On April 13th, the CEO of G2 Esports, Alban Stilgar Dechelotte, essentially confirmed Ilya m0NESY Osipov`s transfer to Team Falcons. PGL Bucharest 2025 marked the last tournament for the sniper with his first tier-1 team. The esports player will join Nikola NiKo Kovac, who also moved to Falcons. Officially, the sniper is already representing his new organization, taking the place of Abdul degster Gasanov. It is also likely that Rene TeSeS Madsen anticipates his departure from the club soon.
Let`s discuss why this transfer is a great decision for all parties involved. Each organization benefits in its own way, and m0NESY gains the opportunity to realize his vision for CS and his potential to become the best. This move is analyzed in detail.
Let`s start with a perhaps unpopular opinion in the CS community: it was time for m0NESY to leave G2. Their transfer policy seems to have shifted away from aiming for top results at tournaments. According to Petar Peca Markovic`s post on X, the management is generally satisfied with the roster`s development under his guidance, pointing to G2`s past victories at Katowice, Cologne, and other events a couple of years ago.
Looking at G2`s results superficially, they seem good: six victories at tier-1 events since November 2022 (when peca became general manager) is a solid achievement. However, considering the current situation, it`s clear that with a player of m0NESY`s caliber, the team could have already won a major and achieved a Grand Slam, instead of inconsistent performances at tournaments.
It`s possible that G2 Esports has now prioritized profit over team results, which is understandable for any business. The club can be financially successful even without trophies. This highlights the difference between a “good club” and a “good team.” The m0NESY transfer undoubtedly brought a six-figure sum to the management. Sniper hades Miskiewicz will cost significantly less, leaving the club with funds for future transfers and a team that consistently ranks in the top 10. While losing an asset like m0NESY is a blow, a club of G2`s stature can recover.
Objectively, besides Falcons, only NAVI could realistically afford to buy out m0NESY`s contract among top-10 teams. This is partly because NAVI had a priority buy-out option for the sniper, a condition from NAVI`s management back in 2022 when Osipov initially moved to G2. When we say “could buy out,” it`s not just about budgets but also the feasibility of the purchase. Many clubs have resources, but not all are willing to spend heavily even on a star roster. There are other important expenses. And this doesn`t even consider the Russian player`s salary. It`s unlikely club owners would offer m0NESY significantly less than NiKo. While m0NESY might be less media-popular than the rifler, his skill is definitely on par, if not leading.
We must also mention the reunion of the fantastic duo m0NESY and NiKo, whose chemistry is palpable even through the screen. Their interaction shows they`ve long surpassed being just teammates, sharing a strong friendship. Even after accepting NiKo`s transfer from G2, there was a lingering feeling that the story of Kovac and Osipov should have a different ending – ideally, a happy ending with a major trophy.
M0NESY will also have the opportunity to work with Danny zonic Sorensen, arguably the best coach in CS history. While the last couple of years at Falcons were unsuccessful for zonic, there are justifiable reasons. Back in 2024, he stated that he initially wanted different players, but circumstances prevented those signings. Zonic had to work with the available roster, not his preferred one, which are vastly different scenarios. The results of his work with the right players are already evident – NiKo has led the team out of obscurity.
There`s little doubt about the effectiveness of this collaboration, as zonic has proven his ability to work with top snipers (we`ll quietly ignore the brief Falcons era with s1mple – nothing could have saved that roster). Nikolai device Reedtz and Mathieu ZywOo Herbaut are testaments to this. How does Sorensen achieve this?
PGL Bucharest 2025 showed that this Team Falcons roster can already command respect and compete with teams outside the top five. With m0NESY, the situation becomes even more promising. In the world`s top 15, there are at most three teams that Osipov likely couldn`t improve (Mongolz and Aurora due to language barriers, and Vitality, which already has Mathieu ZywOo Herbaut). Rene TeSeS Madsen`s playoff performance proved that the team doesn`t necessarily need another change, as he can still deliver strong games. This is good news, as replacing one sniper already requires significant adjustments, let alone two. Even considering the potential of possible newcomer Maxim kyousuke Lukin.
The team`s next event is IEM Melbourne 2025, starting soon. The team has very little time to build even a basic default structure. Therefore, unrealistic expectations shouldn`t be set. Vitality, MOUZ, and even NAVI, despite recent individual skill dips, still play structurally complex CS and might be obstacles in reaching the final.
Before the major, which is likely the main goal for this roster, the team has just over a month. Again, it`s unlikely the team can learn absolutely everything in such a short period. However, with such firepower, they must consistently reach playoffs and, on their best days, defeat top teams. With kyousuke`s arrival, the team theoretically becomes Vitality`s main competitor. The main concern is avoiding the “superteam curse,” where potential remains unrealized, and players eventually disband, losing a year of their careers.