Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo is one of the most recognizable faces in Counter-Strike—but he could be close to hanging up his mouse and keyboard and retiring.
After qualifying for the IEM Rio Major, FalleN talked about his plans for the future with Dust.2.us. The 31-year-old said he intends to retire as a pro soon. “I don’t know exactly when I’m going to stop. I’m aiming to stop at the end of next year, but there are times when I want to stop now,” FalleN said.
When it comes to the reasons behind his potential retirement, FalleN pointed to being constantly on the road and not being able to invest enough time into his personal life. “I’m outside of my home since 2014, it’s been almost 10 years I’ve not been home. I want to live things with my girlfriend, do other things in life,” he said.
“I do love CS, I love playing but it just costs me too much,” FalleN added, before explaining he wants to focus on strengthening his relationships with his family. That being said, CS:GO is still his “number one priority” at the moment.
For FalleN and Imperial Esports, IEM Rio is potentially the most important tournament in their career —a Major event in their home country. “This is the most emotional I have been during a tournament in my life and the biggest win I have ever had,” FalleN said.
Imperial and FalleN will face Vitality in their opening matchup. The tournament will kick off on Oct. 31.
