Ahead of their next tournament in Paris, we sat down with FURIA to discuss the team’s recent Major run, what they learned from coming so close to a title, and how an extended practice period has shaped the next version of the roster. FalleN also opened up about his decision to retire at the end of the year, while molodoy, yuurih, KSCERATO and YEKINDAR reflected on their individual journeys, the evolution of FURIA and what would make the second half of 2026 a success.
After having some time to reflect on the final, what do you think separated you from the Falcons, what lessons were taken from that match, and what have you improved upon?
FalleN: It was a difficult match because we played three maps, and in the six beginnings of every half in those matches, we started losing. I think we lost five pistol rounds, and the one we won, we let it go with a force buy right after. So in the end, the scores were like 39-39, and you could see that those hard beginnings cost us a lot during the matches. We knew that we could have won that match if it went a little bit differently in those beginnings. And I guess in the last three weeks, four weeks, we have put a lot of work into getting better as a team, and also working a lot on those anti-force buys and all those kinds of rounds because we know they’re important.
What are the differences between the FURIA we last saw at the Major and what we are about to see in Paris? You’ve had a long time to reflect and rest, so what came out of it?
sidde: Before this tournament, we had four weeks of practice, which is something that we normally don’t have. This is more than we normally bootcamp for. We don’t get to work for so long on our stuff. So I would say we could prepare a better structure for all maps and also put everyone on the same page in some of the ways we want to be playing. So I think inside the server we’re gonna be bringing a version of FURIA that will be more connected and have more synergy in the things that we want to do inside the server.
When it comes to the opening matches of the season, there’s always a battle between teams bringing unexpected things they’ve developed and teams that have already revealed some of their game but have the practice and confidence that comes from playing officials. Group D is stacked with both types of teams. Who do you think poses the biggest threat?
sidde: Honestly, even though we played only one official, I felt like we didn’t lose a lot of the things we’ve worked on from last season. Of course, I think we’ll reach our best form when we stack a lot of official matches. But so far, with the structure that we added, we are ready to play. Even though we only had one official match so far in the season, we’re ready to play against any other team. And I think it’s still not clear what team is gonna bring the very strong version into the season. I think everything is still very open.
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FalleN, you’ve previously said that you intend to retire at the end of the year. After reaching another Major final and seeing how competitive the team can be, is that decision still completely final?
FalleN: It’s definitely very final. We’re working towards a different future for January going on. But for now, it’s like the last push. So I’m looking forward to competing the most I can with my teammates, and we are already working on some things that we know are gonna be important for the future.
Finishing in the final of a Major is still a superb result for any team. After you cooled down following the final, did you have that feeling of, “Yeah, I’ve still got it. It’s a good point to finish the year, and I could make it to the result I wished it would be”?
FalleN: At this point of the career, only the trophy is really gonna satisfy you. So of course, reaching the finals was very cool. But on the other hand, we wanted to win it badly, and we could not manage to do it. So yes, in one aspect, we’re happy for it, but on the other one, you can only look at it as you didn’t really finish the job. So I think I’m gonna have another few nice tournaments to play until the end of the year, and I know that this team is very strong. If we can hit on all cylinders, we can win those tournaments. So that’s what we’re looking for, and that’s the only mindset possible if we’re competing. So that’s pretty much how I think right now.
With molodoy being a primary AWPer, replacing you will be more about replacing leadership, calling and strategies than performance-wise. What kind of qualities are you looking for, or do you see, in your replacement in the future?
FalleN: I think there are many ways we can go on this next change for the team, but I think right now it’s still too early to be really talking about them because there are so many more months and tournaments to play that it would be like a waste of energy to be thinking out loud about things that we wanna do in the future. But there’s definitely a possibility of bringing someone similar, like in the in-game leader role. But there’s also another possibility we have in this team because of the structure we have and the different personalities we have in the team. But we have to see in the future. I think it’s too early to be talking about this.
How do you see the development of the next generation of Brazilian and South American leaders in Counter-Strike in general?
FalleN: I think we’ve seen some refreshment from arT in Legacy. I think he’s been doing a great job coming back into actually playing close to tier one after leaving FURIA in the past. We have seen Lex now with another opportunity with Luminosity Gaming, and he was doing pretty well with paiN Gaming before. We have always been watching Biguzera from far, and he’s been able to pull some nice lineups to good results. He was able to get to semifinals in a Major in the past and all those things. So there is some leadership going on in Brazil. I think it’s at a good stage. Of course, not to the golden days, but still something to work with.
molodoy, your journey from the bottom to the top of Counter-Strike has been immensely impressive. You started playing in gaming cafés, saw your family go through serious financial difficulties, sent your first professional paycheck back to your mother, and then joined FURIA despite initially speaking almost no English. How much do you think about that journey and what it means to you? What does winning mean to you right now, and how has that changed throughout the years?
molodoy: I think I’ll say my life changed 100%. But the problem now, you want to win more. Before, you might think about winning one tournament. But now you want to win more. And I think it’s always like this in your life. You take one dream, you want a second dream, and I think that’s all.
Your relationship with FalleN is quite often described as a father-and-son relationship. What kind of advice has he given you that isn’t connected to AWPing?
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molodoy: I would say FalleN helps me a lot, not only in Counter-Strike but in life. And I would say he is the father of my life as well. And yeah. For me, that’s all, bro.
yuurih, you described the Major as something different from every other tournament, almost like a World Cup. Having now experienced that Major final moment for the first time, does the thought of being in another Major final get less intimidating?
yuurih: Actually, we have always had good results in Majors since the beginning of the team, so every time getting quarterfinals, quarterfinals. Now we got finals, so there’s a little bit of pressure for sure, but I think it doesn’t change a lot when we are in a Major final compared to a final in another top tournament. So a lot of things happen in this match, you know? I think it’s more about inside the game. I think mentally, everyone has a good mentality in this kind of tournament, so it’s more about the game, like the mistakes and what you are going for, what you are doing together in the game.
