TeSeS: Falcons Are Hungry for More Than Just a Major

René “TeSeS” Madsen says Falcons have no intention of allowing their Major victory to become a one-off peak, stressing that the team wants to build something that lasts beyond a single championship.

Speaking to HLTV after Falcons secured a place in the Esports World Cup 2026 playoffs, TeSeS explained that the roster remains motivated to compete for every trophy despite already achieving one of Counter-Strike’s biggest objectives by winning the IEM Cologne Major 2026.

The comments come at an important point in Falcons’ season. After a disappointing loss to 100 Thieves at BLAST Bounty, the team responded at EWC with four consecutive map victories and now turns its attention to the knockout stage.

 

Quick Summary

Key point	Details
Player	René “TeSeS” Madsen
Team	Falcons
Main message	Falcons want sustained success beyond their Major title
Recent achievement	IEM Cologne Major 2026 champions
Recent setback	Loss to 100 Thieves at BLAST Bounty
Current tournament	Esports World Cup 2026
EWC status	Qualified for playoffs
Next opponent	The MongolZ
Next match	August 20, 2026
Main objective	Continue competing for trophies and build lasting success

 

 

What Did TeSeS Say About Falcons?

The central message from TeSeS was not simply that Falcons want another championship. His comments were about turning one major achievement into sustained success.

Falcons entered the second half of 2026 as Major champions following their victory at IEM Cologne, but their first result after the break immediately tested that status.

They suffered an unexpected defeat to 100 Thieves during BLAST Bounty and failed to reach the LAN finals. TeSeS acknowledged that the result was frustrating, but suggested that it ultimately provided an important wake-up call for the roster.

According to the Danish player, Falcons responded by increasing their workload ahead of EWC.

That response has produced a considerably stronger tournament so far. Falcons won four consecutive maps on their way into the Esports World Cup playoffs, including victories over K27 and Astralis.

TeSeS summarized the team's ambition clearly:

“Everyone on the team is really hungry for more than just a Major.”

He added that Falcons want to “build something that is lasting longer than just one tournament.”

That distinction matters. Falcons are no longer trying only to prove that they can win an elite tournament. The next challenge is demonstrating that their Major-winning level can be reproduced across different events and opponents.

 

TeSeS Says BLAST Bounty Defeat Helped Falcons Reset

The loss to 100 Thieves provides important context for Falcons’ EWC run.

Winning a Major can create an unusual competitive situation. A roster reaches the objective that often defines an entire season and then has to rebuild the same urgency immediately afterward.

TeSeS said Falcons returned to work committed, but the team had also celebrated during the player break and entered the opening part of the new season without much warm-up.

He did not blame individual teammates or suggest that anyone had stopped working. Instead, he described the 100 Thieves defeat as the kind of setback that helped restore the final part of the team's competitive focus.

The response was straightforward: more practice.

TeSeS said Falcons invested significant hours before the Esports World Cup and hoped those preparations would become visible in their results.

 

Falcons’ Road From Major Champions to EWC Playoffs

Period	Development	Significance
June 2026	Falcons win the IEM Cologne Major	Establishes the roster as a championship-winning lineup
Player break	Players celebrate and reset	Falcons must regain competitive rhythm
Start of second half	Falcons face 100 Thieves at BLAST Bounty	First major test after the break
BLAST Bounty	100 Thieves eliminate Falcons	Early warning after Major success
Pre-EWC preparation	Falcons increase practice workload	Team attempts to restore competitive sharpness
EWC group stage	Falcons beat K27	Strong response on LAN
EWC group stage	Falcons overcome Astralis	Secures playoff qualification
August 20, 2026	Falcons vs. The MongolZ	Next test in the EWC playoffs

The next-match information was listed by HLTV at the time of the TeSeS interview.

 

Why TeSeS’ Comments Matter

TeSeS believes Falcons' next challenge is turning their Major success into a sustained period of title contention.

 

The significance of TeSeS’ interview is less about one individual result and more about what Falcons must prove after Cologne.

Winning a Major establishes a roster's ceiling. Maintaining that level establishes its era—or determines whether the championship remains an isolated peak.

Falcons therefore enter the remainder of 2026 with different expectations than they had before Cologne.

Another deep run would strengthen the argument that the Major-winning performance represented a sustainable competitive level. Repeated early exits, by contrast, would raise questions about how consistently Falcons can reproduce that form.

The Esports World Cup gives them an immediate opportunity to provide an answer.

The Major is now the benchmark

Before Cologne, Falcons were pursuing the biggest trophy in Counter-Strike.

After Cologne, every major Falcons performance can be compared against the standard they established there.

That changes the narrative surrounding the roster.

A playoff appearance alone may no longer feel like the defining achievement. The question becomes whether Falcons can repeatedly challenge for titles.

Falcons want longevity, not one tournament

TeSeS' emphasis on building something beyond one tournament is particularly important.

Counter-Strike history contains many teams capable of producing one exceptional event. Far fewer maintain championship contention across multiple elite tournaments.

