It's official. Team Falcons confirmed on Monday, April 20 that Finn "karrigan" Andersen has signed with the organization as in-game leader, ending a five-year stint with FaZe Clan that included a Major win, an Intel Grand Slam, and eight tier-1 LAN trophies. Within the same hour, Damjan "kyxsan" Stoilkovski was officially benched. The roster shake-up — reported for over a week — is now locked in, and Falcons enter the seven-week IEM Cologne Major preparation window with one of the most talented lineups in Counter-Strike history.
The Announcement
karrigan shared the news on social media with a message that captured the significance of the move: "Excited to announce that I'm joining Falcons and reconnecting with my old brothers Niko and Danny [zonic], together with new teammates that I'm excited to work alongside with. Let's make history."
Falcons' official statement emphasized the reunion angle and the championship ambitions: the roster now has three former FaZe pieces — karrigan, NiKo, and coach Danny "zonic" Sørensen — reassembled under one banner after being split across organizations for years.
What Falcons Gets
karrigan brings a resume that few IGLs in CS history can match:
- 2022 PGL Antwerp Major winner with FaZe (the 2022 lineup he assembled personally)
- Intel Grand Slam #3 winner (2022) with FaZe
- 8+ tier-1 LAN trophies over his career
- 20+ years of competitive CS experience across 1.6, Source, CS:GO, CS2
- Proven roster-building track record — FaZe rebuilt twice under his leadership
Beyond his own caliber, the NiKo reunion is the tactical subplot. The two played together on FaZe from 2017-2018, winning seven tier-1 events in that span and forming one of the most respected captain-star duos in CS history. The chemistry was broken when NiKo moved to G2 in late 2018. Seven and a half years later, they reunite.
kyxsan's Exit
For kyxsan, the Falcons benching comes after 18 months as IGL during which he led the team to multiple deep tournament runs but no tier-1 trophies. His IEM Rio performance — including the legendary upset over Vitality and the semifinal loss to Spirit — is likely to be remembered as the defining stretch of his Falcons tenure.
Reports suggest kyxsan has already been in contact with several tier-2 European organizations for potential 2026 opportunities. He is expected to remain an active player rather than shift to coaching.
FaZe's Uncertain Future
On the other side of the transfer, FaZe Clan are in a precarious position:
- IGL duties for BLAST Rivals S1 (April 29 - May 3): Russel "Twistzz" Van Dulken will temporarily step into the in-game leader role
- Stand-in rifler: Ryan "Neityu" Aubry, the benched ENCE player, will join FaZe as a stand-in for BLAST Rivals and IEM Atlanta (May 11-17)
- Long-term plan: Not yet announced. FaZe has been notably silent about whether Twistzz keeps the IGL role permanently or a new IGL is being sourced
- Major implications: FaZe already failed to qualify for IEM Cologne Major (the trigger for this roster move). Their next Major opportunity is the second 2026 Major in Q4, giving them significant time to rebuild
Historical Context — The FaZe Karrigan Era
karrigan's tenure at FaZe Clan included two separate stints:
- 2016-2018: First FaZe era with NiKo, olofmeister, rain, GuardiaN. Widely considered the most talented CS:GO roster ever assembled. Never won a Major — lost finals of ECS Season 3 Finals, ELEAGUE Boston Major.
- 2021-2026: Second FaZe era. Won the PGL Antwerp Major 2022 with olofmeister, rain, broky, Twistzz, karrigan. Won Intel Grand Slam #3 later that year. Followed by a long decline as the 2022 Major win roster was gradually replaced.
His departure marks the end of what many consider the second most successful era of FaZe Clan — after olofmeister-era FaZe. Whatever comes next for FaZe will be a fundamentally different organization.
What to Watch for IEM Cologne Major
With six weeks to integrate karrigan into the Falcons system before the Major starts, the core question is whether the chemistry can develop fast enough. Historical precedent:
- Positive example: karrigan himself rebuilt FaZe in 6 weeks before the 2022 Antwerp Major and won it.
- Negative example: Most late IGL swaps before Majors have produced underwhelming results.
Falcons have the talent to win the Major. Whether they have the time is the open question. The bookmakers currently price them at +400 to win the Major — second only to Vitality's +180.
