latto after Legacy beat Falcons again: “We’re not afraid”

Bruno “latto” Rebelatto believes Legacy’s second victory over Falcons in three months should put to rest the idea that their first was a one-off.

Legacy eliminated the reigning Major champions from the Esports World Cup 2026 with a convincing 2-0 quarter-final victory, taking Mirage 13-7 and Dust2 13-10 to secure a place in the semi-finals. The result followed their 3-1 triumph over Falcons in the CS Asia Championships 2026 grand final in May, giving the Brazilian side consecutive series wins against one of the strongest teams in the world.

Speaking to HLTV after the match, latto pointed to Legacy’s preparation and mentality rather than any special anti-Falcons formula.

“We respect them a lot, but we're not afraid.”

That approach has carried Legacy through an increasingly difficult EWC run. After beating NAVI in the Round of 16 and Falcons in the quarter-finals, they will now face Spirit, who defeated Vitality 2-1 to claim the other semi-final spot.

Quick Context

Detail	Information
Player	Bruno “latto” Rebelatto
Team	Legacy
Role	Rifler
Event	Esports World Cup 2026
Interview type	Post-match quarter-final interview
Result	Legacy 2-0 Falcons
Maps	Mirage 13-7, Dust2 13-10
Next opponent	Spirit
Main storyline	Legacy beat Falcons for the second consecutive series and reached the EWC semi-finals

Legacy are No. 12 in HLTV’s latest ranking, while Falcons entered the playoff run ranked No. 1 and Spirit No. 2, underlining the scale of the route Legacy have been navigating in Paris.

Legacy prove the first Falcons win was no accident

The history between Legacy and Falcons gave the EWC quarter-final more weight than a standard top-eight matchup.

When the teams met in Shanghai on May 24, Legacy overturned a one-map deficit to win the CS Asia Championships grand final 3-1. Falcons took Nuke 13-11, but Legacy answered on Ancient before dominating Mirage and Dust2 13-6 apiece.

Falcons went on to win the IEM Cologne Major 2026 less than a month later, sweeping FURIA 3-0 in the grand final and climbing to the top of the world ranking. Their EWC meeting with Legacy was therefore also their first LAN appearance since becoming Major champions.

That made the rematch useful evidence for Legacy. They were no longer catching an opponent before its biggest success of the year; they were beating the reigning Major champions after Falcons had established themselves as the No. 1 team.

Across the two series, Legacy now hold a 5-1 map record against Falcons.

latto acknowledged that the first victory had been dismissed by some as a fluke. For him, winning again showed that Legacy's results are being backed by continued work rather than a single favorable day.

Mirage showed Legacy's patience

The 13-7 scoreline on Mirage hides how competitive the opening half was.

Falcons recovered from losing the opening pistol and built a 7-5 halftime lead, with m0NESY repeatedly finding impact around the map. Legacy then shut Falcons out completely after the side switch, winning eight consecutive CT rounds to close the map.

latto explained that Legacy initially wanted to pressure areas associated with karrigan, but Falcons reacted by repeatedly placing m0NESY into those positions. Rather than abandoning the idea immediately, arT encouraged the team to keep testing the setup.

That detail says more about the series than the final Mirage score. Legacy were willing to continue playing through a plan even after Falcons recognized it, trusting that the structure would eventually produce favorable situations.

latto also pushed back against the idea that the 13-7 score meant the map had been comfortable. Several Legacy rounds were decided by individual plays, and Falcons were creating more resistance than the scoreboard suggested.

try makes an immediate impact

Santino “try” Rigal was Legacy's standout player against Falcons, finishing the series with a 1.49 rating, 39 kills and just 23 deaths. latto was next at 1.37, while m0NESY was Falcons' highest-rated player at 1.35.

The performance is particularly significant because the Esports World Cup is try's first tournament since joining Legacy.

The Argentine AWPer officially signed on July 11, replacing Guilherme “saadzin” Pacheco. The move reunited him with latto and Eduardo “dumau” Wolkmer, his former teammates from 00NATION.

latto highlighted one difference from those earlier years: maturity. He already knew what try could do mechanically, but believes the AWPer has returned as a more developed player with a different mindset.

That has translated quickly in Paris. try helped Legacy survive the group stage before producing his best series of the tournament at exactly the right moment against Falcons.

It also gives arT another high-impact piece around which to structure Legacy's aggressive style. try provides a more traditional AWP presence while arT can continue dictating the pace rather than requiring the sniper to manufacture every opening.

Legacy's difficult route is not getting easier

Legacy's EWC campaign has already included very different tests.

