karrigan Says Falcons Need a Broader Map Pool

Finn “karrigan” Andersen said Falcons’ repeated Ancient selections at BLAST Open Porto were tied to a broader effort to develop maps beyond Dust2. Speaking after a loss to MOUZ, he said the team had put substantial work into Ancient and had seen encouraging practice results, while also acknowledging that the pick had not delivered at the event.

Falcons reached the playoffs from the group stage, but their run included contrasting results. The team lost its opening match against Lynn Vision, beat Legacy to secure revenge and a playoff place, recorded a strong map win over MOUZ, and later lost the series against MOUZ. karrigan described the group stage as neither the team’s best nor worst, while saying the matches supplied information the roster can use.

The captain’s explanation placed map-pool development ahead of a simple preference for Ancient. He said Falcons had relied heavily on Dust2 and had played only their 5th Nuke in the past 90 days. For karrigan, playing additional maps in official matches was important because the team needs to identify what is working and what still requires correction.

Ancient was selected 3 times during the event, according to karrigan, and he said it was not working out. He did not dismiss the map entirely: practice had been good, particularly during the season, but he cautioned that practice outcomes can be misleading. The team therefore left the group stage with both concerns about the pick and additional match experience on it.

Ancient results and the value of official matches

karrigan said Falcons’ Ancient preparation had felt decent when he joined, with especially positive practice during the season. Yet he separated that preparation from tournament performance. After the MOUZ series, he said there were still details to address on Ancient, while also describing Inferno as rough and praising Falcons’ play on Nuke.

His assessment of the group stage was focused on the practical use of difficult games. He said it had been better for Falcons to have to fight through the stage, comparing that experience with the Major, where the team improved as the tournament went on after losing maps and learning from them. He also referred to an EWC run in which Falcons had progressed comfortably until a 2-0 loss to Legacy.

The captain said every official matters for a team that is still developing with him. Falcons have a few days away from competition before their arena match, and he said more repetitions are particularly useful with roughly 2 and a half weeks before the next tournament. His stated goal is to use official games to fix the elements that are not yet reliable.

• Ancient was picked 3 times at BLAST Open Porto, and karrigan said the selection had not worked out at the event.
• Falcons had played their 5th Nuke in 90 days, in karrigan’s account, as the team sought experience away from Dust2.
• The group-stage campaign included an opening loss to Lynn Vision, a win over Legacy that secured a playoff berth, and a later series loss to MOUZ.
• karrigan said the team had become more prepared through officials, but added that Falcons were still not at the desired level.

The immediate competitive consequence is that Falcons are through to the playoffs despite the uneven group-stage results. karrigan said the first objective was qualification, even though he would have preferred 1st place in the group. He also said MOUZ played very well across the final 2 maps of their series.

Looking toward the arena, karrigan said he hoped Falcons would show a better version of themselves. He said the players enjoy competing on stage and that he would do his best to have the team ready, but added that enjoyment of the setting is not an excuse and that the team must perform to remain there.

He linked the slow start to the season partly to the timing of his arrival and the player break that followed after 60 days. Falcons had played very well at the Major, he said, but must reproduce that level consistently. He added that individual players have had good games and that the team has played well together, while their lower level on off days needs improvement.

What karrigan said Falcons must improve

karrigan’s comments did not present Ancient as a finished answer for Falcons. Instead, he described it as a map on which the team had invested practice time and wanted more official experience. The event results gave the roster a negative outcome on the pick, but also data for its continued work.

He said a team aiming to be the best in the world must beat opponents even on an off day. In his view, Falcons are trying to improve that part of their game over the course of the year. The captain did not offer a single explanation for the slower start, saying he did not know why, while stressing the need for consistency after the Major.

For the playoffs, the documented position is clear: Falcons advanced from the groups, have time before the arena match, and intend to keep using official competition to develop. The map-pool issue remains part of that process, with Dust2 usage, limited Nuke appearances, and the unsuccessful Ancient picks all cited by karrigan.

Falcons’ group-stage qualification leaves karrigan with a mixed assessment rather than a claim of resolution. He said the team gained useful official experience, but Ancient remains a problem to address after its repeated use at the event.

His central point was that Falcons cannot continue to depend so heavily on Dust2. The team is attempting to broaden its available maps, and karrigan said the lessons from the group stage must now be applied during further official matches.