Why FaZe Should Do Everything They Can to Sign HooXi

How low have FaZe’s expectations fallen? Less than a year ago, they were competing against Vitality in the grand final of the Budapest Major. Now, the organization finds itself celebrating a $6,814 tournament victory, not so much for the trophy itself, but for the VRS points that could help them qualify for the Singapore Major. Winning Roman Imperium Cup IX was certainly a step in the right direction, but there is something deeply unsettling about a team of FaZe’s stature having to fight this hard just to attend Counter-Strike’s biggest event.

There is nothing wrong with rebuilding, and to FaZe’s credit, their relatively inexperienced roster has shown occasional flashes of brilliance. But the bigger question is whether this project has the right foundations to take them back to the top, particularly when two of their most accomplished riflers, Twistzz and frozen, are yet to function as the formidable duo they could be. With one of the most accomplished in-game leaders in Counter-Strike suddenly available on the transfer market, FaZe have an opportunity that might be too good to pass up. And unlike another gamble on emerging talent, this is a player whose credentials are already well established.

How did FaZe end up here?

The decline has been extraordinary. In December 2025, FaZe reached the Budapest Major final, losing 3-1 to Vitality. The remarkable run offered hope that, despite an inconsistent year, FaZe still possessed the quality to challenge the world’s best teams. But that proved to be something of a false dawn, as their results deteriorated almost immediately in 2026.

Early exits at IEM Kraków, PGL Cluj-Napoca, ESL Pro League Season 23 and BLAST Open Rotterdam were followed by the biggest disappointment of them all: failing to qualify for the IEM Cologne Major. It was the first time FaZe had missed a Major since entering Counter-Strike in 2016. For an organization that had spent years competing for the biggest trophies, this was an unprecedented setback, and one that eventually prompted a significant overhaul.

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karrigan subsequently departed for Falcons, and Twistzz took over the in-game leadership. Neityu arrived, JBOEN replaced broky, and FaZe began rebuilding around a considerably younger lineup. Initially, things looked promising. They reached the semi-finals of XSE Pro League in July, before making another top-four finish at BLAST Bounty Season 2 Finals, where they defeated The MongolZ and pushed Spirit to three maps.

But the improvement did not last. Between August and October, FaZe lost five consecutive series, falling to Vitality, Alliance, magic, Nemiga and Astralis. While losing to a team like Vitality is hardly embarrassing, the subsequent defeats exposed just how inconsistent FaZe had become. They could trouble some of the world’s strongest teams on a good day, yet struggle against considerably weaker opposition the next.

The man who just beat FaZe

On October 2, FaZe faced Astralis at Stake Ranked Episode 4 in Barcelona, in a series that highlighted some of their recurring problems. FaZe won all six pistol rounds across the best-of-three and even established a 9-3 lead on Ancient, Astralis’ own map pick. Yet they somehow lost that map 13-11 and eventually the series 2-1, squandering opportunities that could have secured a comfortable victory.

Leading the opposition was HooXi, who topped Astralis’ scoreboard with a 1.26 rating, 49 kills and 75.8 ADR. Of course, one series cannot establish the tactical superiority of one IGL over another, particularly when HooXi himself delivered an unusually strong individual performance. Nevertheless, the contrast was difficult to ignore. Astralis managed to recover from difficult positions while FaZe failed to capitalize on several substantial advantages.

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Two days later, HooXi led Astralis to the Stake Ranked Episode 4 title, defeating Nemiga 3-1 in the grand final. It was Astralis’ first LAN trophy since December 2019, and a significant achievement for a roster that had struggled to establish itself among the elite. However, in a rather surprising development, Astralis announced on October 9 that HooXi and jabbi had been benched, despite winning the tournament just five days earlier.

With both players approaching the end of their contracts, Astralis decided to move in a different direction, subsequently introducing siuhy and cmtry to the lineup. Suddenly, an experienced IGL with multiple prestigious international titles was available for a potential transfer. For FaZe, who had spent much of 2026 searching for consistency under an inexperienced leadership setup, the timing could hardly have been more interesting.

