“When we start losing we get a bit more quiet… now we’ve just worked a bit more on energy” — NiKo on Falcons’ revamped mentality

“When we start losing we get a bit more quiet… now we’ve just worked a bit more on energy” — NiKo on Falcons’ revamped mentality

In a post-match interview following Falcons’ semi-final win at BLAST Rivals 2025 Season 2, NiKo admitted that the Bosnian-led squad had been too inward-facing when things went wrong. The key phrase: “When we start losing we get a bit more quiet, and now we have just worked a bit more on energy.” 
Falcons’ victory over Team Vitality, a 2-1 series win, marks a pivotal shift in the team’s trajectory — not just in results, but in mindset and execution. The win ensures a rematch in the grand final versus FURIA (their fourth meeting this season) and NiKo insists that this time, the team intends to show up. 

The loss-quiet spiral vs. energy-driven resurgence

NiKo was candid about what had been holding them back. He described a pattern: when Falcons fell behind or made mistakes, the team would “get a bit more quiet”. In high-pressure matches, that quietness morphed into hesitation and less visible drive. He said:

“We’ve had some tough times versus Vitality this year… we obviously could have maybe won… but we didn’t really think about it.” 
This admission coincides with broader improvements the team has made: stronger starts, better comeback capability, and increased energy drawn from the crowd and from each other.

NiKo referenced a key moment on Inferno against Vitality: down 6-11 on the CT side, Falcons fought back, helped by a 1v3 ace from Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov that seemed to shift momentum. NiKo said: “This was one of the things that we really wanted to emphasise… we need to stay in the game because this was the issue the last couple of times.” 
He cited that ace as the spark for the team executing more under pressure rather than reacting to it.

Why this victory felt different

Asked about why the win over Vitality might “count” differently, NiKo noted that Falcons had a poor 1-5 head-to-head record against Vitality entering the match. Honestly, he admitted: “I don’t think we played our game against them at that time.” 
Now, with new roster components (including the addition of Maxim “kyousuke” Lukin) and a stronger sense of identity, NiKo believes Falcons are finally ready to capitalize on the opportunity.
He said: “We’re super comfortable on Nuke… we just need to focus a bit more on ourselves, enjoy this, and we need to show up, basically.” 

Crowd, atmosphere and enjoying the stage

NiKo also touched on how the event environment has factored into their performance. The energy from the crowd in the arena was more visible and important this time:

“The crowd is crazy, especially the [red carpet] entrance when we walked in… we didn’t get to experience something like that in Austin, so it was a great atmosphere overall.” 
But he also admitted that during the team’s previous event in Chengdu they focused too much on winning and not enough on enjoying the stage:
“We haven’t enjoyed it that much I think in Chengdu, we wanted to focus too much on ourselves and we just wanted to win too badly… so here we just want to bring the energy.” 
For NiKo, the message is clear: enjoy the journey; draw strength from external energy (the fans) and watch the internal energy follow.

Tactical evolutions: structure, pace and space

Beyond energy and mindset, NiKo outlined some tactical adjustments Falcons have implemented this event. In previous matches the team admitted they were “reacting” to opponents’ moves and lacking initiative. NiKo said:

“Before, we wanted to react kind of on everything… rounds could finish very fast… we could get shut down very easily because we don’t execute things properly.” 
He credited changes: slower, more controlled setups; procedures where even if a star player is underperforming the team responds collectively; emphasis on execution over wild individual play.
Those structural changes, NiKo believes, have freed up room for players like m0NESY and kyousuke to flourish — enabling NiKo and others to play their roles without having to force the pace constantly.

Stakes: Final vs FURIA

Falcons now face FURIA in the grand final – their fourth meeting of the season but the first in a best-of-five format. NiKo acknowledged FURIA’s strength and said: “If we want to beat FURIA we need to bring our A-game… everyone needs to show up on the server.” 
In terms of vetoes, map pool, and experience, it’s level: Falcons will not have to play Ancient and FURIA skip Overpass, providing a more balanced scenario. The contest isn’t just about star talent, but who adapts best under pressure.

Broader season context

This interview ties into the broader arc of Falcons’ 2025 season. Earlier in the year NiKo discussed his new dynamic and role transitions in an article dated Nov 4: “I find myself playing a bit more passive… it’s hard to have space for three stars in the team.” 
That piece showed a team rebuilding around younger talent, managing roles and expectations. Now, the energy piece across this latest interview suggests that Falcons have internalized the previous lessons and are beginning to coalesce into something stronger.

Final reflections

For NiKo and Falcons the message is clear: results matter, but quality of process matters just as much. Being more energetic, enjoying the moment, executing with discipline rather than panicking when behind – those are the attributes NiKo believes will define success going forward.
The match against Vitality was a milestone — not just a win, but a manifestation of those mindset changes. The grand final against FURIA will likely define whether that change sticks or was just a moment.

“We just need to focus a bit more on ourselves, enjoy this… and we need to show up, basically.” — NiKo 

In an ever-evolving CS2 scene, where pressure is constant and margins are fine, Falcons appear to be moving from potential to presence — and their star NiKo is laying out exactly how they intend to make that transition.