“We had problems because we had been playing together for a long time” - Malr1ne

Team Falcons midlaner Stanislav 'Malr1ne' Potorak, in an interview before the quarterfinals of the Esports World Cup 2026 playoffs, spoke about the team's current form, the problems the team faced, preparation for the matches and expectations from the next opponents.

Stanislav 'Malr1ne' Potorak

I wouldn't say we've performed that well lately. We had problems because we have been playing together for a long time, and sometimes some difficulties arise that are difficult to deal with. But I wouldn't say we're in bad shape. At least we've solved the problems we had before and now we have things to learn and improve in the future.

I was watching The Simpsons one day and Homer said, “I don’t plan more than five seconds into the future.” Now I just need to see how we perform, which players want to take a rest and which ones don’t. It doesn't just depend on me. In the first few days, I didn't perform well in the first games. I don't even know why. I wouldn't say I had any difficulties; rather, I was a little confused. I woke up, played early public games, prepared for official matches, and perhaps because of this it was not easy to get involved right away.

But I think as a team we played well. We began to put more effort into every official match and every practice game, so now it is becoming easier for us to perform in tournaments. It is very important for the team to have a rest day. I would say this: we earned it and deserve it. We took first place, so now we need to allow ourselves to recover a little and receive a reward for the work we have done.

I think the most difficult opponents will most likely be teams from the CIS, for example Team Yandex. They play in a very unusual style and can usually change their approach. They have their own hero pool that works well for them, so it will be interesting to see how they perform in an official match. I would say that I hope for a better result, but now we are much more confident in ourselves. I have nothing more to add - we'll just have to see how it goes.

Previously, Team Falcons left the Esports World Cup 2026 after losing to Vici Gaming in the quarterfinals of the tournament playoffs. The team finished the competition in 5th-8th place.