FaZe announce rain benching

The Norwegian rifler has been removed from the roster after almost ten years.

FaZe have announced that they have moved longtime team member Håvard "⁠rain⁠" Nygaard to the bench, paving the way for Russel "⁠Twistzz⁠" Van Dulken's return to the starting lineup after the Canadian was signed from Liquid in a deal that saw Jonathan "⁠EliGE⁠" Jablonowski move in the opposite direction.

rain's benching brings an end to his nearly ten-year association with FaZe, having joined the North American organization in January 2016, when it entered the game with the signing of G2's team.

During his time on FaZe, rain won 19 notable trophies, including the 2022 Antwerp Major, and an Intel Grand Slam. He was named the MVP of a tournament on four occasions (most notably in Antwerp), and made the HLTV Top 20 three times, the latest of which in 2022 at No.13.

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"After 10 unforgettable years, the time has come for me to say goodbye to FaZe Clan," he wrote in a post on X. "And although FaZe has decided to go another direction, I am beyond proud of what we have achieved the past decade.

"To my teammates, past and present I just want to say thank you for the countless memories, amazing matches, and trophies we have lifted. Playing alongside some of the most talented individuals in the game has been an honor.

"To the organization and everyone who has believed in me, I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to represent FaZe. And to all the fans that have supported me and the team, thank you for always being the loudest to cheer."

In that same post, rain underlined that he has no plans to retire from the game, and opened the door to a new challenge in his career as an in-game leader.

"My journey in CS2 is far from over," he wrote. "I’m not retiring. I will keep competing and growing as a player. I’m open to offers for any role, and while stepping into the IGL role would be a new challenge for me, it’s one I’m eager to embrace.

"No matter the position, I will bring the same dedication, passion, and drive that have fueled me for all these years. I’m ready for the next challenge."

rain made his last appearance for FaZe at FISSURE Playground 2, where the team was eliminated in 9th-11th place following losses to Falcons, The MongolZ and Liquid in the Swiss stage. It was FaZe's third event with Jakub "⁠jcobbb⁠" Pietruszewski, who was signed from Betclic in August to replace EliGE.

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FaZe will return to action on October 4 in ESL Pro League 22 Stage 2. The team hopes that Twistzz's return will help them end a trophyless run stretching back to IEM Chengdu 2024, nearly 18 months ago.

With rain's benching, FaZe are now:

Finn "⁠karrigan⁠" Andersen
David "⁠frozen⁠" Čerňanský
Helvijs "⁠broky⁠" Saukants
Jakub "⁠jcobbb⁠" Pietruszewski
Russel "⁠Twistzz⁠" Van Dulken

Filip "⁠NEO⁠" Kubski (coach)

Olof "⁠olofmeister⁠" Kajbjer (benched)
Håvard "⁠rain⁠" Nygaard (benched)