Olivia Richman is a seasoned esports journalist who has worked with Inven Global, Esports Illustrated, Esports.gg, and more. As an editor and writer at Esports Insider, she loves telling unique esports stories, especially within the FGC. When not working and gaming, Olivia loves collecting Kirby plush, eating sushi, and driving her cars at the track.
Image Credit: HLTV “I am a prime example to never give up. Never give up on your dreams.” That was Nikola “NiKo” Kovač ‘s emotional speech after winning IEM Cologne Major 2026 . He’d been to 17 majors over a decade, but this was his first time lifting the trophy.
As he wiped away his tears, fans debated whether it was a legitimate run or not due to NiKo’s signing to Team Falcons.
Following a dominant 3-0 sweep over FURIA, an emotional NiKo took the microphone, looked out at a chanting crowd, and told everyone that he is a prime example of never giving up on your dreams. It was a beautiful, cinematic sports moment.
There is just one small catch that has the Counter-Strike community absolutely tearing itself apart. NiKo did not win this trophy with a ragtag group of underdogs. He won it wearing the jersey of Team Falcons, an organization heavily backed by Saudi Arabian funding that has spent the last year aggressively assembling an expensive superteam.
As soon as NiKo dropped his inspirational quote, the cynical side of esports social media immediately went to work. Critics quickly pointed out that the road to achieving your dreams gets a whole lot smoother when you have millions of dollars of corporate backing, filling your roster with superstars like m0NESY and karrigan.
"I am a prime example to never give up, never give up on your dreams" nigga he had to go to Saudi and form a super team to win lmao after millions of dollars spent he finally won lmao
One fan on X sarcastically adjusted the advice, saying that people should never give up, even if that means sitting on a fat paycheck until something happens. They noted that NiKo has bounced around major teams for ten years, and going back to an established powerhouse like FaZe could have given him a trophy years ago. Another commenter was even more blunt, arguing that buying success by paying for a superteam is not the same thing as grit, and real dreams do not need millions.
Buying success is what paying for a superteam is, not never giving up. Y'all keep coping, but real dreams don't need millions 🙂
It raises a fascinating philosophical debate for modern esports. Is a victory less impressive if an organization essentially uses unlimited resources to push its way to the finals?
On one hand, it feels a bit like a cheat code. On the other hand, traditional sports franchises like Real Madrid, the New York Yankees, and Manchester City have been using this exact corporate blueprint for decades. Spending money to buy the best available talent is just how high-level competitive industries operate.
I mean, isn’t that what teams are supposed to do? I hate Saudi Arabia’s desperate takeover of the esports industry ( especially the FGC ), but I can’t really fathom how this discredits NiKo’s incredible win.
Who says you have to win a tournament with newbies on your team? Like yeah, it would make it harder. But it doesn’t mean a dominant team with top players isn’t genuinely talented and kicking butt.
While the “money team” label will stick with Team F…