Falcons’ IGL kyxsan on visa struggles, lineup decisions and 2026 goals
Falcons’ IGL kyxsan on visa struggles, lineup decisions and 2026 goals
Damjan “kyxsan” Stoilkovski, the in-game leader of Falcons, opened up in a recent interview with HLTV about the team’s strategic direction in 2026, how they’re managing lineup issues, and specifically why young star Maxim “kyousuke” Lukin has missed several key events so far this year.
Falcons — a Saudi-backed organisation with a high turnover of players in recent years — surprised many in the CS2 scene by opting not to make any roster changes this winter. That stability, according to kyxsan, reflects the organisation’s renewed belief in the current constellation’s potential after a streak of strong placements at the end of the 2025 season.
“While this roster hasn’t yet hoisted a trophy, we showed consistency by finishing top four in five consecutive events towards the end of 2025, only missing out once at the Budapest Major.”
Despite that consistency, the Falcons’ campaign at the early 2026 BLAST Bounty event was complicated by the absence of kyousuke — one of their most promising young talents — due to visa and travel difficulties.
🎫 Schengen visa challenges and kyousuke’s absence
One of the central points kyxsan emphasised was the difficulty in securing Schengen visas for kyousuke, who is only 17 years old and has limited travel history, which makes repeated visa approvals for European events particularly challenging.
“A lot of Schengen events are happening this year, so it was impossible to get kyousuke for all of them,” he explained, highlighting how scheduling and bureaucratic hurdles forced the team to prioritise which tournaments he could attend.
This issue is not unique to Falcons; visa complications frequently plague international CS2 squads when young or less-travelled players from outside the EU try to enter the Schengen zone for multiple back-to-back events. Falcons have occasionally opted to skip or adjust participation — particularly in European BLAST events — because the rejections and re-applications take too long to organise.
Kyxsan reiterated that Falcons would rather have kyousuke available at the more prestigious events, such as the upcoming Krakow tournament, than at smaller or secondary competitions. They continue to hope for confirmation that he’ll be ready for Krakow, which is considered one of the year’s flagship events.
🔁 Stand-in dynamics: NucleonZ steps in
With kyousuke unavailable, Falcons turned to a stand-in from their academy — Matej “NucleonZ” Trajkoski — to fill the lineup. As kyxsan described it, the transition has been positive but understandably limited by time and circumstances.
NucleonZ participated in bootcamp and followed the team during the online phase of BLAST Bounty, gaining insight into the squad’s workflows. Yet with only two formal practice sessions together before the event’s playoff stage, integrating him into Falcons’ system proved a short turnaround.
Kyxsan compared NucleonZ’s style to that of kyousuke — aggressive, confident, and unafraid to take duels — but underlined that kyousuke’s experience level and impact still place him above the stand-in.
🧠 Team cohesion, communication and coaching staff evolution
Beyond roster availability, kyxsan also touched on deeper structural goals for the team, particularly regarding tempo of play and collective strategy. After some inconsistency in individual decision-making in prior events, he noted Falcons are moving towards a more unified teamplay philosophy, with clearer communication around round execution.
This strategic shift has been supported by adjustments within the coaching staff. Falcons recently added Aymen “Aymeinstein” Bencheikh as a dedicated assistant coach, freeing up their existing analyst to focus solely on data and tactical breakdowns. According to kyxsan, Aymeinstein’s straightforward communication and emphasis on structure have already helped improve in-game protocols and overall cohesion.
“He tells players exactly what they need to hear — even if it's not always what they want to hear — and that honesty is helping us sharpen our discipline and focus.”
Kyxsan also acknowledged the absence of Danny “zonic” Sørensen, who was not present with the team during BLAST Bounty, making coordination and preparation even tougher than normal.
🏆 Looking ahead: 2026 ambitions and kyousuke’s return
Despite the rocky start to 2026 without kyousuke, Falcons are optimistic about the rest of the year. Kyxsan reiterated that the organisation still believes in the core roster’s potential to win trophies, and the coaching retooling is designed to unlock that potential.
Crucially, they’re waiting on administrative confirmations to allow kyousuke to rejoin the active roster for higher-profile events later in the season, with Krakow topping that list. Falcons clearly see his presence as a significant competitive advantage.
Even in his absence, the team insists it can adapt and grow — showing that organisational trust in the lineup is not contingent on short-term setbacks, but on long-term performance and the belief that stability and experience can yield results.
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