For FaZe Clan to have a future in CS, it’s time to let go of the past

Out of ideas, out of the CS2 Esports World Cup 2025. That is the story of FaZe Clan at the moment, who were dumped from the EWC at the earliest possible opportunity in an admittedly tough draw against Aurora. It was not without a fight, taking a map away from the Turkish team, but ultimately, abysmal T-sides condemned FaZe Clan to a one-and-done trip to Riyadh.

FaZe Clan are too familiar with failure at the moment. The season began with frustration at IEM Cologne, where they failed to progress beyond the Group Stage. They then missed out on the LAN portion of BLAST Bounty altogether. That brings us to now, following what feels like a wasted trip to the CS2 EWC 2025.

Changes feel inevitable. Whether now, whether next month – they’re going to happen. But where do you start? You could conceivably make the argument that any of the five starting players should make way to shake up the lineup. My view is simple: for FaZe Clan to have a future in Counter-Strike, it’s time to finally start letting go of the past.

karrigan has had his day, and the calling shows it

All good things must come to an end, and karrigan’s four-and-a-half-year second stint on FaZe Clan will undoubtedly go down as one of those “good things.” But at 35 years old, karrigan might just be approaching the end of his tenure, and perhaps, his playing career altogether.

Just about everyone knows that karrigan has never been a fragging IGL, especially throughout his second spell with FaZe Clan. He’s more of the “human flashbang” mould, creating space and attempting openings wherever possible. If he gets the kill, great. If not, he gets to call the shots from the sidelines. While this type of IGL isn’t exactly ideal, those who make it work do so with near-perfect calls. Think HooXi in 2023. And for the longest time, karrigan has done the same. Always putting the pieces in the right places, setting his team up for success even without the fragging output to back it up.

Nowadays, that doesn’t quite seem to be the full story, with dismal T-sides leaving karrigan’s FaZe Clan with constant mountains to climb. Take Aurora at the CS2 Esports World Cup as an example. Of 27 T-side rounds played in their best-of-three series, FaZe Clan won just five, with karrigan himself suffering a 2:5 opening kill/death differential. Human flashbang, indeed. There are still signs of the old FaZe Clan mentality rearing its head at times. Signs of those bulls*** rounds coming to fruition, but they’re too few and far between to have a tangible impact on tournament results.

🤑 ECO CLAN #EWC pic.twitter.com/nGaOsBBjlg

— FaZe Esports (@FaZeEsports) August 20, 2025

It’ll be a sad moment when the time comes, but it might be time for FaZe Clan to search for a fresh influx of ideas. There’s inherent risk in taking a leap into the darkness like this, but FaZe Clan’s new reality as a top 10 team might just be enough to pull the trigger. For one of Counter-Strike’s most decorated organizations, anything less than trophy contention shouldn’t be tolerated as the norm.

rain or broky: take your pick

Realistically, karrigan isn’t the only FaZe veteran in a precarious spot at the moment. Mr. FaZe Clan himself, rain, has been earmarked for replacement by many for a while now. At 30 years old, he’s no spring chicken, and will celebrate 10 years on the lineup as of January 2026. But rain has a trait so underrated in the community: versatility. He’s something of a Counter-Strike chameleon, able to take on most roles and deliver to a minimum standard.

Maybe, some would argue, that’s the problem. A jack of all trades, master of none, in a team that needs specialists now more than ever to succeed. But over the last few months, rain has been enjoying something of a resurgence, garnering a 1.12 average rating under the new 3.0 rating system. His round swing percentage is particularly favorable at 1.18%, indicating that he’s been finding tons of impact in what are some very tough spots. While I agree that FaZe needs to start looking beyond the past, the level rain is delivering in his positions means that he wouldn’t necessarily be where I’d look for a replacement just yet. Age is the big factor here – if FaZe Clan really want to start future-proofing, perhaps they take the leap on replacing rain, however harsh.

Then, there’s broky. The AWPer was benched from FaZe Clan in favor of a temporary loan for s1mple just a few months back, but found himself back in the starting lineup with the start of the new season. Initially joining the team almost six years ago, it was a break that seemed to do the Latvian Laser a ton of good. On the surface, the stats are pretty favorable. A 1.10 rating isn’t bad by any stretch of the imagination, but you really feel as though this team is in dire need of an X-factor to be in contention for top prizes again. Is he delivering on that level? I’m not so sure.

Another factor here is the abundance of AWP talent, especially from the CIS region. How must FaZe Clan feel when they look across the aisle to FURIA, who took a chance on Kazakh AWPer molodoy from Tier 2 and are now reaping the benefits? Prizing the top AWPers from their homes may be a financial stretch too far for FaZe Clan, but molodoy is proof that taking a chance (as they once did on broky) can pay dividends. They just have to be brave enough. But is this just a case of “the grass is always greener on the other side,” though? Perhaps.

FaZe Clan’s problems at the moment are numerous, and whatever solution they devise will feel harsh on someone. But the reality is that their current results aren’t pretty, and it doesn’t look as though internal solutions are fit for purpose anymore. It’s time for some changes.