After a heartening run at PGL Astana, CAC will be the test to see if Falcons has really changed under karrigan.
In a recent interview with kyxsan, recently departed in-game leader (IGL) of Falcons, he said that the team “was promised more time” and found his benching “unfair”. He also admitted Falcons had not lived up to expectations in 2026, failing to win titles when it mattered.
Karrigan’s arrival into Falcons was to turn that tide and help bring an incredibly talented team the titles their skill deserves. Already, there are positive signs, with kyousuke improving in playoffs.
The weakened field at the CS Asia Championships (CAC) compared to PGL Astana may just be the warmup Falcons needs before the IEM Cologne Major. Or, it could be another flop, showing that a captaincy change was not enough to right the ship’s course.
Falcons’ nemesis: PARIVISION
Prior to the arrival of karrigan, PARIVISION were the unlikely underdogs that repeatedly clipped the Falcons’ wings. Out of four playoffs that Falcons played with kyxsan, PARIVISION ended three.
| Falcons vs PARIVISION Results | BLAST Bounty Grand Final (0-3) | PGL Cluj-Napoca Quarter-final (1-2) | BLAST Open Rotterdam Quarter-final (0-2) |
| kyousuke rating | N/A | 0.86 | 1.33 |
| m0NESY rating | 0.89 | 1.19 | 1.10 |
PARIVISION is Falcons’ main challenger at CAC, who were eliminated in the group stage of PGL Astana, but are known for overperforming against top teams. They have a winning record against Spirit, MOUZ, FURIA and Falcons in playoffs in 2026, and are up 7-1 in maps against the latter.
| PARIVISION record vs top teams | vs Spirit | vs Falcons | vs FURIA | vs MOUZ |
| Map win-loss | 4-1 | 7-1 | 2-0 | 3-2 |
PARIVISION has no single star player, but they do it by committee against Falcons. In their three matchups, nota, BELCHONOKK and zweih have all been top-rated players, with the former dropping a 1.50 rating in the BLAST Bounty final, compared to a 0.96 LAN rating across 2026.
If Falcons want to win their second ever trophy (their first with m0NESY, kyousuke and karrigan), they have to buck the trend of being exposed by PARIVISION. Mark your calendar for the likely PARIVISION-Falcons matchup at CAC.
No Major threats
Out of the whole field at CAC, there are not true threats present that could realistically challenge for the Major trophy in June.
MOUZ are present at CAC, but recently changed their IGL from Brollan to xertioN, and are not expected to win trophies yet.
TheMongolZ are playing close to home and can challenge great teams, but lack the star power they had with Senzu, and are steadily dropping off.
Falcons have been teed up to get their first trophy of 2026 to follow up their finals run in Astana.
Conclusion: Falcons need to defeat PARIVISION to show improvement
Winning CAC will not show that Falcons is capable of winning the Major or being the best team. However, winning the title over PARIVISION will be a stake for the claim of karrigan.
The Falcons with kyxsan was never able to overcome Jame’s squad of obedient underdogs, and getting past them might be exactly what they need ahead of the IEM Cologne Major.
