Twistzz promises better energy for FaZe’s young players

FaZe captain Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken plans to bring more positive energy to the team’s younger players after acknowledging that he and David “frozen” Čerňanský can hurt morale when matches go poorly.

FaZe defeated Alliance and K27 at the RLG Tesla Cup, giving the team an estimated 97.1% chance of qualifying for the PGL Singapore Major. Its place will be confirmed after the next Valve Regional Standings update on Nov. 2.

The team had been at risk of missing the Major after last-place finishes at FISSURE Playground 3 and Stake Ranked Episode 4. FaZe improved its position by winning Roman Imperium Cup IX and defeating Envy and HEROIC at DraculaN Season 7.

“Me and David, we have high standards for how the team should play, and when things are not going well or mistakes are made, both of us have a really bad habit of getting down in the dumps,” Twistzz told reporters.

“These young players don’t deserve to have bad vibes around them always, so now I’ll just bring in the good vibes.”

Twistzz wants FaZe’s younger players to maintain their confidence regardless of his own performance. “It doesn’t matter if I’m 4-15 or if I’m having a good game; I want to make sure these kids are feeling the game and feeling good about themselves, and they play with confidence,” he said.

After DraculaN Season 7, Twistzz and coach Enkay J worked on the team’s playbook and spent more time together while allowing the players to rest. Frozen was also working on becoming a better example for the team.

FaZe entered the RLG Tesla Cup focused on winning rather than calculating its chances of qualifying for the Major. Twistzz described qualification as an added benefit and said winning the event would improve the team’s confidence and confirm that it was moving in the right direction.

He also credited matches against teams with extensive online and official experience with helping FaZe improve its coordination and build greater synergy in the server.

Twistzz said the team was comfortable playing in tier-two LAN events, including tournaments with demanding formats and several best-of-three matches in one day. FaZe’s longer-term goal is to return to the top tier.

FaZe is scheduled to play in Beijing next. Twistzz said the team must trust its own style against stronger opponents and avoid being intimidated by their reputations.

“The goal is to not be shocked by the names on the server or what they might bring,” he said. “At the end of the day, it’s up to us to really show ourselves the way that we want to play.”

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