Falcons are now attempting to move from the first category toward the second.

 

Key Details From the TeSeS Interview

Topic	What we know
Motivation after the Major	TeSeS says the players remain highly motivated
BLAST Bounty defeat	Falcons lost to 100 Thieves before the LAN finals
Team reaction	TeSeS viewed the defeat as a useful wake-up call
Preparation for EWC	Falcons increased their practice workload
EWC performance	Four straight map wins took Falcons into the playoffs
Organizational importance	TeSeS acknowledged EWC's importance to Falcons
Long-term goal	Build success lasting beyond one tournament
Approach to opponents	TeSeS said his focus is primarily on Falcons rather than rival teams
Next opponent	The MongolZ

 

 

Tactical and Competitive Impact

TeSeS did not announce a tactical overhaul, so there is no basis to claim that Falcons have fundamentally changed their system.

There are, however, competitive details worth monitoring.

During the Astralis series, TeSeS acknowledged that Falcons failed to close several advantageous situations and allowed unnecessary deaths to complicate the final map. He also credited Astralis' direct approach with catching Falcons off guard in some rounds.

Those details make late-round discipline one useful indicator for the playoffs.

Falcons' four-map winning streak demonstrates that their immediate response to the BLAST setback has been positive, but knockout matches will provide a tougher test of whether that improvement can survive greater pressure.

 

Falcons Roster at EWC 2026

Falcons moved into the Esports World Cup 2026 playoffs after victories over K27 and Astralis, keeping their pursuit of another trophy alive.

 

At the time of the interview, HLTV listed Falcons with the following lineup:

Player	Status
Finn “karrigan” Andersen	Active
Nikola “NiKo” Kovač	Active
René “TeSeS” Madsen	Active
Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov	Active
Maksim “kyousuke” Lukin	Active
Danny “zonic” Sørensen	Coach

 

This roster combines extensive championship experience with considerable individual firepower, which makes the team's pursuit of sustained success especially significant.

 

Tournament Impact: EWC Is Falcons’ Immediate Test

TeSeS made clear that players still place Majors above other events in terms of prestige, but he also acknowledged the importance of the Esports World Cup to the Falcons organization.

That creates two layers of motivation.

For the players, EWC represents another elite trophy opportunity. For the organization, results at the tournament also contribute to its broader Esports World Cup ambitions.

TeSeS said the team is trying not to allow that organizational context to become additional pressure during matches. Falcons instead want to approach the tournament game by game and focus on their own performance.

 

Impact Analysis

Short term: Falcons appear to have recovered competitively from their BLAST Bounty disappointment. Their unbeaten map run through the EWC group stage supports that conclusion, although the playoffs will provide the more demanding test.

Medium term: A deep EWC run would provide evidence that the Cologne Major was the beginning of a sustained period of contention rather than the roster's single defining result.

Long term: TeSeS' comments establish the standard Falcons are setting internally: not merely another good tournament, but repeated trophy challenges.

There is no justified VRS or ranking projection from the interview alone, so no specific ranking impact should be inferred.

 

What Changes Now for Falcons?

The immediate objective changes from qualification to survival.

Falcons have already completed the first task by reaching the EWC playoffs. From here, every series becomes an elimination match.

Their Major title also means opponents are unlikely to underestimate them. Falcons must manage the expectations associated with being reigning Major champions while continuing to refine the form that returned during the EWC group stage.

There is no announced roster or role change connected to TeSeS' interview.

 

What to Watch Next

The biggest immediate storyline is Falcons vs. The MongolZ, scheduled by HLTV for August 20, 2026.

Several indicators will be worth following: whether Falcons maintain their post-BLAST momentum, whether their late-round execution improves after the issues TeSeS identified against Astralis, and whether the team can translate its four-map group-stage streak into playoff victories.

The broader question will remain relevant beyond EWC: Can Falcons turn their Major championship into a sustained trophy-winning period?

That is ultimately the standard TeSeS has set for the roster.

 

Falcons in action earlier in the 2026 season at PGL Astana, featuring the roster that entered the second half of the year as one of CS2's leading title contenders.

 

FAQ

What did TeSeS say about Falcons after winning the Major?

TeSeS said the Falcons players remain hungry for more success and want to build something that lasts beyond one tournament. He stressed that he wants to compete for every trophy.

Did Falcons win the IEM Cologne Major 2026?

Yes. HLTV identifies Falcons as the IEM Cologne Major champions when discussing their start to the second half of the 2026 season.

Why did Falcons struggle after the Major?

TeSeS explained that the team had returned from the player break after celebrating its Major victory and lacked warm-up entering the new season. He also described the subsequent defeat to 100 Thieves as a wake-up call.

Did Falcons qualify for the Esports World Cup 2026 playoffs?

Yes. Falcons reached the playoffs after four consecutive map victories during their EWC run.

Who do Falcons play next at EWC 2026?

At publication time, Falcons were scheduled to face The MongolZ on August 20, 2026.