Is NiKo leaving G2 for Falcons? The roster havoc explained

Nov 6, 2023

Reading time: 2 min

Star G2 Esports rifler Nikola “NiKo” Kovač appeared to leave his team to join Falcons earlier today, leaving impatient fans confused.

The CS2 esports community is in a tizzy over Falcons, a rumored superteam that will combine top players from several squads into a single stacked squadron. As one of the greatest riflers of all time, NiKo was an obvious hotspot for rumors, but G2 itself appears to confirm them with a goodbye social media post today. What exactly is going on with NiKo, G2, and the rumored move to Falcons?

NiKo will not be leaving G2, and the organization simply decided to play a joke based on the Falcons rumor.

After rumors in the pro scene, G2 issued an official social media post saying goodbye to NiKo on November 6, 2023. The video clearly hinted at the rumored move to Falcons, which has yet to reveal its full roster. The video showcased several trophy lifts before ending with a fakeout of NiKo explaining that he will not be leaving the team after all. As of late on November 6, the video is still pinned at the top of G2’s X page.

Less than one minute later, the player himself issued a two-word post that confirmed the organization’s joke.

I stay.
— NiKo (@G2NiKo) November 6, 2023

NiKo pump-fakes move to Falcons, leaving fans confused

While the video itself confirmed the joke, the play still left fans of G2 and soon-to-be fans of Falcons confused. NiKo will remain on G2 Esports as the team’s star rifler.

The G2 roster has been streaky but successful since it finalized its roster in late 2022. The squad took championships at IEM Katowice and IEM Cologne this year, two of the game’s most important trophies. NiKo leaving would be a massive gamble on his already successful career. It’s also important to note that NiKo has more than just his previous success tying him to the red and black jersey. The roster also sports Nemanja “huNter-” Kovač, who is NiKo’s cousin by blood.

While NiKo is confirmed to stay, Falcons rumors are still flying about his G2 teammate Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov. The 18-year-old AWPer has become one of the game’s most iconic players, and fans and insiders alike have speculated about a move. Nothing is confirmed yet, but the fact that this joke centered around NiKo and not m0NESY could be foreshadowing.