Individual brilliance saves FaZe as ropz and rain secure Shanghai Major Playoffs

After a thrilling series, FaZe has barely locked in a Major Playoffs berth at Shanghai. Furia initially looked in control of the series, but facing elimination FaZe's individuals finally woke up to make the comeback. Now through to the playoffs, can FaZe actually find their footing?

FaZe may be through the playoffs, but their run at the Shanghai Major has not been confidence-inspiring. Their opening match pitted them against Wildcard, with the NA side considered one of the weakest teams in the top 16. Yet for some viewers, the match against FaZe was ripe for an upset. Luckily, FaZe's stable support Håvard “rain” Nygaard stepped up with a massive 1.98 rating to pull off a 13-10 win.

FaZe's volatility continued through the Bo1s where lost to Heroic but defeated MOUZ to enter the 2-1 pool. In the best-of-threes, FaZe was trounced by G2. Inferno was once a pain point, one that would show up again in the series against Furia, but the bigger shock was the complete lack of firepower from FaZe's individuals.

Furia picked up right where G2 had left off, continuing the thrashing with a 13-6 win on Inferno. But up against the elimination point, FaZe finally stepped up. It had been David "frozen" Čerňanský alone showing up on Inferno, but on Dust2 rain stepped up. On the CT side, the Norwegian was crucial in keeping FaZe level with their Brazilian rivals and bought enough time for Robin “ropz” Kool to wake up.

ropz has been the emblem of FaZe's struggles in 2024. From being the best player in CS2's first months, he went completely off the boil in recent months. So for him to finally bring back some of his classic form, was crucial for powering FaZe up both on the server and mentally. With the Estonian terminator tormenting Furia, FaZe carried the form to a series point on Mirage. 12-2 up, a win was guaranteed.

But credit to Furia, they were unwilling to give up. Every single player was carrying their weight. Gabriel "FalleN" Toledo called a brilliant T-side and Kaike “kscerato” Cerato and Felipe "skullz" Medeiros filled the gaps that emerged. Unfortunately, the lead was too large to overcome, and FaZe thrived in the chaos to emerge victorious.

Despite the qualification, FaZe's future remains uncertain. In the post-match interview, karrigan was quite honest about his team's struggles. Most notable was the lack of a comfortable map pick for the team. Twice, FaZe has picked into Inferno, and twice they have been dusted off by their opponents. Up against Vitality in the Quarter-finals, coming back from a 0-1 deficit will be nigh on impossible.

Playoffs are a commendable achievement for FaZe, but to go any farther, they will have to hope for an Arena buff of unfathomable proportions. Anything short of a miracle will see FaZe eliminated in the Quarter-finals with questions of roster changes looming in the background. Is this the last ride for this FaZe roster?

The Shanghai Major playoffs begin December 12. For more CS2 news and coverage, check out esports.gg.