IEM Sydney 2023 has reached its conclusion, with FaZe Clan coming out on top of 16 teams in the Grand Final of the first-ever CS2 tournament. It was an absolute banger of a final, backed up by a booming Sydney crowd (Sydney CS2 Major when?). Let’s dive a little bit deeper into the action!
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FaZe Up
Credit: Helena Kristiansson | © ESL
2023 has been a tough year for this FaZe roster. Considered to be a superteam throughout 2022, their star had somewhat dimmed throughout this year, despite an impressive Intel Grand Slam win.
The arrival of Counter-Strike 2 was the perfect opportunity for FaZe to breathe new life into their play. They looked like real contenders throughout the rest of IEM Sydney 2023, but got off to a slower start in this Grand Final.
Overpass kicked off the series, and Complexity actually managed to take it 13:11. In our IEM Sydney 2023 Grand Final preview, we had FaZe winning the series 2:0, but Complexity stamped that out immediately.
Nuke was a similar trading of blows, ending 13:10 in FaZe’s favor. Given the nature of these maps, a few swing rounds could’ve seen either team take a 2:0 series win here. Instead, it went to an Ancient decider.
The Final Map
Credit: Sarah Cooper | © ESL
Spare a thought for Complexity and this final map. After being 10:3 down, they managed to battle FaZe all the way back to secure Overtime. EliGE and hallzerk were particularly playing out of their minds, consistently pulling Complexity from the verge of defeat in the IEM Sydney 2023 Grand Final.
Even a first Overtime couldn’t separate these two teams – we’d need a second. Here, it was FaZe’s experience of endurance on the big stage that came up trumps, as they eventually secured 19 rounds to take the trophy. If there was any concern about MR12’s ability to deliver huge games, they can truly be put to bed after this one.
FaZe’s victory in the IEM Sydney 2023 Grand Final makes karrigan a Tier 1 champion in all of CS 1.6, CS:GO, and CS2. It’s a monstrous show of longevity from the greatest in-game leader Counter-Strike has ever seen (sorry, gla1ve). So, what’s next for these two teams?
The Future of FaZe Clan and Complexity
Credit: IEM on Twitter
Despite FaZe’s victory on the day in the IEM Sydney 2023 Grand Final, these are two teams that seem to be on very different trajectories. After Complexity’s parent company GameSquare acquired FaZe Clan, rumors have been spreading about these two rosters. For now, it seems Complexity will remain the same, with this project coming on leaps and bounds during IEM Sydney 2023. FaZe’s roster seems a little more uncertain.
Twistzz, the focus of much of the speculation, did little to subside any rumors, cutting a bittersweet figure in an interview post-Sydney win.
While Twistzz doesn’t outright confirm anything, his acknowledgment of the situation is huge. Regardless of what happens, this FaZe roster have been one of the best CS teams of all time. Let’s hope IEM Sydney 2023 was the start of a new era rather than a swansong.
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