Twistzz on if he was always going to replace rain: "People may have thought otherwise (laughs), but yeah. In the early talks, it was like that"

The Canadian tells HLTV about the "natural reunion" with FaZe, how broky has changed since he left, and how he's taking more of a leadership role this time around.

Russel "⁠Twistzz⁠" Van Dulken is back in the red-and-black after two years with Liquid, although his reunion with Finn "⁠karrigan⁠" Andersen and Helvijs "⁠broky⁠" Saukants has been overshadowed somewhat by FaZe needing to bring back Håvard "⁠rain⁠" Nygaard for their Pro League campaign due to roster rules.

The last-minute need for rain as a replacement also meant FaZe needed to forfeit their opening match in Sweden, and a loss to 3DMAX resulted in FaZe needing to fight back from the 0-2 pool. Wins over Astralis and Inner Circle mean they have done just that, and now a match against Aurora separates them from a playoff berth in Twistzz's debut event back under the banner.

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"it's great, it feels really good [to be back in a FaZe jersey]," Twistzz tells HLTV after FaZe picked up their second win at EPL. "I think the situation ended up being perceived as messy, but it's only because there's VRS rules and stuff that can be very restricting for teams to make a big signing in the middle of the season. But yeah, to answer your question, it feels amazing."

The Canadian says it was a "very natural reunion" to be back alongside broky and karrigan, touching upon how both players have grown and explaining his own evolution as a secondary caller coming into this new lineup. He also cleared up speculation around FaZe's original plans when bringing him into the lineup, firmly stating he was always set to replace rain.

"Yeah, it was like that," Twistzz says. "People may have thought otherwise (laughs), but yeah. In the early talks, it was like that. I don't think it was incompetent from FaZe. Like Finn said, they have their plan, their vision, as management, and we'll follow."

You can watch the interview here, or listen here.

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Twistzz, nice to see you back in a FaZe jersey. How are you feeling about that, first of all?

First of all, thank you. Second, it's great, it feels really good. I think the situation ended up being perceived as messy, but it's only because there's VRS rules and stuff that can be very restricting for teams to make a big signing in the middle of the season. But yeah, to answer your question, it feels amazing.

Being back with karrigan and broky, how's that been?

It was a very natural reunion. They've just grown as players, I mean people can say maybe karrigan hasn't changed, but I think he actually has grown as a leader. And Helvijs [broky] has definitely matured as well. It's the same people, but they've grown, they've matured.

Talking about EPL, it wasn't the start you would've wanted with the whole rain coming in last-minute situation. But now you're 2-2, how are you feeling now that you've had a couple of games under your belt with FaZe even if it's not the actual roster you planned to be here with?

It's really good. I was telling the guys that just because we're in the stand-in situation, it doesn't mean that there's not a lot for the four of us to learn. We should be reviewing these games and seeing what we can make out of it in the future, even if Howie [rain] is not there.

So far it's been great, and we've been working really well with what we have. Finn [karrigan] and I are collaborating in-game a lot, playing off of each other, giving each other ideas, and Helvijs is really vocal on the CT sides. I think everyone is feeling that the dynamic is good right now, the way it is.

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karrigan on Twistzz: "This is the first time I've had a secondary caller since NiKo"

Can you tell me more about the dynamic with karrigan? Because what he mentioned in our interview yesterday was that he feels he has a true second caller for the first time since NiKo. You were in the team before, and he basically said that you have more of a voice and influence now than you did then.

Yeah, what he said in the interview was true. It's not that I wasn't vocal before, but it was more that everyone had their key areas that they were responsible for. Mine back then was Banana on Inferno, that was like my whole game. He let me have a lot of control and power there. And of course, bringing ideas. Not that I'm necessarily calling them in-game back then, but bringing the theory, finding rounds from other teams, and so on.

But now it's like... I think, because of the past experience that I went through, that he really trusts me to micro-manage others, and also... yeah, I mean, everyone knows how Finn is. Sometimes he's just ahead of everyone and when you're like that, it's hard to see what's behind you and micro-manage others, and now he heavily relies on me to do that. To call the fake at the right time or call the pressure, or tell people to do this. Sometimes I'm just making the entire mid-round call so he can focus on himself, and... yeah, I think it's a good dynamic, it's a healthy dynamic right now.

It hasn't had a lot of time to play out yet, but are you enjoying that? There was obviously the stint when you were IGL on Liquid, do you feel like this is kind of the place you were looking to get to with where you wanted to be with calling?

The six months of 2024, leading up to the Major, the dynamic in that team worked really well because I had a true secondary voice in YEKINDAR. He and I were able to collaborate really well, and that's why I think, with even less firepower, I always say that we overperformed for the entire six months with our lineup. But, because of the way that we were able to collaborate in-game and always think ahead, it let us have the results that we did.

Once I lost that secondary voice after the player break, that's when it was a struggle, where I felt like everything was on me. And there's no offense to mithR of course, I think in the ex-team dynamic where I had the secondary voice, there was not so much needed strategically from the coach. And after that, it's not like I had a B1ad3, or someone who is making the game for you, or the vision. It was kinda just a lot of theory-crafting, he would help me with theory, but it wasn't this coach-IGL dynamic that can carry a team. But yeah, back then we made the best out of what we had.

Now, I think it is a very comfortable place for me, it is a comfortable role, to secondary call. But I always feel comfortable taking the round on my shoulders and micro-managing people, and Finn trusts me to do that as well, when I need to.

You also talked about broky's growth a little bit earlier, but I wanted to poke you for a little bit more detail. How has he evolved?

People always thought he was a very chaotic player before, sometimes his communication was also chaotic. You guys see it in karrigan's voice comm videos, he's talking a lot.

Now, he's a bit more reserved, calculated, really knows what he wants to do. It's not just random. He's reading the game, he's also vocally letting people know that he's reading the game. And for me, the main development is actually him as a person. He's grown a lot as a person, and that has a positive impact on everyone.

I wanted to also ask, regarding you coming into the team, did you always know it was going to be rain you were replacing?

Yeah. Yeah, it was like that. People may have thought otherwise (laughs), but yeah. In the early talks, it was like that. I don't think it was incompetent from FaZe. Like Finn said, they have their plan, their vision, as management, and we'll follow.

And from the week that I got to play with Jakub [jcobbb], his aim is like... crazy. Like, mechanically, insane. So I also look forward to playing with him after this event and getting to learn more about him too.

Lastly, you're 2-2 now, so for the future of FaZe after this tournament but also heading into the last round of play here, how do you see it going?

Just like how the other days have been for us. It's not like we're able to do so much as a team because it's just a stand-in situation, but the players here have so much chemistry that we can keep the ball moving and we cannot underestimate any opponent here.