FaZe have officially signed Ryan “Neityu” Aubry on a permanent basis after four months as a stand-in. The French rifler has fully become part of the roster ahead of the start of Esports World Cup 2026, where his first match as a full-fledged team player will be against BetBoom.
Neityu is no longer a stand-in
Neityu joined FaZe in April as a temporary replacement after roster changes, but over several months he managed to secure his place in the team. He played for FaZe at five tournaments and gradually became not just a forced solution, but a full-fledged element of the team’s new structure.
That is why the permanent contract looks like a logical step. FaZe did not look for a new player before an important part of the season, but instead placed their bet on someone who had already adapted, knew the roles, understood the communication, and had gained official practice with frozen, Twistzz, jcobbb, and JBOEN.
What he has already given FaZe
During his stand-in period, Neityu helped FaZe reach four semi-finals: at BLAST Rivals S1, Stake Ranked Episode 2, BLAST Bounty S2, and XSE Pro League Guangzhou 2026. The best tournament for him was the event in Guangzhou, where he finished with an average rating of 1.05.
These numbers do not look star-level, but in the context of FaZe, something else matters more. Neityu did not break the balance of the roster, did not take up unnecessary space, and gradually fit into a system where a new player needs stability, discipline, and readiness to work at the team’s tempo.
First test — BetBoom
Neityu’s first match as a full-fledged FaZe player will take place against BetBoom at Esports World Cup 2026. This immediately creates a good storyline for the debut: not just a formal return to the server, but a match against a dangerous opponent where the result will matter for the start of the tournament.
For FaZe, this will be a test not only of Neityu himself, but also of the renewed stability of the roster. When a player moves from the status of temporary replacement into the starting lineup, the level of expectations changes as well: now his game will be evaluated not as someone who “helped fill a slot,” but as a full-fledged part of a long-term project.
Why this matters for FaZe
FaZe have been rebuilding around a new balance of roles in recent months. frozen, Twistzz, and jcobbb remain in the roster, while JBOEN is playing on loan, so signing Neityu gives the team at least one important point of stability ahead of a packed calendar.
FaZe are:
- Slovakia David “frozen” Čerňanský
- Canada Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken
- Poland Jakub “jcobbb” Pietruszewski
- France Ryan “Neityu” Aubry
- Denmark Jason “JBOEN” Boe Nielsen (on loan)
- Germany Niclas “enkay J” Krumhorn (coach)
For Neityu himself, this is also a major step. Moving from stand-in status to a permanent contract with FaZe is not just a status upgrade, but a chance to prove that he can maintain the level of top tournaments not over a short stretch, but throughout a full season.
FaZe chose a proven option
The main point of this transfer is that FaZe chose not a risky experiment, but a player they had already tested. Neityu had four months to show himself inside the system, and the club decided that this was enough for a permanent deal.
Now everything depends on whether he can take the next step without the “stand-in” label. If FaZe start successfully at Esports World Cup 2026, the signing of Neityu may quickly turn from a neutral roster news item into one of the important turning points of their season.
