Just four months ago, Finn “karrigan” Andersen was leading FaZe Clan in the Grand Final of the Budapest Major. Today, the 35-year-old in-game leader is navigating one of the most challenging periods of his professional career.
FaZe Clan has officially failed to qualify for the IEM Cologne Major 2026. The definitive blow came in a defeat to BIG in the final of HLC Belgrade PRO 2026. Stripped of automatic invites and losing Valve Regional Standings (VRS) points, the team was forced into a desperate grind through smaller LAN tournaments to accumulate points, but ultimately fell short. While big teams like Astralis have missed Majors in the past, FaZe’s inability to qualify under Valve’s new VRS system, which is designed to reward top teams for consistent play, is a significant surprise.
A season of scars and frustration
In a recent interview with HLTV following their last-place exit at PGL Bucharest, karrigan gave a frank assessment of the team’s season. He noted that the past few weeks have been the most stressful experience of his career, explaining that the team showed up as professionals but not as a unit. He pointed out a huge crack in everyone’s confidence and the trust within the roster.
The contrast between practice and official matches has been a major point of frustration. karrigan stated that while the team performs well in practice, it all falls apart during official matches. He noted that this is the exact opposite of his previous teams, leaving him highly frustrated when a confident approach to a tournament rapidly unravels.
Gonna play the season out, but it’s one that’s going to put a scar in me, and that’s gonna be a scar I try to heal, or it’s gonna break me.
A roster in crisis
FaZe Clan is currently facing a multifaceted roster crisis. The leadership vacuum is glaring after the organization recently sacked their head coach, Filip “NEO” Kubski, right before their crucial stretch. karrigan viewed the bizarre timing as a wake up call, noting that he saw it as a signal to the team that there were a few months left for people to step up, and they tried.
In the server, the struggles are just as pronounced. Helvijs “broky” Saukants, once a highly reliable closer, has been unstable. Averaging a 0.99 rating in 2026, his lack of impact has severely hamstrung karrigan’s ability to control the map. On the other end of the spectrum is David “frozen” Čerňanský, who remains the team’s most consistent pillar. However, wasting his prime years on a struggling roster is a hard sell, and rumors are swirling that he may look elsewhere to fulfill his massive potential.
Interestingly, the team’s collective downfall cannot be pinned on an individual drop-off from their veteran captain. karrigan’s personal statistics have actually remained remarkably stable through the chaos. He is currently holding a 0.90 rating for 2026, which surprisingly marks his best individual statistical year since 2022. The disparity between his own steady performance and the team’s collapse highlights the complex nature of their current issues.
The career stretch
karrigan’s current situation brings up a broader conversation about how long a professional Counter-Strike player can, or should, stretch their career. At 35 years old, karrigan is already the oldest player ever to compete at a Major.
The esports scene has recently seen a wave of retirements from his former peers. Three members of the old Astralis core, Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen, Lukas “gla1ve” Rossander, and Andreas “Xyp9x” Højsleth, have all recently hung up their mice. Both gla1ve and Xyp9x have transitioned into the coaching side of the game, setting a clear precedent for veteran tactical minds moving behind the players.
karrigan himself played a part in those early days of Astralis, alongside building a towering legacy that includes transforming MOUZ and leading FaZe to the PGL Antwerp Major victory in 2022. With five Major Grand Finals to his name, his impact on competitive Counter-Strike is firmly established.
Crossroads
Now, karrigan and FaZe are at a crossroad. Moving karrigan to the head coach position would solve the current vacancy left by NEO and provide a logical next step for his career. However, finding a replacement tier one in-game leader to rebuild FaZe Clan in the server presents a completely new set of challenges.
karrigan has acknowledged the gravity of the situation and has made his priorities clear regarding the organization’s future.
I have also told FaZe that if I need to step down, I’m ready to do that… there is something wrong right now. It can be the vision, it can be the players, it can be everything, because with these performances it’s not good enough. So if I’m stepping down, let’s do that. I just want FaZe back at the top, with or without me.
