Destiny seems intent on keeping FaZe and rain intertwined, as the veteran will continue to don the red and black in ESL Pro League Season 22. And truth be told, I am genuinely excited by this development, and for very sound reasons.
When Twistzz departed FaZe in December 2023, the curious part was that they were still perched at the top of the HLTV rankings as the #1 team. The roster alteration was intended to better FaZe, yet it failed to fully materialize. Why? The answer is rather apparent. It was the chemistry with ropz and frozen sharing the same lineup that was conspicuously absent, and the evidence is hardly disputable.
Is this FaZe roster better than the one that played the Shanghai Major?
Whether it was MOUZ or FaZe, frozen’s impact in the team surged following ropz’s departure. In MOUZ, his rating ascended from 1.16 to 1.20 between 2021 and 2023, after ropz left in December 2021. In FaZe, his rating climbed from 1.14 to 1.17 between 2024 and 2025, after ropz exited in December 2024. This elucidates, quite starkly, that frozen was constrained from flourishing with ropz in the fold.
With Twistzz returning and rain replacing jcobbb, FaZe essentially reconstructs the blueprint of their most successful roster in history, with frozen being the alternate for ropz. FaZe’s attempt to acclimate to EliGE’s playstyle essentially compelled them to abandon their own magic, leading karrigan to lose his identity as a caller.
Conversely, Twistzz was an adherent of that very style and even tried to emulate it during his tenure with Liquid. His return could, potentially, enable FaZe to rekindle the same magic that once made them so successful. So if you just forget that they have literally 0 days of practice, there is a very good chance that this current EPL roster will perform better than the one that lost the Shanghai Final to Spirit.
But why does jcobbb still warrant consideration?
The sole rationale for retaining jcobbb over rain is longevity. FaZe is charting a course toward a younger roster, now averaging 26. And believe me, I harbor no doubt regarding jcobbb’s abilities. Over time, jcobbb might become more comfortable in rain’s role and eventually be sculpted into a younger analogue of rain. This idea of FaZe can hardly be pointed fingers at. Even rain accepted that it is hard for him to continue being an entry player.
Yet, the timing has always been the crux of my concern. With fewer than two months until the Major, it is improbable that jcobbb will fully assimilate rain’s responsibilities under the intense scrutiny FaZe faces after a parched season. This transition ideally should have followed the Major, allowing at least a season to mature. Nevertheless, some decisions are inexorable. At the very least, the dreamers in us are afforded one tournament to see what could have been.
