The most anticipated match of the Quarterfinals turned into almost a betting highlight of the year for those who trusted in the karrigan’s FaZe Clan.
Against most expectations, FaZe dismantled the tournament favorites MOUZ with a clean 2-0 sweep (13-11 on Nuke, 13-2 on Inferno). It was again a statement that Major Playoff FaZe is an entirely different beast.
The FaZe Moneyline and Round Handicap bets cashed easily, thanks to a phenomenal team performance driven by experience, tactical brilliance, and two major breakout stars.
Also Player Props did well on Frozen and Twistzz.
Here are the three biggest talking points that defined the victory:
1. The Dynamic Duo: Jcobbb and Broky Silence the Critics
The series opened with FaZe's map pick, Nuke, where two bashed players completely neutralized the threat of the highly-rated MOUZ roster: broky and the newest member, jcobbb.
Jcobbb made a huge statement for his critics — many of whom questioned his place on a Tier 1 team. He not only survived the pressure of a Major Quarterfinal but truly thrived. His statistics told the story of his impact:
- Nuke K/D: He posted a +7 K/D difference (16 Kills / 9 Deaths)
- Opening Kills: He led the team with 5 Opening Kills on Nuke.
He and broky (who finished the series with a stunning 1.62 rating) paved the way for FaZe's success, building an insurmountable 9-3 lead on the T-side of the first map. The rookie's ability to consistently win key rifle duels gave FaZe the breathing room they needed to close out the tight 13-11 win. FaZe were close to melt down completely, but let’s not talk about that anymore.
2. The Inferno Clinic: Twiszz and Frozen's Ruthless Efficiency
MOUZ was unable to adapt to the Major stages pressure, after a poor start. The result was a total flop on Inferno from young MOUZ team. While FaZe's demolition was a team effort, the statistics highlight the flawless play of their two veteran riflers:
Twistzz finished Inferno with a near-perfect 16 Kills, 5 Deaths (+11 K/D).
Frozen playing against his former team, was even deadlier, posting an incredible 19 Kills, 6 Deaths (+13 K/D).
The combined K/D of +24 from these two players meant that MOUZ could not get a single strategy going. This level of clinical efficiency in a Major playoff game is virtually unheard of, allowing FaZe to cruise to a dominant 13-2 victory.
3. The Karrigan Factor: IGL Brilliance and Personal Upswing
The "karrigan factor" is legendary—it’s the mental upper hand the In-Game Leader instills in his team that often elevates them above more mechanically skilled opponents. It's truly miraculous how FaZe have grinded through this tournament, often surviving by the skin of their teeth, only to pull off this kind of mental demolition against a higher-rated opponent like MOUZ.
The great IGL's impact is not usually seen in the scoreboard, but today, his personal numbers backed up his strategy. On Inferno, karrigan posted a positive 1.09 rating, showing that he was not only calling the shots but winning his personal duels and trading efficiently. His leadership is why FaZe peaked today, and why the betting market was so drastically mispriced.
The Antihero: Brollan's Abysmal Performance
While FaZe deserves all the credit someone has to be the MOUZ antihero.
His performance on Inferno was a historically low for a player of his caliber in a Major playoff. He secured only one kill across all 15 rounds of the second map and died every round.
His final overall rating for the series was 0.62, but the sheer emptiness of his performance on Inferno resulted in an abysmal Map 2 rating:
Brollan’s abysmal 0.20 rating on Inferno is likely the worst statistical outing ever recorded by a Major playoff rifler.
It was a nightmare day for MOUZ, but a confirmation that the FaZe veterans still know how to deliver a Major shocker when it matters most. Who would have guessed that FaZe go forward in 13-2 fashion. Not me, even though I believed in FaZe.
Upcoming next is an underdog story Semi-Final battle between FaZe and NaVi. Did you read about the possibility somewhere? ;)