They opened with a 13-5 victory against Ninjas in Pyjamas before losing 0-2 to FaZe in the upper bracket. A 2-0 win over MIBR then secured their playoff place.

Once in the knockout stage, the level rose again.

Legacy dismantled NAVI 2-0, winning Inferno 13-9 before crushing Ancient 13-2. The Ancient performance was especially one-sided, with Legacy taking a 10-2 first-half advantage and closing the map immediately after the break.

Falcons followed, and another 2-0 sent Legacy into the last four.

latto jokingly described their route as the “Bracket of Death.” The description has become even more fitting now that Spirit are confirmed as the next obstacle.

Spirit replace Vitality as Legacy's next challenge

At the time latto gave the interview, Legacy were waiting for the winner of Vitality versus Spirit.

That matchup has now been resolved.

Spirit defeated Vitality 2-1, taking Anubis 13-11, losing Nuke 14-16 after overtime, and then overwhelming Vitality 13-3 on Mirage. donk produced a dominant opening half on the decider as Spirit ended a six-series losing streak against Vitality.

Legacy and Spirit are scheduled to meet in a best-of-three semi-final on August 22. HLTV currently lists Spirit as the No. 2 team in the world and Legacy as No. 12.

Spirit's current five-man lineup consists of donk, sh1ro, zont1x, magixx and tN1R, while Legacy field latto, arT, dumau, n1ssim and try.

Unlike Falcons, there is no recent meaningful Legacy-Spirit head-to-head to build the preview around. latto himself noted before the opponent was confirmed that Legacy had not faced Spirit, making current form and the map veto more useful indicators than historical matchup data.

Spirit arrive after consecutive playoff victories against B8 and Vitality. They beat B8 13-9 on both Dust2 and Mirage before surviving the three-map quarter-final against Vitality.

Legacy's new roster is moving faster than expected

The EWC run has additional significance because Legacy only finalized this version of the roster in July.

try replaced saadzin as the team's AWPer, while n1ssim returned to the active lineup shortly before the transfer after previously being moved to the bench. That left Legacy with arT, latto, dumau, n1ssim and try for the second half of the season.

There was little competitive evidence to show how quickly the new five would settle before Paris.

Instead, their first event together has already produced wins over MIBR, NAVI and Falcons, with try looking increasingly comfortable in the system.

For latto, the answer to handling the rising expectations is to avoid changing the mentality that got them here. Legacy remain the lower-ranked side against Spirit, and he sees that underdog position as something they can use rather than something they need to escape.

His focus remains “step by step.”

Interesting Facts

• Legacy have now defeated Falcons in consecutive series, winning five of the six maps played across the CAC 2026 final and EWC quarter-final.
• Falcons entered the EWC playoffs as the reigning IEM Cologne Major champions after beating FURIA 3-0 in the June 21 final.
• try joined Legacy on July 11 and is playing his debut event for the organization in Paris.
• latto posted a 1.37 rating against Falcons, while try led the server with a 1.49 rating.
• Legacy have reached the EWC semi-finals after knocking out both NAVI and Falcons without dropping a map in the playoffs.
• Spirit reached the same stage by beating B8 2-0 and Vitality 2-1.

What Comes Next?

Legacy will face Spirit in the Esports World Cup semi-finals on August 22, with a place in the best-of-five grand final at stake. The other semi-final features FURIA against FUT.

The matchup changes the nature of Legacy's challenge. Against Falcons, they had recent experience, a successful previous game plan and a clear reference point from Shanghai. Against Spirit, there is far less direct history.

Legacy will instead have to rely on the qualities latto emphasized after beating Falcons: preparation, patience and confidence in their own approach.

After eliminating NAVI and the reigning Major champions, winning the tournament no longer feels like an abstract possibility. latto is still refusing to look beyond the next series, but admitted that lifting the trophy would be a “dream come true.”

FAQ

Who is latto?

Bruno “latto” Rebelatto is a 23-year-old Brazilian Counter-Strike player who currently represents Legacy.

What did latto say about Falcons?

latto said Legacy respected Falcons but did not fear them, explaining that the team approached the quarter-final with its normal preparation and focused on calmly executing its game plan.

What happened in Legacy vs Falcons?

Legacy defeated Falcons 2-0 in the Esports World Cup 2026 quarter-finals, winning Mirage 13-7 and Dust2 13-10.

Have Legacy beaten Falcons before?

Yes. Legacy also defeated Falcons 3-1 in the CS Asia Championships 2026 grand final on May 24.

Who do Legacy play next?

Legacy face Spirit in the Esports World Cup 2026 semi-finals on August 22. Spirit qualified by beating Vitality 2-1.