Neityu said that FaZe is ready to compete with tier-1 teams

FaZe Clan CS2 member Ryan Neityu Aubrey discussed the team’s chances in the playoffs of the Esports World Cup 2026. Aubrey shared his thoughts in an interview with the .org portal.

[Question: “How do you assess the team’s chances against tier-1 teams when you start meeting them regularly?”] In the playoffs, we will most likely play again against such teams - the top 5, the strongest teams. But I think we are not afraid of them. We're pretty confident. Personally, I think I play better against such teams. I don't know why, I just feel more comfortable. I wouldn’t say that they are more predictable, but their playing style is closer to me, and against them I can more often make some moves that I do well. But against teams like M80 or some other teams from the top 20 or top 30, everything is different. They might start doing crazy things. They know they are not favorites, so they have less pressure, and as a result, individually or as a whole, they can play better than us. But it seems to me that we feel confident against top teams. And even though we haven't had much training and JBOEN only joined a month ago, we have a very strong base. We are also getting better every day. So we just work hard, and so far it’s bringing results.

FaZe Clan will play with Team Vitality in the first round of the Esports World Cup 2026 playoffs. The match is scheduled to start on August 20, 16:55 Moscow time. The loser will leave the tournament, and the winner will play with B8 Esports or Team Spirit.

The matches of the main stage of the Esports World Cup 2026 for CS2 will be held on August 19-23. The final day will take place at Accor Arena, in the title game the teams will compete in a best-of-5 series. You can follow the schedule and results of matches in the report.