Even one of the world’s best AWPers can have a day when his signature weapon simply does not perform as expected. m0NESY openly admitted that he lacked confidence with the AWP during Falcons’ campaign at BLAST Rivals 2026 Season 2, although the team still managed to keep their tournament run alive.
The AWP wasn’t working today
For m0NESY, AWPing is usually the main source of his impact on the server. Over the past three months, the Russian player’s Sniping score stands at 93 out of 100, so any struggles with the AWP immediately become noticeable in his usual playing style.
The player himself did not look for complicated explanations and briefly described how he felt about his performance.
I wasn’t hitting anything with the AWP today. I missed a lot of shots. That moment on Mirage was just a free kill.
However, even a difficult day with the sniper rifle does not mean m0NESY completely disappears from the game. His value to Falcons has long extended beyond the AWP, and his ability to make an impact in other situations remains one of his greatest strengths.
Falcons remain in contention
Falcons have already navigated a challenging stretch at BLAST Rivals 2026 Season 2. The team lost 0:2 to Vitality but responded with a 2:0 victory over Legacy and a 2:1 win against G2, keeping their title hopes alive.
It was the victory over G2 that allowed Falcons to advance. After losing Dust2 11:13, the team dominated Mirage 13:2 before closing out the series with a 13:8 victory on Anubis.
Dominating with the AWP isn’t always necessary
One encouraging sign for Falcons is that the team can win even when m0NESY is not performing at his absolute best with the sniper rifle. Previously, many of their matches depended directly on how much individual impact Ilya could provide.
Now, however, he is surrounded by NiKo, kyousuke, TeSeS, and karrigan, allowing other players to share the burden. If m0NESY regains his usual confidence with the AWP, Falcons’ potential heading into the decisive matches will become even greater.
FURIA await
Falcons’ next challenge will be FURIA in the BLAST Rivals 2026 Season 2 semi-finals. The Brazilians enter this stage in strong form, making consistent AWP performances from m0NESY a potentially decisive factor in the series.
At the same time, his comments highlight a simple reality: even an elite AWPer does not always feel comfortable with his signature weapon. Falcons have already proved they can overcome an off day from m0NESY, but there will be considerably less room for mistakes against FURIA.
Not his best day, but Falcons move forward
m0NESY made no secret of his disappointment with his AWP shooting, but the result remains the most important thing for Falcons. The team defeated G2 and continue their pursuit of the BLAST Rivals 2026 Season 2 trophy.
The only question now is whether m0NESY will return to his usual level in the semi-finals. If Falcons can combine their current form with consistently strong AWPing, stopping this roster will become significantly more difficult for their opponents.
