Twistzz commits to lead FaZe until organization decides

On the media day before the BLAST Bounty Malta finals, Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken told reporters he will continue as FaZe’s in-game leader and invest his full effort in the role until the organization makes a different decision. He said formal roster and contract matters are the club’s responsibility and players are focused on upcoming events.

FaZe made several roster changes over the summer, including the signing of Jason “JBOEN” Boe Nielsen and the temporary addition of Ryan “Neityu” Aubry as a stand-in. The team reached the semi-finals at XSE Pro League and recorded two wins in the online phase of BLAST Bounty to qualify for the Malta finals.

Twistzz addressed his commitment to the leadership role: “No matter what role I’m playing, I’m going to have a long-term image of it. I want to dedicate myself to the role to make sure that I can be the best version of myself, or find the best version of myself. I think that’ll be the case until FaZe says otherwise.” He added that, until the club announces a change, he will “give everything I have to the team, and also become the best leader that I can be.”

On Neityu’s status, Twistzz said the decision remains with FaZe’s management. He noted that the organization may be finalizing a contract or working with the player’s agency and that, for now, Neityu is part of the lineup. “We love playing with Ryan, and we just look forward to continuing,” he said.

Twistzz described regular collaboration with coach Niclas “enkay J” Krumhorn, calling him “insightful, reflective and very productive.” The pair maintain frequent strategic discussions, including on off days. The team has had limited shared practice time-about a week together before XSE plus sessions balanced with official online matches-but Twistzz said those interactions helped the squad develop quickly.

On JBOEN, Twistzz highlighted the player’s fundamentals and composure, citing experience in BIG’s system as preparation for top-level play. He noted the rookie is still adjusting against stronger opponents, for example by reducing risky overpeeks when necessary.

FaZe invested significant preparation time on the reintroduced map Cache. Twistzz said he and enkay J took lead roles in shaping the team’s T-side approach and that early focus on the map contributed to their results. He cautioned that maintaining an advantage requires continued work as other teams increase their practice on Cache.

FaZe entered BLAST Bounty as the second pick in the draft, which Twistzz said narrowed their immediate opponent list and simplified match preparation compared with teams that must prepare for multiple possible opponents.

The organization has not publicly finalized Neityu’s long-term status. For now, Twistzz is leading FaZe in matches and working with the coach and new squad members as the team competes in Malta.