Mission: To make FaZe Clan great again!

Replacing Helvis “broky” Saukants seemed like a logical move, but on its own, it does almost nothing to fix the problem. FaZe Clan’s issues have long gone beyond the form of a single sniper: the team lost Finn “karrigan” Andersen, handed the captaincy to Russell “Twistzz” Van Dalken, brought in a temporary fifth player, and signed Jason “JBOEN” Bo Nielsen on loan.

On paper, FaZe still has plenty of talent. Twistzz and David “frozen” Chernyansky have the potential to be the two main stars of a strong team, JBOEN is considered a promising sniper, and Jakub “jcobbb” Petrushevsky can make an impact in aggressive roles. However, to return to the top 5, the organization doesn’t need just another well-known shooter—it needs a full-fledged captain willing to sacrifice his own stats for the sake of macro play. What does FaZe Clan need to do to become a Tier 1 team once again?

Handing the captaincy to Twistzz after karrigan’s departure was an understandable temporary solution. The Canadian has a wealth of experience, reads the game well, and is capable of helping with mid-round decisions. The problem is that the current roster needs more than just someone who calls plays during a match.

FaZe’s captain needs to rebuild the team’s structure, assign roles, help the young sniper adapt, and create a clear environment for jcobbb. All of this distracts Twistzz from his own gameplay, even though he remains one of the few players on the roster capable of consistently winning rounds through individual skill. Using such a rifleman simultaneously as the main star, IGL, and the person responsible for developing rookies is simply too counterproductive. Twistzz is more valuable in a supporting role: he can suggest re-positions, take the initiative in the late stages, and help read the opponent without being responsible for the entire system. FaZe already has enough players who need good positions and resources. If Twistzz also spends part of his energy on captaincy, the team is voluntarily weakening one of its best performers. The new IGL needs to relieve him of this burden.

The main requirement for the new IGL is a willingness to rank last in the stats if it helps his teammates. His value should be measured not by his rating, but by the quality of the rounds and how much better Twistzz, frozen, and JBOEN play alongside him.

Such a captain will have to take less advantageous positions, be the first to check dangerous areas, throw grenades to cover teammates’ movements, and more often end up with the worst weapon after buying an AWP. On defense, he must cover positions that aren’t suited for the star players, and on offense, he must set the stage for early duels rather than demanding specific rounds for himself.

This doesn’t mean FaZe needs a player who can’t shoot at all. A captain who is too weak individually will quickly become an obvious target for opponents. The organization needs an IGL with decent mechanics, but without the urge to build the game around his own rating.

If a rookie wants better positions and plenty of resources, they’ll have to take them away from Twistzz, frozen, or JBOEN. In that case, a replacement won’t solve the problem—it will create a new conflict within the roster. A strong IGL, on the other hand, must work with the coach to solidify roles, reduce improvisation, and prepare several reliable play plans for each map.

FaZe needs rounds won through grenades, timing, and smart positioning—not just thanks to Twistzz’s first kill or a difficult duel by frozen. The new captain doesn’t have to copy karrigan, but he’ll have to adopt a similar principle: personal stats are secondary if his decisions allow his teammates to consistently perform at a high level.

FaZe’s optimal structure is fairly straightforward. Twistzz and frozen secure the best positions and become the two consistent stars, while JBOEN must gradually evolve into the third player capable of independently creating an advantage with the AWP.

In this model, jcobbb is responsible for aggression and initiating engagements, while the captain ties the players together into a cohesive system. He doesn’t need to constantly seek out his own duels; his task is to ensure that the others’ firefights take place under the most favorable conditions.

FaZe doesn’t need a five-star lineup, but rather three sources of firepower, an aggressive role-player, and a captain who makes this setup work. If the new IGL finishes the map with a rating around 0.9, but Twistzz and frozen get favorable duels, JBOEN isn’t left without support, and jcobbb is regularly traded off, this model is more beneficial than yet another shooter with good stats.

JBOEN’s signing remains the riskiest part of the rebuild. The Dane looked good at Tier 3 level, but he has almost no experience playing against the world’s top teams. Therefore, his strong stats prior to joining FaZe confirm his talent but do not guarantee a quick adjustment.

To compete for a top-5 spot, JBOEN must become the third star: securing first blood, consistently capitalizing on high-value weapons, and periodically turning the tide of a series single-handedly. Simply being an accurate sniper won’t be enough. With an AWP player like this, FaZe is capable of returning to the top 10, but in matches against the leaders, the gap at this key position will remain too wide.

That said, it’s too early to judge the Dane after just his first few tournaments. He needs to get used to opponents’ quick decisions, strategies tailored to his position, and the pressure of a major organization. It’s more important to see how quickly he adapts and whether he maintains his confidence after losing maps. And here, a lot depends on the captain. The young sniper needs clear protocols, timely grenades, and a clear understanding of where he’s expected to take the initiative. Without this, FaZe won’t be able to objectively assess his potential.

The situation with jcobbb differs from JBOEN’s story. The Polish player has already spent enough time at FaZe for the team to expect consistency from him. He’s capable of creating space and making the first engagements, but so far he’s alternated too often between strong maps and matches where he has almost no impact on the game.

You shouldn’t necessarily expect a full-fledged star’s stats from an aggressive role player. His role involves risk, so some off nights are inevitable. However, jcobbb can’t completely fall out of the series after losing a few duels. A strong captain needs to make his role more predictable. If the Polish player knows in advance where he’ll get the flashbang, who’s setting up the trade, and which area will be left for him after the first engagement, the number of unnecessary deaths should decrease. After that, FaZe will be able to determine whether he is capable of consistently performing at a top-tier team’s level.

If jcobbb continues to consistently underperform within a clear system, the organization will have to look for a more reliable role-specific rifler. Until a permanent IGL is in place, another replacement would be premature: first, the player needs to be given a functional structure, and only then can his ceiling be assessed.

FaZe’s return to the top 10 looks like an achievable goal. To do this, the team needs a strong captain, consistent performances from Twistzz and frozen, JBOEN’s gradual adaptation, and an acceptable level of play from jcobbb. Even without the young players developing perfectly, this roster will have enough firepower to make the playoffs on a regular basis.

To reach the top 5, however, nearly all elements must come together simultaneously. The new IGL must quickly establish a macro strategy, JBOEN must prove his status as a top talent against Tier 1 opponents, and jcobbb must reduce the number of poor performances. Meanwhile, Twistzz and frozen must remain a duo capable of winning matches against the world’s strongest teams.

That’s exactly why FaZe shouldn’t be looking for a big-name signing just to react to yet another loss. The team needs a captain with a specific profile: strong enough individually not to become an obvious weakness, but willing to voluntarily stay in the background. His success should be measured not by the number of kills, but by how much better the rest of the team plays alongside him.

Replacing broky made room for a new sniper, but it didn’t solve the main problem. FaZe lacks someone who will take on the thankless work, set the rules, and turn strong individual players into a team. If such a captain emerges, a return to the top 10 will become the baseline goal, and the top 5—an achievable scenario. Without him, FaZe will continue to depend on individual form and remain a roster with plenty of talent but too little discipline.