FaZe down: Is it time for Karrigan to take the next step

Ever since entering the scene in 2016, FaZe Clan have long stood as one of the biggest names in Counter-Strike. In nearly 6 total years under Karrigan's leadership, FaZe have powered their way to countless trophies, including a Major title at PGL Antwerp in 2022.

Perhaps it is precisely all of their former success which cast such a disappointing shadow over the team's current run of form. After a disastrous start to the year in 2025 for FaZe, the question has to be asked: has the time come for Finn "Karrigan" Andersen to take the next step in his Counter-Strike career?

When FaZe need answers, they will always look Karrigan's way. (Credit: PGL)

The Fall of FaZe

Despite losing ropz, the year took off to a bright start for FaZe when they secured one of the most sought-after riflers on the world at the time in Jonathan "EliGE" Jablonowski to form what should have been one of the most formidable 5-man units in the scene.

Despite all the buzz, FaZe had a rough showing to begin the 2025 competitive season when they failed to make it out of the Group Stage at the first tournament of the year, IEM Katowice. Having had very little practice with EliGE on the squad, however, the result was excusable at the time. Over time, however, the team began running out of excuses.

Here's a look at FaZe's tournament results in 2025 so far:

• IEM Katowice: Failed to make Playoffs
• PGL Cluj-Napoca: Fourth place finish
• BLAST Open Spring: Failed to make Playoffs
• PGL Bucharest: Third place finish

Though the team's results at the two PGL tournaments may look respectable at first, the truth is that neither tournament featured either Team Vitality or Team Spirit, two of the strongest teams in the scene. For a roster of FaZe's caliber and firepower, Bucharest presented the perfect chance for the team to come away with the silverware in an effort to leave the growing pains behind. Instead, the team succumbed to the pressure once more.

By this time last year, FaZe were busy lifting the IEM Chengdu 2024 trophy. Now, the squad is struggling to stay afloat in a competitive environment that simply waits for no one.

Just one year ago, FaZe stood at the top of the Counter-Strike world. (Credit: ESL)

Riding the Rollercoaster

The problem with the current FaZe roster lies beyond their results. Despite the now four months working together, consistency continues to evade this squad on the server.

Throughout the start of the year, FaZe managed to grab a convincing 2-0 victory over a MOUZ squad that have made three consecutive Grand Finals, while also getting swept by a Complexity team that currently holds on to the 20th place in the Valve Regional Standings (VRS).

FaZe's true form? That remains a total mystery.

Is Karrigan the Problem?

Though the loss of Robin "ropz" Kool was a tough pill to swallow, a roster made up of EliGE, broky, rain, frozen, and Karrigan should not be struggling like they are. So, what exactly seems to be the problem for FaZe?

Admittedly, both EliGE and broky are not performing at the level they were in previous years. For EliGE, this could be attributed to adjusting to a new system. When it comes to broky, though, excuses are not so easy to come by.

And yet, a look has to be cast Karrigan's way. The current FaZe roster is ripe with firepower, yet time and time again they have failed to translate this strength into wins on the server. In the end, does the problem lie with the pieces, or something wrong with the system?

A Look at the Numbers

A quick look at Karrigan's numbers in 2025 so far paint a sorry picture. Afterall, 62 ADR, 0.55 KPR, and 68% KAST are not bound to be impressing anyone any time soon.

But the thing is, Karrigan was never a fragging in-game leader (IGL). In fact, most of the Danish player's numbers in 2025 are only just lower than those he put up in 2024 or 2023. Moreover, players like Ludvig "Brollan" Brolin have put up similar numbers to start the year, and yet the Swedish IGL has successfully led MOUZ to the top of the Counter-Strike world all the same.

Coach Karrigan to the Rescue?

Though it could be possible that several of FaZe's players just happen to be hitting individual slumps at the same time, it seems far more natural to suggest that something within FaZe's system just is not working anymore. Perhaps a fresh perspective could turn out to be just what the doctor ordered.

The IGL market is a tough one, to be sure, and yet the thought of bringing in a new head filled with new ideas, while continuing to benefit from Karrigan's experience and guidance from a coaching position has to be an enticing one for FaZe after failing to make it out of groups one too many times.

There is no denying that Karrigan has been, and will continue to be, one of the best in-game leaders the game has ever seen, and yet the question has to be asked: has the time come when the Danish veteran could be doing more for his players by standing behind them in the booth than running in front of them on the server?

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Featured Image Credit: PGL

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