Zonic shares his thoughts on the Falcons and the future of the team
The transition of zonic to Falcons was one of the loudest and most unexpected news in 2023. A year later, the coach himself admits that things didn't go according to plan. The team failed to make it to PGL Major Copenhagen and also failed to make the playoffs of major tournaments such as IEM Cologne.
Falcons , despite their difficulties in 2024, are one of the teams that could be a serious contender on the international scene in 2025. Zonic, known for his success with Astralis and Vitality , is not used to giving up and continues to look for ways to make Falcons a world-class team. His approach to working with the team, despite a disappointing first year, inspires confidence that the Falcons are capable of more.
First year difficulties
Zonic admits that the first year with a new team is always the most difficult. He states, “I've never had a good first year with any of my teams.” The Falcons have had trouble both building a roster and adapting to the new version of the game. After disappointing results in 2023, the team tried to improve their game, but it proved to be a difficult task. At the beginning of 2024, it seemed that the Falcons were gaining momentum, especially after their success at the BLAST Premier Fall Showdown. However, the subsequent tournaments were once again disappointing.
The coach says that building a team from scratch is not an easy task. Zonic was the first to join Falcons , and the basic lineup that was originally planned was not realized. However, the team was able to get a core from ENCE , which gave them hope. But even with this lineup, the adaptation process was difficult. “Building a team in modern CS is not an easy task,” he notes.
Matchup vs. NAVI and expectations for the Fall Final
Falcons will start the BLAST Premier Fall Final with a match against Natus Vincere . Zonic recognizes that this will be a tough matchup, as NAVI have a strong firepower and a balanced roster. He highlights players such as b1t , iM , jL and promising sniper w0nderful , and adds: “I don't see them as having any glaring weaknesses and they have a good mesh in the team where no one feels superior to anyone else.”
In Zonic's opinion, working with teams without a clear “star” player is more preferable, “I think I like the team option better, but the other option isn't bad either.” However, he admits that working with talents like ZywOo in Vitality can also be a successful strategy if the star of the team is willing to contribute to the overall process.Conclusion
The year with Falcons has been one of the most challenging years of Zonic's career. However, the coach's experience shows that the difficulties of the first year can lead to successes in the future. For the Falcons , 2025 could be a pivotal year if they can continue to improve and find their style of play. A performance at the BLAST Premier Fall Final will be an important step in that process.
