Cr1t-: “We understand that this will most likely be the last tournament for our roster”

Team Falcons support Andreas 'Cr1t-' Frank Nielsen, in an interview at The International 2026, spoke about the current competitive season, speculated about the future of the team, and also spoke about his experience of performing at The International series tournaments.

We won the tournament right after The International 2025. This was a few weeks later and I think we were still holding strong. After that, we came across a small obstacle - a defeat from 1win Team at a tournament in Singapore [BLAST Slam IV. — Approx. ed. ].

This season we have had our ups and downs. But it seems to me that things are getting better now. I think we're getting to the point where we can win tournaments.

[ Do you think it was the unique style of play and champion status that made your team a legend? You are a target for other teams. Now everyone is looking at how you play, looking at your pool of heroes. They say: "We need to beat Team Falcons to win TI." Do you think this has any impact? ] I think it always has an impact. I think this applies to any team that has had a long winning streak. Naturally, people begin to look at you differently, with the expectation that they will have to overcome you. The point is that people understand that sooner or later they will have to face Team Falcons in order to win the tournament. It's interesting because there are a lot of strong teams that can go far and win the competition. And yes, it is about whether you are able to play against the styles and techniques that have been prepared against you.

[What were you doing before The International 2026? Is there anything in particular that your team worked on? Maybe some weak points that you tried to improve? ] I think it's mostly personal training. We understand that this will most likely be the last tournament for our roster. [Why did you decide this? ] We've been playing together for so long that it's like we all already understand that it's time to change something. It happens. [You set a record for longest time together]. Yes, this is an important achievement. We played together for three years, took part in three The Internationals. So part of that is why there is some pressure. And when you start losing matches because of this, the best solution is to be a good teammate and try to deal with it.

[ Has this been a long time coming? Have you discussed line-up changes? ] Yes. Each team discusses the period after The International. Therefore, we also talked about what will happen after TI. You make changes because you want to strengthen the team and improve. And after our success, it is difficult to look at one player and say: “If we replace this guy, we will play better.” I think some players need it now. This is a natural process. Everything is fine, in my opinion.

[ How many TIs have you performed at so far? ] I think this is mine... I've been playing since TI6, so this is the tenth time. [Aren't you tired of playing at TI? ] No. TI is always fun and exciting. For me, the biggest challenge is all the other tournaments throughout the year. But that's why The International is so great - you have to earn the right to be there. And I'm always happy to take part in this championship, but you need to respect this tournament to be able to fight for first place.

Team Falcons defeated LGD Gaming in the first round of the group stage of The International 2026 with a score of 2-1. The team's next opponent was PARIVISION.