Twistzz is on the cusp of becoming the winningest player in NA CS history
FaZe and NAVI are set to compete tomorrow in a grand final BO5 showdown under the illustrious lights of IEM Cologne. For many reasons and for many players, this match has career-defining consequences. Looking at NAVI duo Denis “electronic” Sharipov and Aleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev, they aim to become the first two talents to lift the Cologne trophy three times. For FaZe star Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken, he is chasing his own history.
A FaZe win would mark Twistzz’s tenth big event and fifteenth LAN victory, putting the Canadian star first in both categories amongst fellow North American talent. His current 1.16 rating at Cologne has him in a three-way tie with his teammates, putting them all in the MVP conversation should the team take the BO5 win. Twistzz’s team and individual accolades as well as his recent Major victory put him at the door of being the winningest talent in the history of North American Counter-Strike. A win at Cologne tomorrow will solidify that.
Being in the conversation of chasing history is already an impressive feat. What makes Twistzz’s accolades so impressive is the time in which he was able to accomplish them. The 22-year-old is prepared to single himself out as the NA GOAT with nearly 150 fewer maps than the likes of former teammate Jake “Stewie2K” Yip and nearly 200 less than fellow Canadian star Keith “NAF” Markovic.
Twistzz’s sprint to superstardom seemingly happened overnight and has been continuous for over five years now. Once a promising talent for TSM, he became the rookie sensation for a Liquid team that was close to becoming a powerhouse. By 2018, the beast was unleashed and he would soon become a pivotal member of one of the greatest lineups in Counter-Strike history, the 2019 Intel Grand Slam Liquid. Ten LAN trophies and two HLTV top 20 awards later, it was time to move on from Liquid.
After doing nearly everything as a part of North America, the star rifler decided to throw himself into the fire and take a harder challenge inside of EU CS. Since then, he has only improved as a player, rising his stock as a talent overall. The path Twistzz chose is always a risk, as some players go to Europe and get exposed, never to progress further as a professional. Twistzz took the challenge and rose to the occasion, giving him a rare opportunity to achieve history.
Things were solid for Twistzz individually last year, finishing No. 17 in the world. However, as a team, FaZe hit a new level in 2022 and have been on a tear in big tournaments. Already three trophies in, including the Major, Twistzz, and company take aim for their fourth in 2022, putting them ahead as the team of the year. The win would be massive for Twistzz for the aforementioned reasons, but after beating them in Antwerp, winning another trophy over NAVI as an NA talent inside a European team makes it that much sweeter.
A win and potential MVP at IEM Cologne would put Twistzz alone above the greats inside of North American Counter-Strike. It would tie him for first in LAN wins with NAF and Stewie and give him his tenth big event win, which he already is first in. A third MVP trophy would put him in a tie for third, inching him another step closer to first-place NAF. Given the recent trajectory of his career, Twistzz looks like he is ready to separate himself among the greats of the region and set a new standard for what it means to be the GOAT of North America.
