Fallen is really establishing himself as Godfather of Counter-Strike

By Nick Johnson

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Mar 25, 2020

Reading time: 2 min

Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo is known as Brazil’s “Godfather of Counter-Strike,” and for good reason. He’s spent the past 16 years growing the scene in Brazil, and he’s recently made it even easier for Brazilian fans to get involved in competitive esports.

FalleN revealed the revamped Fallen.gg, offering Brazilian esports fans the opportunity to purchase gear from well-known brands like Razer and HyperX. This can help South American gamers find peripherals and other products that are often too expensive to ship to the South American nation. 

FalleN’s store doesn’t just offer other company’s products, though. The AWPer is slowly cornering the market on all of esports in Brazil. Not only does he stock name brand hardware, but also merch for teams such as Virtus.pro and Natus Vincere. His store is also the only authorized distributor of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds merchandise in Brazil.

While MIBR has struggled in Counter-Strike of late, it seems like FalleN is doing just fine for himself as he looks to diversify his financial portfolio outside of success in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive tournaments. 

He knows his stuff, too. Shipping to Brazil is expensive and the website makes it clear that there is a lack of affordable opportunities for gamers to grab top-quality gear. To that end, FalleN even has his own line of keyboards, mouses, and bungees.

Fallen’s “Fallen ECO” peripheral line is slick

Earlier this month, Fallen.gg revealed “Fallen Eco,” the player’s newest line of peripherals. Eco is positioned as an entry-level line of computer peripherals that includes a mouse, keyboard, mousepad, and bungee, all branded with FalleN’s famous logo. While it probably isn’t as familiar to fans outside of Brazil, both Fallen and his logo are just as recognizable as Cloud9’s logo is in the States.

With the tagline ‘Your Chance to Shine while spending little,” it’s clear FalleN knows his stuff. Both FalleN and his story is a case study in how esports players and personalities can take control of their future after esports by creating and growing a strong, personal brand.

FalleN isn’t just an IGL, he’s a businessman

The store shows just how well a player can do for themselves by growing their own personal brand. Players like Michael “Shroud” Grzesiek and Tyler “Ninja” Blevins have made a living off of being themselves on stream. Despite FalleN’s Counter-Strike background, he’s no different. 

FalleN is a recognizable face in Brazil, and not just in the country’s esports community. He’s currently featured on Clear Shampoo’s bottles in the country, taking over after soccer star Christiano Rinaldo as shown below per Talk Esport. 

per Talked Esport

Much like Astralis in Denmark, Brazil has been accepting of esports and its players, much more so than countries like the United States. FalleN is the first in what should become a long line of esports players that don’t have to worry about what they’ll do when they retire.

It’s a hopeful sign. The world’s acceptance of esports has grown dramatically in the past several years. Both Steam and CSGO have seen all-time highs in player numbers over the past several weeks and gaming is becoming more of a social activity with each passing day. FalleN didn’t invent esports, but he’s certainly taking advantage of the opportunity it has provided him.

 

per Talked Esport