Falcons bench degster ahead of m0NESY arrival

14-4-2025 15:13

The 23-year-old AWPer is officially on the lookout for a new home.

degster played his final match for Falcons on Sunday

Falcons have moved AWPer Abdul "⁠degster⁠" Gasanov to the bench, the Saudi organization confirmed on Monday. The move comes in anticipation of the arrival of Ilya "⁠m0NESY⁠" Osipov in a blockbuster transfer from G2.

"The decision was not made lightly," Falcons wrote in a statement. "degster has been an integral part of our journey - a player whose passion and commitment have made a great impact on our team."

degster joined Falcons in January alongside Damjan "⁠kyxsan⁠" Stoilkovski and René "⁠TeSeS⁠" Madsen, completing the lineup after the signing of Nikola "⁠NiKo⁠" Kovač from G2. By recreating the HEROIC core, Falcons managed to secure invites to all the big events as the trio came with an invaluable eighth spot in Valve's Global standings.

m0NESY's shadow loomed large over degster throughout his time on the team - the Saudi organization had failed in its attempt to sign the G2 superstar in December -, but he acquitted himself well despite these challenging circumstances.

degster averaged a 1.05 rating during his time on Falcons, second only to NiKo's 1.18 rating, and played a crucial role in the team's title-winning run at PGL Bucharest, which earned him his first MVP medal.

Speaking to HLTV after the event, the Russian AWPer said he didn't know what the future would hold. "I hope I'll be able to play in tier one, honestly," he said. "I don't know what's going to happen."

degster: "I hope I'll be able to play in tier one. I don't know what's going to happen"

Minutes after the PGL Bucharest final between Falcons and G2 came to an end, G2 CEO CEO Alban Dechelotte confirmed that m0NESY had been sold. He explained that the organization was unable to convince m0NESY to sign a new contract, which would have allowed him to leave for free at the end of the year.

Falcons' next event will be IEM Melbourne, scheduled for April 21-27. They will take on SAW in their first match in Group B, which also includes the likes of Vitality, Natus Vincere and Liquid.

With degster's benching, Falcons are now:

Emil "⁠Magisk⁠" Reif
Nikola "⁠NiKo⁠" Kovač
Damjan "⁠kyxsan⁠" Stoilkovski
René "⁠TeSeS⁠" Madsen

Danny "⁠zonic⁠" Sørensen (coach)

Abdul "⁠degster⁠" Gasanov (benched)

-rep

2025-04-14 15:13

183

9 replies

2025-04-14 15:23

1 reply

got me 🙌

2025-04-14 15:24

really good move by falcons but you have to feel bad for degster :(( winning his first mvp and kicked the day after RIP

3 replies

good way to go atleast. no pressure cuz he knew he was gone anyway and shows that he can play so hopefully some other good team will pick him up instead.

2025-04-14 17:51

2 replies

true better to end like this to find a new home. imagine dropping 0.8 rating on your last t1 event as an awper...

2025-04-15 23:40

yep. that wouldnt look good for him in the future. would end up in some tier 23 team x)

2025-04-16 15:56

Has there been a faster time between MVP announcement and benching announcement?

2025-04-14 18:48

next fastest is probably james with 2 years, because benched mvps happen very rarely EDIT: @mongolz_tier1 found it faster, it's probably jabbi after spring finals (4 months)

2025-04-14 18:56

jabbi benched himself though

2025-04-15 23:33

Wipe the tears off your face, in no world is benching degster for m0nesy an L.

2025-04-14 15:15

Lets wait...but i Hope the whole rooster sucks

2025-04-14 17:46

LLLLLLLLLL WE LOVE YOU DEGSTER

10 replies

So you prefer degster over the best awper? Sorry ur stupid as hell Degster is good i like him on Falcons but im taking m0nesy every second

2025-04-14 15:36

Monesy is a clear upgrade over Degster, no one will deny that. The disgusting part is Falcons benching Degster after the roster lock for the major just so that he doesn't get to play it. The disgusting part is Falcons treating Degster as a placeholder until they could get their shiny new toy. Fuck the Falcons.

