The Professor will leave competitive Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) esports behind at the end of 2026. Yes, the Brazilian legend, Gabriel "FalleN" Toledo, has officially announced his retirement, leaving many fans around the world in tears, including myself.

FalleN announced his retirement at the perfect spot: the Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, just before the Playoffs Stage matches. The crowd, as well as other pro players, such as the young AWPer that FalleN has taken under his wing, Danil "molodoy" Golubenko, shed some tears.

In the announcement, FalleN spoke in his native language. The speech was later translated fully. FalleN said that:

"It's 247 more days. I've decided that at the end of the year, I'm going to do other things within CS with you all. I’m here to invite you to join me on this journey for another 247 days. We still have a lot to accomplish together, and afterward, I will have the opportunity to do many other things with you, outside the server, but with Counter-Strike in my heart. I think we’ll be able to do lots of things to help other players change their lives through the game, just as mine was changed."

The two-time Major Championship winner has had an incredible career, spanning over two decades. He put Brazilian Counter-Strike on the map, and his efforts can be attributed to the massive, passionate South American fanbase CS2 has today.

FalleN continued to thank his fans and his wife, Leticia, for their unconditional support over his career. His wife came on stage to console him, since not even The Professor could hold back his tears. Incredible!

I, for one, cannot wait to see what the rest of the year holds for FalleN and FURIA as a whole. There's no telling who will take over the mantle of IGL, but there's still a lot of time left! Whatever happens, it's been an incredible ride to watch FalleN during the highs and lows of his illustrious career.

Header image via ESL.