For Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo, retirement will bring an unfamiliar opportunity: time to discover a life beyond competitive Counter-Strike. After more than a decade of living away from home to compete, the Brazilian is looking forward to the everyday moments his schedule has rarely allowed.
So why does this interview matter? FalleN spoke to HLTV in Beijing, where he played his last ESL event. His words show how a player who has lived as a gamer since childhood is preparing for a very different next chapter.
FURIA’s Search for a Replacement
FalleN has led FURIA for a long time, and the team has also experimented with giving YEKINDAR more calling responsibilities. According to FalleN, that process did not change his view of his role as an IGL. However, it showed some of his strengths, because he has been able to share responsibility in the server and use other people’s input. He also praised YEKINDAR as a strong opinion player who knows how the game should be played.
Back in August, sidde said FURIA had started looking for FalleN’s replacement. FalleN now says the decision is still open. The next steps belong mainly to sidde and Nicholas guerri, the team’s last coach, who must see which players will be available next season. Therefore, FalleN calls the situation speculation for now, and the team will have to wait a bit longer.
A New Life After More Than 20 Years as a Gamer
FalleN has played at a decent level since he was 13 years old. Because of this, he does not know another version of himself. When asked whether he thinks more about his own goals or about what he leaves for his teammates, he leaned toward the first answer.
Now it’s time for me to really start a new life, to be honest. The only life I know so far is the one where I see myself as a gamer.
All his time and heart have gone into Counter-Strike projects, both inside and outside the server. Therefore, he expects a shock when he suddenly has more free time. However, he already knows what comes first: his family. He often misses time with his wife, his dog, his brothers and his mother, and he wants to change that. In addition, he wants to find ways to stay connected to Counter-Strike, and he believes he will find suitable options with time.
Ordinary Plans That Feel Special
FalleN also has some new hobbies in mind. For example, he wants to go fishing again next year, and he recently started playing tennis. Meanwhile, he is learning piano and wants to return to Mandarin with a teacher.
Still, the biggest wish is much simpler. As a Brazilian playing internationally, he has lived outside his home for more than 12 years. For this reason, normal routines now feel like a luxury.
But I think the thing that I really I’m looking forward the most to is to stay at home and do the normal things that everyone can do. Go to the shopping mall. Maybe watch a movie on a night that you don’t expect to go. Go out with your wife for dinner. Other normal things that people can do, that for us it’s just quite impossible to have.
Coming Full Circle in China
China also has special meaning for FalleN. His first international Counter-Strike tournament was WCG 2009 in Chengdu. He won a Brazilian qualifier and traveled with the whole Brazilian team, along with athletes from other games.
The first one was in 2009. I was able to win a Brazilian qualifier for World Cyber Games, and the tournament happened in Chengdu. I was traveling with the whole Brazilian team. There was many athletes from other games, Guitar Hero, Need for Speed, Warcraft, everyone was traveling together, and it was my first time going outside of Brazil.
He still remembers the first Chinese fan who asked for a photo. At the time, he had never left Brazil, so he was surprised that someone in China knew him. Later, winning in Chengdu last year felt incredible to him.
Advice and Love for the Game
FalleN has also seen Counter-Strike change a lot. The biggest surprise for him is the modern tools for studying the game, because players once had to go through demos and videos alone. However, he always believed the game could become huge. When he played in cyber cafes in Brazil, he already felt it had every aspect of a real sport.
For young players, his main advice is to stay open-minded and humble. In his view, players who think they know everything block their own growth. Moreover, he highlights hard work and patience. To his younger self, he would simply say to keep going and follow his heart.
What This Means for FalleN and FURIA
FalleN’s retirement is close, and his plans show how deeply Counter-Strike shaped his life. He started at 12 in a cyber cafe, and he still says the game can change lives and connect people. He also does not have a single bad memory of the community in 22 years. As a result, he leaves the server with gratitude, but he also looks forward to family time, new hobbies and a normal routine. Meanwhile, FURIA must wait for the next decisions on its roster and find a way to move on without one of its most experienced leaders.
