FaZe’s route to the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025 Final is clear, but they could be their own worst enemy

FaZe has been on a tear in the BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025, and the GOAT of CS:GO is finally leaving his mark in CS2. The team has been firing on all cylinders, especially in Stage 3, and it’s given deluded fans like me yet another reason to believe. Maybe, just maybe, this is FaZe’s time to lift the trophy. That belief only grew stronger once the playoff brackets were released, placing FaZe in what many are calling an “easy” side of the draw.

But not everyone’s buying into the hype. There are still voices calling this a mere honeymoon phase. And honestly, I can’t completely dismiss that claim. It’s true, FaZe are riding one hell of a high right now. But there are still a few things that concern me.

FaZe has had to grind a lot

The departure of ropz left an unfillable void in FaZe, a break in their chemistry that made putting things back together feel like one of the toughest tasks they’ve ever faced. Ropz brought a sense of control in the chaos, a calm that let others play freely. Without that anchor, the team spent a long time trying to fix the imbalance—and arguably, still haven’t. Right now, what’s working for them and keeping them afloat is pure star power, especially on the T-side, where they’ve been dragging rounds across the line with raw aim and firepower.

This shows clearly when you look at the numbers from the American Major. Across the five maps FaZe played in Stage 3, they had the highest 4v5 win rate of any team. On the T-side, that win rate was a staggering 55%. That’s a wild stat, especially when second, third, and fourth place hover around 40%. So even if you get the opening pick against FaZe, they still have a better chance of converting the round than anyone else. But on the flip side, when they’re in a 5v4, FaZe fall behind most teams. That tells you one thing: they’re still shaky when it comes to playing from a position of control. They also have the third-highest multi-kill rate per round on the T-side, which only proves that firepower, not structure, is doing most of the heavy lifting.

But that’s the catch with firepower, it isn’t ever reliable. Everyone remembers FaZe’s slow start to Stage 3. No one looked switched on, and even s1mple started 0:6 against Legacy. Sure, FaZe has built a reputation for being a playoff team, one that gets more dangerous the deeper they go. But being honest, even FaZe themselves probably wouldn’t bet everything on their consistency.

Nerves against The MongolZ

FaZe’s biggest opponent against The MongolZ might be themselves. If they don’t start strong, their recent form and momentum could fall apart fast. The MongolZ have already been through a lot of playoff games this year and won’t be fazed by the stage. FaZe have experience, sure, but the key difference-maker has been s1mple, and he hasn’t played a big-stage Major match in front of a crowd in a long time. We’ve already seen nerves get to him, like in the Aurora and Legacy games, where he started off slow. And right now, FaZe need him more than ever.

A player like s1mple is always valuable, but for this FaZe lineup, he’s essential. Their CT side has been their weak spot, and s1mple is the only one holding it together. In Stage 3, he had a CT-side rating of 1.31. Frozen follows at 1.13. Then there’s a steep drop, rain, EliGE, and karrigan sit at 0.86, 0.84, and 0.65. If FaZe starts on CT and s1mple can’t get going early, they risk falling behind fast with no easy way back.

Looking ahead

If FaZe beats The MongolZ cleanly, their confidence will spike. But that may not count for much, because next up could be FURIA, and that’s where things could get tricky. karrigan and FaZe have faced teams like MOUZ enough to know how to beat them, even though they are one of the best-performing teams this year. But against a team like FURIA, whom they haven’t met in 2025, and when a matchup is fresh, adapting mid-game becomes a lot harder, especially with a lineup still building chemistry.

But if FaZe makes it to the finals, and waiting for them is Vitality, we’ll have a blockbuster on our hands. An unstoppable force versus a team that’s had to fight through every Stage, proving themselves at every step. The last time they faced off, FaZe nearly took them down despite Vitality being the favorites. If that rematch happens, it could be the best ending this Major could ask for. The rivalries attached to it make it the perfect script. s1mple vs ZywOo, apEX vs karrigan, ropz vs FaZe. But this is the bracket of death. One mistake, and it’s over.