October 13 marked exactly nine years since one of the brightest tournaments in the early history of FaZe’s international roster. In 2017, the team won ELEAGUE CS:GO Premier in Atlanta, taking one of the biggest trophies of that season and cementing its status as one of the main contenders for dominance.
FaZe went through the tournament almost flawlessly
ELEAGUE CS:GO Premier 2017 took place from September 8 to October 13 in Atlanta and featured 16 teams. The total prize pool was $1 million, while the champion received $500,000 outright. FaZe began their run in Group A alongside G2, NAVI, and Renegades, and advanced to the playoffs without a loss.
In the elimination stage, the team also left no chances for its opponents. In the quarterfinals, FaZe defeated Envy 2:0, then advanced past North in the semifinals by the same score. As a result, the roster entered the decisive match without losing a single map in the playoffs.
Astralis could not stop FaZe in the final
FaZe’s final opponent was Astralis, who first defeated fnatic on their way to the final and then got past Cloud9. The Danish roster was one of the strongest in the world, so the final looked like a serious test for the international five.
However, there was practically no intrigue in the series. FaZe closed out Astralis 2:0 and became the champions of ELEAGUE Premier 2017. The Danes received $150,000 for second place, while FaZe took the main prize of $500,000.
rain received the first MVP of his career
Håvard “rain” Nygaard became one of the main heroes of the tournament. The Norwegian finished ELEAGUE Premier 2017 with a 1.32 rating and received the MVP award — the first such honor of his professional career.
His statistics clearly show the level of his performance: 0.81 frags per round, 90.9 ADR, and 1.38 Impact. This tournament became one of the first major moments when rain stepped to the forefront in FaZe’s star-studded roster.
One of the symbols of FaZe’s star lineup in 2017
That FaZe roster was remembered for its enormous concentration of individual skill. Alongside rain, NiKo, GuardiaN, and olofmeister were among the best players at the tournament, while the team under karrigan’s leadership looked capable of beating almost any opponent.
Nine years later, ELEAGUE Premier 2017 remains an important part of FaZe’s history. It was not just a title with a large prize pool, but one of the tournaments where the international superteam definitively confirmed its status, while rain received his first personal MVP award.