You’ve been with FURIA since 2017 and watched from within as the team evolved from a distinctly Brazilian lineup into an international roster using different languages and ideas. When you compare the FURIA you joined to this version, what part of the old identity do you never want the team to lose? What is that X factor you’ve never lost, and what were the biggest changes that made you into a title contender?
yuurih: I think the time that changed the most for me, and I think for KSCERATO, was when FalleN joined the team. So we had a piece that we always wanted in the team. And of course, a lot changed when we changed our language to English. So we got Mareks as well. I think me personally and everyone learned a lot with Mareks. And we had molodoy as well, the guy that is always killing, has good stats, so the guy helps a lot. We never had this before, so I think Mareks and Daniel changed our team a lot. So I think this moment was the moment that me and KSCERATO needed to step up and learn more, you know?
KSCERATO, you’ve stayed with FURIA through some difficult periods, and you’ve spoken openly about turning down Liquid because you believed in the project. Does getting within one series of a Major title feel like validation of that loyalty, or does coming so close make you feel like there’s an even greater responsibility to finish what you started with FURIA?
KSCERATO: Well, it’s been a long journey since I started in FURIA in 2018. So I was very, very glad that we went to the final of the Major after never reaching the playoffs back in the day. Even though reaching some playoffs was not enough, it’s still not enough being in the final. I want the title. I want to finish what I started, what we started, me and yuurih in the beginning of FURIA, and I think that we have to focus on that.
We already touched on FalleN’s retirement. As one of the longest-serving players and one of the most recognizable faces of FURIA, do you see yourself becoming a bigger leader when that transition happens, or is it more important for you to remain primarily the player who focuses on firepower?
KSCERATO: I think it depends. Depends what we get and what we’re gonna be in the next. I don’t know what’s gonna be the future, but I’m pretty sure that I’m open-minded for everything that can happen.
YEKINDAR, you’ve spoken openly about how difficult the end of your Liquid period was and how several months away from officials helped you reset physically and mentally. After winning tournaments with FURIA and now reaching your first Major final, do you feel this team has changed your relationship with competition itself? Are you enjoying being a professional player more right now than you were two years ago?
YEKINDAR: Well, of course. I mean, obviously you enjoy winning more than you enjoy losing. And sometimes losing helps you a lot, but during the end of Liquid, at some point it just was overwhelming and you start doubting yourself, doubting the people around you, and it’s just like a never-ending cycle of hate and just bad feelings. But overall, I do believe that when joining FURIA, I understood how much actually your own surroundings matter. After joining FURIA, I always said the people around you are half of your success most of the time, especially in such a game like Counter-Strike and whatever. I’m very grateful for having this opportunity and very grateful to play with these players. And of course, I don’t think I’m that different compared to the end of Liquid and nowadays. Maybe I’ve become a little bit more mature, but I think it’s more about the mental state. When you hit rock bottom, you learn not to notice the worst things anymore and the little bad things anymore, and I think that’s the strength.
You finished Cologne with a high rating and got an EVP. At 26, what motivates you more: returning to the very top of the individual rankings, developing into a more complete leader, or winning a Major even if your numbers never again resemble peak YEKINDAR?
YEKINDAR: Well, the thing is I’ve done the bare minimum, I believe. Before joining FURIA, I’ve never really won big LANs. And when I joined FURIA, we actually won Chengdu and BLAST Rivals, which I would consider big tournaments. Even though I won a couple with VP, it was online, and it was not necessarily a high-tier tournament. So for me, the next step is winning a Cologne, a Katowice, a Kraków now, or a Major or anything. This would be, for me, the biggest achievement. But of course, after reaching top 15 last year, it gave me a lot of motivation to continue as well with the individual performance if I can. And later on, of course, transitioning maybe into IGL, or somehow doing maybe TikToks and content after finishing my career. I don’t know that yet, but as you said, some things usually come naturally during your life, and hopefully the future is gonna show itself to me.
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So we might see content-making YEKINDAR one day, just maybe not so soon?
YEKINDAR: I’m already starting, so maybe you’re gonna see it soon.
What would make the second half of 2026 successful for this team? Winning the Major, winning another international trophy, returning to another Major final, becoming the world number one team, or simply proving that the Cologne run wasn’t just a run?
YEKINDAR: FalleN leaving the team, that would be successful. (laughs) No, of course, it’s like the thing. As much as people say about giving a BLAST trophy to FalleN, like a Major trophy or any sort of tournament, it would truly be amazing, and it’s true. But I think it’s more about not necessarily giving FalleN it, but proving ourselves. After a hard period, like this start of the year, I feel like we had a personal hard period for the team, and proving to ourselves that we are capable of reaching our highest level. That’s the most important thing, of course.
sidde: My opinion as the coach, I always try to see more than what the results show. So result-wise, of course we want to be winning, but more than that, for me in my position, it’s important to see the team staying loyal to their principles, developing even stronger relationships and a way of seeing the game, and everyone being more connected. All those things that sometimes might lead you to winning a trophy, sometimes it doesn’t result in a trophy, but the team develops in a different way. So for me, that’s the most important thing. Of course, we want to give FalleN a trophy, especially the Major. Imagine playing the last tournament of your career, it being a Major, and lifting the trophy there. It would be fantastic. But other than that, I want to see the team developing and staying true to our principles and playing to the best that we can. And if the result comes together with that, that will of course be very good.
