Molodoy refocuses on team to help FalleN’s final year

At the BLAST Rivals 2026 Season 1 media day in Fort Worth, Danil “molodoy” Golubenko described changes to his on- and off-map approach aimed at helping captain Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo during the Brazilian star’s announced final year of competition. FalleN told the squad he plans to retire at the end of 2026, and molodoy said the news came the day before IEM Rio.

Molodoy said he was surprised by the announcement and called FalleN a mentor and a father figure who invited him to FURIA. He described taking personal responsibility to adjust how he plays so the team can win more trophies during FalleN’s last season.

The 20-year-old AWPer said he is moving away from relying on individual heroics and is learning to operate within team systems. “I’m trying to change my game, change my mind about playing only for the team, and just try to help the team and not just my individual game,” he said, adding that trophies matter more than individual stats.

Molodoy linked the change to his second season after a breakout 2025, when he won Rookie of the Year. He described the sophomore year as a period of adaptation, noting improvements in tactical understanding and English. He recalled early tournaments where he struggled to follow calls and estimated he initially understood only a portion of in-game communication.

FURIA are scheduled to open BLAST Rivals against GamerLegion on April 29. Molodoy said the match will be tough and pointed to the depth of competition in CS2, singling out teams such as Vitality and NAVI as regular threats. “In CS2, for me, you can always lose,” he added, explaining why the team is focusing on steady improvement rather than fixed expectations for each event.

Molodoy said the roster will review losses to identify problems and use practice time between events to improve. He also urged teammates to enjoy playing and avoid overthinking special events such as the upcoming Major in Astana.