2025-04-14 15:41

8 replies

And if you think about it he was prolly also told that when he signed he wanted to go there to make a name for him self and he did

2025-04-14 15:46

6 replies

Defending the Saudis on this is wild, you won't get a cut of their blood money kiddo.

2025-04-14 15:47

4 replies

Stfu about that blood money shit it dosnt matter either way look at the us aswell work life over there is not good either neither is it in Germany so i dont care about that at all

2025-04-14 17:10

shameless dane, expected from someone who comes from same country as heroic and astralis, two of the most shameless orgs

2025-04-14 17:50

Heroic is Norwegian bro and i had asstralis

2025-04-14 18:04

lol american not knowing geography.

2025-04-14 18:36

its Initial Roster lock final roster lock is at 5th May.

2025-04-14 18:20

True i Hope the whole rooster sucks hard

2025-04-14 17:47

Sad

welcome to the team ilya!

5 replies

American supporting Falcons? LOL

They put enough players i like on a team, i will support them.

it's not that I'm supporting the falcons but now they're worth watching

2025-04-14 15:54

you gonna understand when you learn about " support the rooster not the org's "

2025-04-14 18:45

they need oil. what u expect?

2025-04-14 18:55

hope degster finds a team soon

Liquid

he is definitely an upgrade over ultimate

2025-04-14 16:05

sure but ultimate can find his form under siuhy + hes been good recently

2025-04-15 04:56

m0nesy benched

2025-04-14 15:14

should have been magisk

hltv analyst telling how "should have been" when their roles differ entirely

2025-04-15 15:25

Hopefully he gets into a team asap

Absolute banger way of a way to go out.

Do you mean absolute banger of a way to go out?

2025-04-14 17:33

No, but it is less redundant.

2025-04-14 17:34

wow monesy benched

L should have been -magisk and move degster to rifler/second awp role ez as that

Degster is shit at rifling, and make him play anchor? Lmao great idea genius

2025-04-14 15:31

haters gonna hate

2025-04-14 15:38

good luck

imagine benching PGL MVP

m0NESY already benched in Falcons, washed

m0NESY benched!?!?!?!? peak HLTV

2025-04-14 15:16

hope he will find a home in tier-1, faze will be a great option

2025-04-14 15:17

Expected :c

like 12 hours after MVP lol

Luckily enough, project Falcons will fail beautifully. And I'm here for it

Go superstar mode in Playoffs to win the event for your team and your prize is getting kicked by the guy you just destroyed :(

Its kinda cruel to post a picture from yesterday's win to say goodbye to degster, I know its his first MVP and all that but its kinda fcked up

m0nesy already benched? lmao

beyond washed, what being dependant on majorless NiKo does to a young player

imagine they get s1mple

monesy > s0mple

2025-04-14 15:19

Why people acting like m0nesy isn´t better than degster? Okay degster had good event, but from a long-term perspective m0nesy is better, that´s a fact. And surely degster will find new team soon.

degster has some issues in the past, like VISA problems etc. Think that really hindered his progress because he was one of the big CIS AWPers I remember who always put up huge numbers. Of course m0nesy is better long-term since there 4 years age difference. But then again, how much better can it get than your AWPers almost carrying a playoff and receiving MVP after 3-0 opponent in final? I don't see the results necessarily being that much better, market wise, sure, he is much more marketable and will probably consistently reach top3 HLTV top20. but then again they probably paid quite alot for him

2025-04-14 18:09

I mean degster played this event really well, but he is inconsistent. He has 1.05 past 3 months. M0nesy has already good synergy with NiKo. He is just better for them and I don´t understand people who say Falcons are making a mistake.

