FaZe Clan’s StarLadder Budapest Main Run Was a Miracle, Not a Renaissance

After struggling all through 2025, Counter-Strike analysts and followers alike mentioned that the FaZe Clan magic was useless – however the StarLadder Budapest Main proved there was life within the previous canine but. Although, is it a return to kind, or a brief second of magic within the group’s books?

Jonathan “EliGE” Jablonowski had struggled on the crew, and even Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev couldn’t save them. With Havard “rain” Nygaard exiting the crew in November and his substitute, Jakub “jcobbb” Pietruszewski, struggling alongside Helvjis “broky” Saukants, folks had been starting to suspect the Budapest Main would possibly simply be IGL Finn “karrigan” Andersen’s final match as knowledgeable participant.

It nearly appeared just like the veteran Dane would bow out in embarrassing style, too. FaZe had been lower than half a second away from being eradicated in a Stage 1 1-2 recreation versus RED Canids, and had Allan “historical past” Lawrenz remembered he had a smoke grenade throughout his defuse try, that will have possible been all she wrote for FaZe in Budapest.

However historical past didn’t bear in mind he had that grenade. Then, of their very subsequent recreation, FaZe discovered themselves on the point of elimination as soon as extra towards Fluxo, however a nine-round profitable streak noticed FaZe clinch it. And the remainder, as they sarcastically say, is historical past. 

It was a dance with demise that empowered FaZe Clan, reigniting one thing in them that had seldom been seen in 2025. A contact of magic, a clutch gene, or just, a FaZe b*llshit. No matter your most popular time period for it’s, it started a Main run that can go down in historical past – the primary crew to go from Stage 1 all the best way to the Main closing. 

However how did they do it?

A Return to Kind

One of many largest causes for the FaZe battle again is broky. The Latvian Laser had been poor all through 2025, his kind is what led to his short-term benching earlier within the 12 months. There had been flashes of brilliance since his return, however nothing fairly like what he captured throughout their Main. 

From a now-average 0.96 ranking in Stage 1, broky started to point out some class in Stage 2, leaping barely to 1.01 following a 1.49 rated recreation versus Ardour UA. Stage 3 was the place he actually started to shine, although, ending the Swiss Stage with a 1.19 ranking after robust performances towards The MongolZ and 3DMAX.

That kind continued within the playoffs, too. Though he was quiet for 2 maps within the semi-final versus NAVI, alongside David “frozen” Cernansky he was one of many solely gamers to point out up in two of the maps towards Vitality within the grand closing, and was instrumental within the crew getting previous MOUZ throughout the quarters. 

FaZe’s closely criticised rookie, jcobbb, additionally noticed his kind take an enormous upturn within the latter phases. The younger Pole additionally struggled in Stage 1 at 0.97, however went as much as 1.25 and 1.24 in Stage 2 and Stage 3 respectively. 

jcobbb’s best worth throughout the FaZe run got here throughout pistol rounds. He ended Stage 3 and playoffs with a 1.98 pistol spherical ranking – second solely to Danil “donk” Kryshkovets – which is very spectacular once you consider that he performed seven extra maps than donk, and 11 extra maps than the subsequent closest participant, David “dav1deuS” Tapia Maldonado. 

There’s additionally one thing to be mentioned for the standard of IGLing out of karrigan. While the worth of such gamers is essentially primarily based on intangibles, it was clear simply how robust the sport plans had been on Nuke. FaZe ran by way of a number of groups on the map, together with MOUZ and Vitality twice, with each groups trying helpless as they had been constantly performed out of positions. 

Even outdoors of the stable anti-stratting that had been occurring, participant cams as soon as once more made the power of karrigan as a captain clear. The Main-winner by no means as soon as let his spirits appear damaged throughout more durable video games and at all times puffed up his crew. Their closing map of the match exemplified this greater than some other; the Dane might be seen laughing within the face of defeat at the same time as FaZe went 11-1 down. 

The primary factor, although, was that FaZe had been simply profitable rounds within the FaZe method once more. When you’ve been round Counter-Strike for some time, you recognize what we imply. It’s a fashion of profitable man-down conditions in a method that solely FaZe does. Rounds which can be fully unlikely, but at all times by some means really feel possible.

Nonetheless, there’s a drawback with that. 

Regression to the Imply

The issue is that the playstyle isn’t constant. It by no means has been. It’s why FaZe have at all times been so streaky. 

Enjoying for 3vX conditions is nice when your stars are all firing, broky, Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken, and Robin “ropz” Kool all doing so for six months straight noticed them win practically every thing within the first half of 2022, however the inconsistency that comes with the downturn in kind is what price them two of these stars within the years since.

There’s additionally simply the inconsistency of broky to fret about. The Latvian is instrumental to FaZe’s model of play and was for his or her Main run, so what occurs when his ranking regresses again to his 2025 common of 1.04?

jcobbb can also be a priority. Australian analyst Chris “elmapuddy” Tebbit has already uncovered how Vitality was in a position to bully him on Overpass to be able to win the Main, and his CT performances could be regarding on different maps as nicely. It’s all half and parcel of the step as much as tier one and the Main confirmed promising indicators of growth, however with a special match each week, Counter-Strike cares extra about consistency over for much longer durations of time than the Main.

Simply have a look at Ivan “zweihh” Gogin, who has already been benched by Crew Spirit regardless of being the principle cause they had been in a position to push previous Falcons throughout the quarter-finals.

At the least pistol rounds are one thing they’ll depend on. Within the final three months, FaZe have three of the highest 12 pistol spherical gamers in jcobbb, Twistzz, and frozen. It’s a power that has given them a 62.2% pistol win price in that point, second solely to MOUZ. If they’ll enhance their Spherical 2 conversion charges to get in keeping with the opposite prime groups, we might even see this way proceed for a short time longer.