Bucharest 2025 was the second international Counter-Strike tournament organized by PGL this year, running from April 6 to April 13. The tournament featured 16 teams competing in a Swiss System Group Stage followed by single-elimination Playoffs. Both Team Falcons and G2 Esports were directly invited to participate, but their paths to the final were strikingly different.
G2 Esports entered the tournament with a commanding performance, finishing the Group Stage with a perfect 3-0 record. In contrast, Team Falcons struggled initially, finding themselves among the bottom three teams to qualify for the playoffs after winning just three out of five matches. However, they turned the tide during the Playoffs, going on an undefeated run. They first eliminated GamerLegion with a score of 2-1, followed by a closely contested victory against FaZe Clan, also finishing 2-1. Finally, in a stunning display, Team Falcons took down G2 Esports in the Grand Final.
According to esports data platform Esports Charts, the Grand Final attracted an impressive viewership, with 518,849 fans tuning in. This makes PGL Bucharest 2025 the sixth-most popular Counter-Strike tournament of 2025 so far, just behind PGL Cluj-Napoca, which recorded 539,700 peak viewers. The top spot remains held by IEM Katowice, boasting nearly 1.3 million peak viewers.
This tournament also marked the last appearance of Ilya ‘m0NESY’ Osipov under the G2 Esports banner. Following the conclusion of the Grand Final, G2’s CEO, Alban ‘Stilgar’ Dechelotte, confirmed that m0NESY would be transferring to Team Falcons. The young Russian prodigy, who has been with G2 since January 2022, has established himself as one of the top Counter-Strike players globally, winning numerous titles including two BLAST Premier World Finals and three Intel Extreme Masters editions.
In a heartfelt statement, Dechelotte explained the reasoning behind the decision to trade m0NESY: "Ilya's contract ends in December of this year, and we decided to maximize our chance of rebuilding our team for the future with this trade instead of hoping for a last-minute turn of events. I'm very sad to see Ilya go, but I wish him the best and thank him for the magic moments he gave us." He added that m0NESY had been somewhat disconnected from the team due to uncertainty surrounding his future, which made it challenging to engage with potential new talents.
As part of Team Falcons, m0NESY will reunite with his former teammate Nikola ‘NiKo’ Kovač, who was already part of the Falcons roster during their triumph at PGL Bucharest. The two players are set to represent Team Falcons at the upcoming IEM Melbourne, scheduled for April 21-27, 2025.
In the wake of m0NESY's signing, Team Falcons announced that Abdulkhalik ‘degster’ Gasanov, who joined the team in January 2025, has been moved to the bench. Team Falcons' first official match with their new lineup will be against the Portuguese-majority team SAW.
The recent victory at PGL Bucharest 2025 and the signing of m0NESY have sparked excitement among Team Falcons fans. The organization is looking to build on this momentum as they prepare for the challenges ahead in the competitive esports landscape. With a strong roster and a recent championship title under their belt, Team Falcons are poised to make a significant impact in the upcoming tournaments.
As the esports community eagerly anticipates the IEM Melbourne, all eyes will be on Team Falcons to see how the newly formed squad performs. Will m0NESY's addition propel them to new heights? Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure: the stakes have never been higher for this exciting team.
