Falcons to Play BLAST Bounty Winter LAN Stage with a Substitute as kyousuke Misses Event

Falcons will compete at the LAN stage of BLAST Bounty Winter with a substitute after Maxim “kyousuke” Lukin was forced to miss the event due to visa issues. The Russian rifler will not be able to travel to Malta, so the team has turned to its academy system for a replacement.

Kyousuke’s spot will be taken by 18-year-old Matej “NucleonZ” Trajkoski from Falcons Force. The young Macedonian recently played five matches on HLTV at Red Bull GIBAWAY JOURNEY 2025, where he finished the tournament with a 1.13 rating despite the academy squad winning only one series. For NucleonZ, BLAST Bounty Winter will be his first major LAN opportunity with the main roster.

The change comes at a crucial moment, as Falcons are preparing for the playoff stage and will have to adapt their roles and teamwork on short notice. With stars like m0NESY and NiKo leading the lineup and zonic behind the scenes, the team will look to overcome the setback and make a deep run at the event.

Falcons roster for the BLAST Bounty Winter playoffs:

• Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov

• Matej “NucleonZ” Trajkoski

• Nikola “NiKo” Kovač

• René “TeSeS” Madsen

• Damjan “kyxsan” Stoilkovski

• Danny “zonic” Sørensen (coach)

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The LAN stage of BLAST Bounty Winter will take place from January 22 to 25 in Malta. Falcons’ quarterfinal opponent will be announced later.