NiKo: Major confidence hurt Falcons at BLAST Porto

Falcons advanced to the BLAST Open Porto semifinals in Porto, Portugal, where they were defeated 0-2 by Spirit. Captain Nikola “NiKo” Kovač said the confidence carried from their Major run did not translate into steady performance and harmed results.

The result capped a mixed start to the season. Falcons exited early at BLAST Bounty and finished in the top eight at the Esports World Cup before their run in Porto. The team beat G2 during the tournament and showed improved play on Ancient, but overall match-to-match performance varied.

NiKo pointed to map-pool problems as a key factor. He reported that Falcons lost their map pick in every series at the event, making best-of-three wins difficult. Dust2 remains their most reliable pick, yet opponents such as Spirit also perform well on that map. NiKo added that Anubis produced better practice results than tournament play for some matches, and he suggested the team needs to change how it approaches maps in important games rather than rely on practice form.

Mental strain affected the squad across series. NiKo noted the team kept fighting in halves and believed comebacks were possible, but repeated loss of map picks created a psychological burden. “There are some positives, but a lot of negatives,” he said while reviewing the event.

Questions about in-game leader Finn “karrigan” Andersen’s role surfaced after the loss. NiKo rejected blaming karrigan alone and described the issues as collective. “I don’t believe in it. We are in it together for this, we just need to look for improvements,” he commented.

Falcons have a break before their next tournaments and will prepare for the upcoming ESL Pro League season. NiKo emphasized the need for consistent results in both group stages and playoffs: “If we can perform in the playoffs, we have to perform in the group stage.” The team will focus on map choices, translating practice into match outcomes, and stabilizing performance across events.