Falcons player René TeSeS Madsen gave an interview to Players ahead of the IEM Cologne Major 2026 CS2 playoffs. He spoke about the changes in the team following the arrival of Finn "karrigan" Andersen.
You will face Vitality in the playoffs, one of the strongest teams in the world. With karrigan now leading the team, do you feel like he already has a plan? Does he know how to surprise them?
I'm pretty sure he will have some tricks up his sleeve against them, and I guess you will see on Friday.
Falcons have brought together a lot of experienced and legendary names in Counter-Strike. What is it like playing with them? How are you feeling?
It's amazing to play with them. I'm very happy to be in this team, and happy that we have the opportunity to play in the playoffs. Hopefully, we can gain some more experience and achieve better results than before.
Have karrigan, NiKo, or any of the others taught you something specific?
Yes, of course. You always learn from the older players who have played the game for a long time. However, young players also bring a lot of new ideas, so it's not always just about experience. Obviously, they have a lot of it, and they try to teach as much as they can, and I've certainly learned many things from them.
There are so many roster changes happening in modern Counter-Strike. In your opinion, are any players in Falcons untouchable?
Untouchable to a certain extent, maybe. I think if anyone's performance drops off, it is like any player in any other team. No one is safe if you drop off for a long period. But of course, some have more time to recover than others, and that's fair.
karrigan joined the team, what has been the biggest difference in the way Falcons play? Is it more about the tactical side or the mentality?
I think the two biggest things are definitely the mentality of the team and the way he leads us. Also, on the T-side, it's a completely new system with a different playstyle, and it's something we have to get used to. But I think everyone can see glimpses of world-class Counter-Strike when we're playing, and we just need to find better consistency with it.
