FaZe Clan captain karrigan has explained how decisive the Budapest Major run was for FaZe Clan. According to him, the event directly shaped the organization’s competitive future. Speaking in FaZe’s Budapest run documentary, the Danish in-game leader addressed invite pressure, VRS projections, and the need to plan far beyond a single Major.
VRS reality check before the Major
Before the tournament, karrigan and the team closely followed the VRS Prediction system on HLTV. However, the numbers raised serious concerns. At that point, if results had stopped, FaZe would have ranked 26th in the world on January 5. As a result, the team would only have secured invites to a very limited number of events, including IEM Kraków.
On HLTV there is a VRS Prediction. If all matches stopped there, we were 26th in the world on January 5, karrigan said.
Because Kraków invites were limited to the top 24, FaZe stood right outside the cutoff. That projection showed how fragile their position was heading into the Major.
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One event away from losing the calendar
Without a strong Major performance, FaZe’s 2026 season would have looked very different. karrigan admitted the team risked losing access to most top-tier events.
We would have had BLAST, that’s about it. We wouldn’t have invites to Brazil. Probably not Pro League, he explained.
As a result, fewer invites would have meant fewer tournaments. In turn, that would have limited FaZe’s ability to earn points. Ultimately, the road back to Major qualification would have become much harder.
Leadership dilemma under pressure
At the same time, karrigan faced a difficult leadership decision. He understood the long-term consequences. Still, he chose not to share them with the team.
I didn’t want to say it to the guys because it would just add pressure, he said.
Meanwhile, Twistzz independently checked the same VRS projections. This showed that players were already aware of the stakes, even without direct discussion.
Beyond one Major
For karrigan, the Budapest Major was never only about one tournament. Instead, it was about keeping FaZe inside the elite circuit.
As a captain, I’m always looking ahead. I shouldn’t. I should focus on the moment, he admitted.
This time, however, the situation was different. FaZe were effectively playing for their entire next season.
Context for FaZe’s future
karrigan’s comments offer rare insight into the pressure teams face under the invite system. The Budapest run was not just about form or confidence. It was about survival at the top level. Ultimately, the documentary shows why every map and round mattered. Each result affected FaZe’s event access, visibility, and long-term stability in CS2.
