m0NESY dominates Liquid as Falcons reach BLAST Bounty semi-finals despite stand-ins

Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov delivered a world-class performance to knock Liquid out of the BLAST Bounty 2026 Season 1 Finals, leading Falcons to a 2–0 victory (16–14 Nuke, 13–8 Dust2) and a place in the semi-finals — despite the team competing without head coach zonic and with a stand-in on the roster.

Liquid had hand-picked Falcons during the quarter-final draft, viewing the short-handed lineup as the most favorable matchup. Instead, they ran headfirst into one of the most dominant individual performances of the tournament.

Match result

Falcons 2–0 Liquid

Nuke — 16:14

Dust2 — 13:8

⭐ Player ratings & impact analysis

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ m0NESY (Falcons) — 10/10

The undisputed MVP of the series.
m0NESY finished the match with a 1.61 HLTV rating, spearheading Falcons’ Dust2 T side with a 2.49 T-side rating and 142.2 ADR. Liquid had no answer to his AWP impact, especially during the opening half on Dust2, which Falcons closed 9–3.

This performance reinforces m0NESY’s status as one of the most influential players in Counter-Strike right now.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ NiKo (Falcons) — 8.5/10

While not matching m0NESY statistically, NiKo’s timing proved decisive. His four-kill half-buy round on Dust2 shattered Liquid’s economy and momentum, effectively sealing the map and the series.

⭐⭐⭐ Falcons overall — 6.5/10

Considering the circumstances — no coach on-site and a last-minute stand-in — Falcons showed impressive composure and structure. The team capitalized on Liquid’s mistakes and played with visible freedom, particularly in mid-round situations.

⭐ Liquid AWP — 3/10

Liquid’s biggest weakness was their AWP output.
Roland “ultimate” Tomkowiak ended the series with a 0.60 rating (27–41 K-D), a stark contrast to m0NESY’s output on the other side. The AWP disparity was one of the clearest deciding factors of the quarter-final.

Why Falcons were playing short-handed

zonic absent from BLAST Bounty Finals

Falcons entered the Malta LAN without head coach Danny “zonic” Sørensen, who stayed home following the passing of his brother. Despite the circumstances, zonic publicly voiced his pride in the team for qualifying for the Finals.

kyousuke replaced due to visa issues

Falcons were also forced to play without Maxim “kyousuke” Lukin, sidelined due to unresolved visa complications. Academy player Matej “NucleonZ” Trajkoski was called up as a stand-in for the event.

In a broader context, Falcons’ in-game leader kyxsan has highlighted how frequent Schengen-based LAN events have caused repeated visa challenges for multiple teams throughout the season.

Draft decision backfires for Liquid

Liquid’s decision to select Falcons during the live draft was rooted in the assumption that roster instability would weaken the opposition. However, as NAF acknowledged beforehand, removing pressure can allow elite players to “hit every shot” — a prediction that became reality once m0NESY took control.

What this win means

Falcons advance to the BLAST Bounty semi-finals

m0NESY strengthens his MVP case for the event

Liquid exit the tournament after failing to convert early-map advantages

The result underscores the danger of underestimating star-heavy lineups, even with stand-ins