Saudi-backed esports organization Team Falcons reportedly paid a staggering seven-figure sum to secure the services of rising CS2 star Maxim “kyousuke” Lukin from Team Spiri Academy.
This infromation comes from Alexey “OverDrive” Biryukov, Team Spirit’s scout and an influncer in the CIS Counter-Strike scene.
“Kyousuke transfer costs near 2mln$!” OverDrive revealed through his X (formerly Twitter) account.
Kyousuke’s transfer has been a hot topic in the community for several months, and it even got hotter following Falcons’ disastrous campaign at Austin Major 2025 where they went on a disappointing 20th-place finish.
Danish outlet Dust2.dk first reported back in April that the organization was eyeing the 17-year-old prodigy. Their report was later supported by neL of CroissantStrike, and popular host James Banks, who stated the deal is “99% happening” on his podcast with Devilwalk last May.
If OverDrive’s claim of a $2-million estimate is accurate, kyousuke’s move would definitely be one of the most expensive player transfers in Counter-Strike history. Team Falcons, nonetheless, are no strangers to spending jaw-dropping amounts of money.
The Saudi org previously made headlines with a loan deal for Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev from NAVI last year, then acquired Nikola “NiKo” Kovač from G2 and the core of HEROIC earlier this year. They also reportedly spent millions more to bring in Ilya “m0NESY” Osipov from G2 last April.
According to reports, kyousuke is expected to take over the spot of Emil “Magisk” Reif following the conclusion of the Austin Major. Interestingly, Team Spirit Academy allegedly benched Kyousuke on June 1, citing health reasons. However, many have interpreted the move as a precursor to his high-profile transfer.
Kyousuke has been on the radar of fans and analysts alike for his playstyle, which draws comparisons to Team Spirit’s star rifler Danil “donk” Kryshkovets. Reports suggest Spirit hesitated to promote Kyousuke to the main roster to avoid overlapping roles with donk, possibly paving the way for his departure.
