FaZe have punched their ticket to the XSE Pro League 2026 playoffs following a hard-fought 2-1 series victory against Swedish squad EYEBALLERS. The road to qualification was anything but smooth for the international roster.
The team opened group stage with back-to-back best-of-one defeats against MIBR and TYLOO, putting them on the brink of elimination early. But FaZe responded with impressive performances against SINNERS and 3DMAX, setting up a do-or-die clash with EYEBALLERS that would determine their playoff fate.
Danish AWPer Jason "JBOEN" Boe Nielsen proved to be a revelation in his debut tournament. Across nine maps, the newcomer posted a stellar 1.35 rating alongside 0.86 kills per round, establishing himself as a key piece of FaZe's roster.
The series opener on Ancient saw dramatic swings. EYEBALLERS recovered from an early 0-3 hole to build a 7-5 advantage after their CT half. Despite FaZe's strong second-half start, the Swedes clawed back to force overtime. In a back-and-forth affair dominated by attacking sides, EYEBALLERS emerged victorious 22-20.
Mirage featured another thriller. FaZe's CT-side excellence gave them an 8-4 lead at the break. After securing the pistol round and follow-ups, they extended to 11-4. EYEBALLERS refused to fold, forcing another overtime scenario. This time FaZe held firm, taking the map 16-14 thanks to JBOEN's explosive 33-18 scoreline.
The decider came on newly-introduced Cache, where FaZe dominated from start to finish. Despite losing the opening pistol, they rattled off nine of the next ten rounds for a 9-3 cushion. Winning their fifth pistol round of six attempts, FaZe closed out the map convincingly 13-3.
FaZe advance to face BetBoom in the quarterfinals.
