m0NESY on fixing Falcon’s mistakes, switching to new mouse, and grinding FACEIT

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Team Falcons’ star player, Ilya ‘m0NESY’ Osipov, is working on becoming more consistent in 2026. He thinks improvements in how he plays crucial moments, better preparation with his team, and using Logitech’s new SUPERSTRIKE mouse are all contributing to his progress.

I’m a huge Falcons fan, and honestly, it’s frustrating! They have so many amazing players – seriously, one of the best lineups in Counter-Strike 2 – but they just haven’t been able to turn all that skill into winning championships. It feels like they’re close, but something’s always missing.

I was talking to m0NESY before IEM Rio, and even though everyone knows he’s an incredibly skilled player in Counter-Strike, he told me he still feels like he has more to prove and wants to reach an even higher level. He’s clearly pushing himself to be the best!

I’m still working on making my performance more consistent. I know what areas I need to improve, and that’s what I’m focusing on right now.

A common critique of the team is their performance in the middle stages of matches. Specifically, when they gain a player advantage, they often fail to capitalize because players peek too aggressively and don’t effectively trade kills.

I’ve been working on improving my performance when matches are getting tough, especially in the later stages. I want to be a valuable asset when the team needs to make important decisions, and I believe I can offer helpful suggestions to the captain and everyone else.

This highlights that m0NESY is no longer considered the team’s rising star; that role now belongs to Maksim ‘kyuosuke’ Lukin. m0NESY has been particularly impressed with the 18-year-old’s bold and aggressive playstyle since Lukin joined Falcons.

I really appreciate that he’s willing to step up and fight for the team – he’s not afraid to make an impact. Plus, he’s a skilled player with excellent game mechanics.

m0NESY on playing FACEIT and CS2’s reload nerf

How is the Falcons team improving their gameplay? According to m0NESY, they spent time after BLAST Rotterdam – where they lost to PARIVISION – identifying and correcting mistakes to prepare for IEM Rio.

We prepared for the IEM Rio tournament by practicing online. We felt our teamwork was solid, addressed issues from our last competition, and we’re excited for another opportunity to show what we can do.

Some esports teams have chosen to restrict their players’ use of FACEIT, a platform for competitive Counter-Strike, because they worry practice habits developed there might negatively impact official matches. However, m0NESY believes that success ultimately depends on the team having faith in each other and each player performing well individually. When asked whether he sees FACEIT as helpful or harmful, he explained his perspective:

That’s a good question. Ultimately, it’s a team decision, and we’ll all support whatever we decide. If we believe something will help us grow as players, we’ll go for it.

You should still be able to maintain your skill level, and naturally, you’ll need to practice to improve.

Okay, so about that big reload change in Counter-Strike? I heard m0NESY say he thinks it’s not gonna be some massive game-changer. Instead, he reckons it’ll just give a little boost to players who are already really disciplined with their reloading – rewarding smart play rather than totally shaking up how everyone plays.

He believes the changes are a positive step, noting that occasional spamming won’t be a major issue and players will likely be more mindful of their ammunition. He also predicts the M4A4 will become a more effective weapon for Counter-Terrorists, though he doesn’t expect a significant shift in the professional game as a whole.

m0NESY’s switch to the Logitech G PRO X2 SUPERSTRIKE

Besides larger changes, m0NESY switching to the Logitech G Pro X2 SUPERSTRIKE required an adjustment period. He’d previously used the Logitech G Pro X Superlight throughout his career, but now feels the new mouse is helping him win crucial one-on-one fights.

It was tough to get used to a new mouse at first. I’d used a G Pro superlight my entire gaming career, but as soon as I started playing with this one, everything felt much smoother.

He pointed specifically to pistol rounds and AWP angle clearing as the biggest gains.

“Pistols became better to just aim/shoot. With AWP, when you search angles, I feel comfortable.”

If you’re a fan wanting to replicate m0NESY’s setup, his current SUPERSTRIKE click settings are 5/4/5. He explains he just likes his clicks to feel stronger.

He played exceptionally well at IEM Rio, achieving one of his best performances this year with a 1.48 HLTV rating. This strong showing was key to their hard-fought victory over Vitality.

Okay, so m0NESY basically explained what makes playing against Vitality different from any other team we face. He made it pretty clear – they’re a whole other level of challenge.

Playing against them requires a lot of confidence. You need to make good decisions every round, because there’s no room for mistakes.

Man, it was amazing watching Falcons take down the teams everyone expected to win, even the eventual champions! It’s a real shame they lost in the semi-finals to Spirit, but I have a feeling bringing in Karrigan as the in-game leader could be exactly what they need to finally break through and become a top team. I’m really excited to see what happens next!

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2026-05-01 12:20