HooXi has already done what FaZe need him to do

There is a reason HooXi remains such an intriguing IGL, despite never being particularly renowned for his individual performances. During his time with G2, he helped the organization win BLAST Premier World Final 2022, IEM Katowice 2023 and IEM Cologne 2023. All three were among the most prestigious tournaments in Counter-Strike, and G2’s success under his leadership ended a prolonged period without major international trophies.

Granted, that team had NiKo, m0NESY and huNter-, three exceptional players capable of deciding matches through individual brilliance. HooXi was never the primary source of firepower, and his modest individual numbers often made him an easy target for criticism. But while working with such talented players undoubtedly helped, getting the best out of them across multiple championship campaigns was an achievement in itself. More importantly for FaZe, he has already demonstrated that he can lead a team built around exceptional individual talent without needing to be one of its principal fraggers.

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The argument becomes more compelling when considering his subsequent work with Astralis. During his tenure, the Danish organization reached the finals of PGL Astana 2025, FISSURE Playground 1 and PGL Bucharest 2026. They also finished third at ESL Pro League Season 23, demonstrating an ability to compete against established international opposition despite lacking the sheer individual quality of HooXi’s former G2 roster.

Notably, Astralis underwent their own rebuilding process in January, bringing in phzy and ryu, two players without extensive experience at the highest level. HooXi helped guide that lineup to respectable results, culminating in their recent LAN victory. Astralis were hardly flawless under his leadership, and their disastrous Cologne Major campaign exposed some of the team’s limitations, but his record suggests that he can develop younger players while maintaining a competitive structure.

That is precisely what FaZe need. They already possess considerable individual talent, particularly in Twistzz and frozen, but their performances have lacked consistency, particularly when matches become difficult. HooXi would not necessarily fix those problems overnight, yet his experience building systems around both established superstars and developing players makes him an unusually suitable candidate for the current roster.

FaZe need Twistzz and frozen as their rifling duo

Perhaps the strongest argument for signing HooXi has less to do with the Dane himself and more to do with Twistzz. The Canadian has been FaZe’s most productive player recently, averaging a 1.19 HLTV rating across his last 36 maps. That is an impressive figure for someone simultaneously carrying the responsibilities of in-game leadership, particularly while working with a roster that has undergone extensive changes.

But it also raises an interesting question: how much better could Twistzz be without those responsibilities? He has spent most of his career as one of Counter-Strike’s most accomplished riflers, winning two Intel Grand Slams, a Major and numerous other prestigious trophies. Much of that success came while playing under experienced leaders who allowed him to concentrate primarily on his individual game. And with frozen alongside him, FaZe have the potential to field one of the strongest rifling duos in the game.

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Now, instead of focusing exclusively on his own responsibilities, Twistzz is expected to develop younger teammates, prepare strategies, read opponents and make important mid-round decisions. To his credit, he has embraced the challenge, publicly expressing his determination to become the best leader possible. There is no reason to believe he is unwilling or incapable of succeeding as an IGL, especially given how well he has maintained his individual performances.

However, just because a player can fulfil two responsibilities doesn’t necessarily mean an organization should ask him to. FaZe have one of the most accomplished riflers in Counter-Strike history, yet they are using him to fill a leadership vacancy rather than maximizing the qualities that made him so successful in the first place. Bringing in HooXi would allow Twistzz to return to his traditional role while providing the team with a dedicated, experienced caller. The objective should be to  establish him and frozen as the rifling partnership around which FaZe can build their next championship-contending roster.

frozen finished eighth in HLTV’s Top 20 of 2025 but has averaged just a 1.07 rating across his last 36 maps. This decline cannot automatically be attributed to Twistzz’s leadership, although it does illustrate that FaZe are struggling to get the best out of their established stars simultaneously. An experienced IGL could potentially provide both players with more clearly defined responsibilities and a more cons