Team Falcons Defeats Ninjas in Pyjamas at Thunderpick World Championship 2026

Team Falcons made a successful start to Thunderpick World Championship 2026 in Counter-Strike 2. In their opening group-stage match, the team defeated Ninjas in Pyjamas 2-0. Falcons secured victories on Ancient (16-13) and Dust2 (13-6). The standout player of the series was Ilya "m0NESY" Osipov, who helped his team advance to the Group A winners' match.

"1. Team Falcons Defeats Ninjas in Pyjamas at Thunderpick World Championship 2026","1.1. Falcons Opens Tournament With Victory Over Ninjas in Pyjamas","1.2. Falcons vs. Ninjas in Pyjamas Match Results","1.3. m0NESY Named the Best Player of the Match","1.4. Why Was Ancient the Closest Map?","1.5. Who Will Falcons Face Next?","1.6. Thunderpick World Championship 2026: Format and Prize Pool","1.7. Can Falcons Continue Its Winning Streak?"

Falcons Opens Tournament With Victory Over Ninjas in Pyjamas

On October 14, 2026, Team Falcons faced Ninjas in Pyjamas in their opening Group A match at Thunderpick World Championship 2026, held in Malta.

The match was played in a best-of-three format. Despite a close battle on the first map, Falcons managed to win the series without dropping a map.

Ninjas in Pyjamas selected Ancient, while Falcons chose Dust2. Mirage was scheduled as the potential third map, but it was not needed.

The victory allowed Falcons to take its first step toward reaching the playoffs and maintain the possibility of completing the group stage undefeated.

Falcons vs. Ninjas in Pyjamas Match Results

The series ended with the following results:

• Ancient: Falcons 16-13 Ninjas in Pyjamas

• Dust2: Falcons 13-6 Ninjas in Pyjamas

• Final series score: Falcons 2-0 Ninjas in Pyjamas

Both teams delivered a competitive performance on Ancient.

Falcons finished the first half with an 8-4 lead, but Ninjas in Pyjamas managed to fight back after switching sides. Regulation ended in a 12-12 tie, forcing the teams into overtime to determine the winner.

Falcons proved stronger in overtime and secured a 16-13 victory.

On Dust2, Falcons established a much more convincing advantage.

The team once again finished the first half with an 8-4 lead and allowed its opponents to win only two rounds after switching sides.

As a result, Falcons won 13-6 and closed out the series 2-0.

m0NESY Named the Best Player of the Match

Ilya "m0NESY" Osipov played a crucial role in Falcons' victory.

The Russian AWPer finished the series with 40 kills and 23 deaths. His HLTV rating reached 1.62, while his average damage per round was 89.9.

m0NESY's performance on Ancient was particularly important. The sniper recorded 26 kills and helped his team secure victory in overtime.

Other Falcons players also delivered strong individual performances.

Captain Finn "karrigan" Andersen finished the match with 36 kills, Nikola "NiKo" Kovač recorded 32, and René "TeSeS" Madsen contributed 31 frags.

For Ninjas in Pyjamas, Martin "stavn" Lund recorded the most kills, finishing the series with 31.

However, the individual efforts of NiP's players were not enough to overcome Falcons.

Why Was Ancient the Closest Map?

Ancient was Ninjas in Pyjamas' map pick, and it was where the team put up its strongest resistance against Falcons.

After a difficult first half, NiP managed to turn the game around and erase its opponent's advantage.

The team won eight rounds in the second half compared to Falcons' four, sending the map into overtime.

Nevertheless, Falcons managed to regain control at the decisive moment. During overtime, the team won four rounds while conceding only one.

Winning its opponent's map pick became a crucial moment in the series.

On Dust2, which Falcons had selected, Ninjas in Pyjamas could no longer put up the same level of resistance.

Who Will Falcons Face Next?

Following its victory over Ninjas in Pyjamas, Falcons advanced to the Group A winners' match.

Its next opponent will be 9z Team, which previously pulled off a surprising 2-0 victory over Aurora Gaming.

The Falcons vs. 9z match is scheduled for October 15.

The winner of the series will secure a place in the Thunderpick World Championship 2026 playoffs.

Meanwhile, Ninjas in Pyjamas will continue its tournament campaign in an elimination match against Aurora.

Both teams lost their opening matches, making their next encounter decisive. The losing team will be eliminated from the tournament.

Thunderpick World Championship 2026: Format and Prize Pool

Thunderpick World Championship 2026 takes place from October 14 to 18 in Malta.

Eight teams are competing for a total prize pool of $1 million.

The participants are divided into two groups. Group-stage matches follow the GSL format and are played as best-of-three series.

The top two teams from each group advance to the playoffs, where they will continue competing for the championship title.

The tournament features Falcons, FURIA, Aurora, 9z Team, Ninjas in Pyjamas, Legacy, PARIVISION, and BetBoom Team.

Aurora Starts Thunderpick World Championship 2026 With Shocking Loss to 9z Team

Can Falcons Continue Its Winning Streak?

A strong start at Thunderpick World Championship 2026 has brought Falcons closer to advancing from the group stage.

The team demonstrated its ability to win closely contested maps while also effectively capitalizing on its advantage on its own map pick.

m0NESY's form was particularly important, as the player once again demonstrated a high level of individual performance.

However, Falcons' next opponent has already delivered a major surprise at the tournament. 9z Team dominated Aurora on Nuke with a 13-1 scoreline, proving that it can compete against higher-ranked opponents.

The upcoming clash between Falcons and 9z will determine the first playoff qualifier from Group A and serve as an important test for both teams.