FURIA is a familiar name for any Counter-Strike fan. Back in 2019, they brought fresh life to a struggling Brazilian scene. Two players stood out above all others: yuurih and KSCERATO, who have been Brazil’s most reliable talents for six years straight. But outside of a few flashes, FURIA’s results have been declining for months, if not years. A revolution was needed if Brazil’s utopia was ever going to rise again. This is that story.
The father of Brazilian CS
Before 2015, Brazil was a historic but mostly dormant Counter-Strike nation. Then came one man, one leader, one “father” figure, who would almost single-handedly revolutionize the game and an entire region. His name: Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo. Surrounded by young players, he shook up a world order dominated by Sweden, France, Denmark, and Eastern Europe. After a spectacular 2016 crowned with two Majors won, FalleN remained at the highest level for nearly two years.
Then came a long series of failures. Many thought the legend was done, that it was time to hang up the mouse and keyboard. But a surprising and controversial return to FURIA in mid 2023 became the first step in a redemption arc no one but him saw coming. Now 34 and ultra-experienced, the leader would be at the center of a wild gamble.
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The misunderstood masterplan
After nearly two years without a proper playoff run, big questions had to be asked. Kaike “KSCERATO” Cerato was still an exceptional talent, Yuri “yuurih” Santos remained a reliable anchor. But what about the rest? The Brazilian scene was stuck in a self-inflicted economic embargo that made transfers nearly impossible. Promising players like Felipe “insani” Yuji were completely out of reach.
So FURIA reinvented the wheel. After a failed attempt at going international in 2018 with Stewie2k and tarik joining MIBR, they tried again. This time, Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo set his sights on Mareks “YEKINDAR” Gaļinskis and Danil “molodoy” Golubenko. The move was instantly criticized. The first had been underperforming ever since his Virtus Pro peak and was considered a washed-out risk. The second was a massive raw talent but with zero tier 1 experience and who had never spoken English in a team. The biggest question was simple: how do you make a team work when cultures and languages collide?
Details that make the difference
Behind this lineup stands Sid “sidde” Macedo, a coach without significant tier 1 experience. Together with FalleN, he made a brilliant decision: bringing in Aidyn “KrizzeN” Turlybekov. The former AVANGAR star, finalist at the StarLadder Berlin Major in 2019, is Kazakh, just like molodoy. This VIP support made the young sniper’s integration seamless.
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The devil is in the details. To help players feel comfortable and communicate clearly, Sidde motivates them in their native languages. The usual Brazilian “vamos” now echoes alongside “хорошо” (good in Russian).
Chemistry over everything
Inside the new FURIA camp, the atmosphere quickly became joyful. Soon after the arrivals, faces were smiling again at tournaments. Videos of YEKINDAR singing during lively team dinners spread online. One thing became clear: this group was finally having fun playing Counter-Strike again, which is vital when you spend 75 percent of your life together in a brutal competitive calendar.
The rookie of the year
The AWPer role has always been the most statistically impactful in Counter-Strike. Yet real breakout prospects have become rare. In 2025, several names drew attention: Dmytro “Jambo” Semera at fnatic, Gleb “gr1ks” Gazin at Heroic, and both Jeremy “Kursy” Gast and Milan “hypex” Polowiec at GamerLegion. None lived up to expectations.
That’s where molodoy stands out. Thrown into the unknown in a lineup offering no guarantees, he delivered almost instantly. More than that: he reignited the nostalgia for fearless killer AWPers like m0NESY in his youth. His first big statement came against the Russian star himself during the IEM Cologne group stage. Everyone expected Falcons to crush Vitality soon after. Instead, molodoy made it clear that getting past him would not be that simple: a flawless CT side, 8-0, a monstrous 13-1 KD, +16.58 swing, a 2.80 rating. The padawan humbled the master.
He followed up with a 1.57 against G2, sending FURIA to their first tier S playoffs in a year. In the Lanxess arena, he didn’t crumble and showed a strong 1.15 rating against MOUZ, top fragging for his team. Pressure doesn’t touch him, no matter the opponent. At BLAST Rivals, molodoy shut down the world’s best AWPer, ZywOo. In just half a map, he destroyed their head to head 7-0. Over the whole BO3, he entry-fragged ZywOo nine times, nearly 30 percent of FURIA’s total entries. Two words: a masterclass.
Old stars shining again
Beyond the hero molodoy, both YEKINDAR and KSCERATO returned to a level many thought lost. The Latvian first: a 1.26 opening rating across the last three months of tier 1. Only two players in the world are better: m0NESY and XANTARES. He is a bulldozer of aggression who bends defenses and forces teams to remain alert at all times.
KSCERATO has a 1.19 rating 3.0, the fifth best in the world in 2025. Above him: ZywOo, donk, m0NESY, sh1ro. That’s the company he keeps. He remains the backbone of the team, capable of improbable multi-kills and clutching countless doomed situations. And then there’s yuurih, always stable. His 1.13 rating in grand finals over the past three months is enormous considering his difficult roles. Holding that level is a massive relief for his teammates.
With four titles, three of them back to back in the second half of the year, FURIA is now undeniably the favorite heading into the upcoming Major. The only question left is whether this talented, joyful roster can handle the crushing pressure coming their way. The Major is a different beast, one that already punished them in Austin when they collapsed in quarterfinals against Pain Gaming. We’ll get our answer in the coming weeks.
