rain: "We're just getting started"

We spoke to Håvard "⁠rain⁠" Nygaard, the HLTV x Bitskins MVP of PGL Major Antwerp, after he lifted the trophy on stage.

After an thrilling tournament run that culminated in a two-map series victory with wins on Inferno and Nuke, FaZe have claimed their first Major title, with Finn "⁠karrigan⁠" Andersen and rain at long last combining to overcome their defeat in Boston four years ago and lift the trophy in Antwerp.

At 27-years-old and surround by a trifecta of young talent, it was the Norwegian rifler himself who defied all odds to end the event firmly ahead in the MVP race, and after celebrations concluded on stage, HLTV.org caught up with him to hand him his MVP medal and discuss the win.

"It feels so amazing, I don't even know how to explain it. I'm still a little bit in shock, I don't think I realized myself yet that we actually won the Major," rain said. "Even two, three months before this event, I told my friends at home to come to the Major, we're going to win this for sure, I just kept telling them."

He also spoke about the narrow margins on Inferno that had echoes of Boston 2018 written all over it, including comebacks, incredible clutches, and an intense overtime affair, with the win coming down to a last-minute rotation that helped take things over the line.

"I realized right after we won that round, I was like, 'oh sh-, that was just like Boston, that was a risk. It worked out perfectly this time, ropz is the ultimate lurker on A and he got a good timing on b1t, so it played out good."

Regarding the second map, rain said he was surprised that Natus Vincere picked into Nuke given their record, giving them props for "having some balls." The map ended up firmly in FaZe's favor despite a comeback effort from NAVI in the latter moments, and it was soon after that the European combine went forward to lift the trophy, something rain had no words to share, stating that standing alongside karrigan in that moment "was an indescribable feeling, I don't know how to explain it."

When asked in conclusion if this was the last Major title he'd win, rain was firm in his stance: "we're just getting started."