2025-04-14 19:19

@MIRAA it says that m0nesy would be benched in Falcons instead of Degster!

still drunk after NiKo's first major trophy!

Haha idiots

Bro I read m0nesy benched ☠️

degster is 23yo? wtf

- m0nesy + stewie2k

2025-04-14 15:18

-magisk +stewie2k

2025-04-14 15:45

reading comments in this post once again reassures me that society is doomed

Fifflaren 2.0

how so?

2025-04-15 23:35

Well, nobody will most likely pay whatever they might ask for him. So bro better start streaming cause if I had to guess, he’s going to be stuck on the bench.

hopefully degster will find a team that respects him

2025-04-14 15:20

OG respects him hehe but jokes aside, he's very good without a pressure so

2025-04-14 15:21

Falcons feels like such a hollow team yeah its cool they can buy any super team they want but its essentially just big names we're watching for not the "team" idk how they over come that hurdle.

start winning tournaments, hold a roster together for more than 6 months

2025-04-15 23:36

unlucky, but when a team has a chance to sign m0nesy in 2025, they 100% take that chance and hope for the best

2025-04-14 15:22

bye Abdul, you do a great job in Bucharest, I am proud of you son.

SHOCKER!

common falcons L

Benching your latest mvp is crazy.

-degster save Magisk, what a magic!

actual downgrade

watch him upgrade from falcons lol

2025-04-14 15:26

Don't let Degster life event distract you from the fact that he is the most mid awper ever

2025-04-14 15:27

who would've thought degster would give us such an insane conclusion to his arch before moving out of Falcons. mad respect. almost making people feel contradicted about Falcons getting m0NESY, of all people, over him

2025-04-14 15:29

Guy gets his first MVP, Falcons boots him. Hope he finds somewhere else.

guys i take mvp! guys? guys....

2025-04-14 15:32

let's take 1 minute of silence for a young-gun that likely already destroyed his career

2025-04-14 15:33

Lmao gets T1 MVP —> get benched 24 hours later

2025-04-14 15:34

sadge :(

2025-04-14 15:35

sad

2025-04-14 15:37

+liquid or faze, g2, vp whoever

As i said whatever degster is doing m0nesy can do it better. Is it unfair for degster?? Sure but that's life. Also in gamerlegion where he is going instead of sl3nd he will have the chance to prove himself

2025-04-14 15:39

unlucko. and don't let the door hit you on the way out

2025-04-14 15:40

betboom degster

2025-04-14 15:42

G2 should have just gotten him in a trade, i think falcons would’ve agree for pretty cheap when he wasn’t playing as good

Agree, he's a much better choice than Hades. I actually hope Hades will do well in G2 but I doubt it. G2 is kinda in a big mess right now.

2025-04-14 19:08

I can only wish the worst for this petrodollar team.

Sadge

2025-04-14 15:49

"The decision was not made lightly," Falcons wrote in a statement. I don't think there has ever been a decision made more lightly in history of professional cs. degster was already on his way to the bench even before he signed a contract

2025-04-14 15:50

Shocker!

2025-04-14 15:52

Degster to Faze. :)

Hope you find good Tier 1 team, GL <3

2025-04-14 15:56

Justice 4 degster

gg at least he perform well on the last dance

2025-04-14 15:59

fuck falcons scumbag org and management

2025-04-14 17:08

Now that's a big L for Falcons ^^,

2025-04-14 17:26

G2 Degster?

sad for degster :(

2025-04-14 18:14

you will find a great team, degster, gl

2025-04-14 18:28

MINUS MIDKY

2025-04-14 18:53

I love degster, but come on guys. He has been inconsistent and m0nesy is a clear update. It sucks he had to go through this, and he can't get a chance at the major but I'm sure he knew it was a possibility he would be replaced by m0nesy when he took the chance of joining Falcons. He seems happy about his last few months with the guys, and I'm sure he will get some good offers after the major and we will see his happy face once again.

2025-04-14 19:05