FaZe Clan Wins First-Ever CS2 LAN, Beating Complexity For The IEM Sydney 2023 Trophy

After the threat of getting delisted from NASDAQ and a whole lot of acquisition drama, FaZe Clan has something to celebrate as their dream run at Intel Extreme Masters Sydney 2023 has ended in success. With their win over Complexity with a 2-1 scoreline, FaZe Clan emerged as the champions of IEM Sydney 2023, taking the prize money of $100,000 and their ticket to IEM Katowice 2024. Alongside their victory in the first-ever Counter-Strike 2 LAN event, FaZe Clan also managed to solidify CS2's first-ever 13-0 scoreline against ENCE in the quarterfinals. 

2023 was a rollercoaster ride for FaZe Clan as the team wasn't able to showcase their full potential on a few occasions. While CS:GO was around, FaZe Clan participated in several tier-1 LAN events but failed to reach the grand finals in many events. Following their victory at IEM Sydney 2023, FaZe Clan might see some changes with Twistzz rumored to start the upcoming 2023 season with his old home of Team Liquid.

Read more: Convicted CS:GO Cheater Forsaken's Five Year Ban To Be Lifted This Week

Intel Extreme Masters Sydney 2023: FaZe Clan vs Complexity Grand Finals Recap

After a smooth victory in the playoffs against ENCE and MOUZ, FaZe Clan was all set for their fight against Complexity. The grand final was a best-of-three matchup, with the first map being Complexity's pick of Overpass. Here, JT spearheaded Complexity toward a narrow 13-11 victory over FaZe Clan. For those returning to Counter-Strike, the new MR12 in CS2 means that 13 is the number to chase in regulation to bag the win. With MR12 (Max Rounds 12), a single half can only have 12 playable rounds vs. the 15 from CS:GO. 

After a 1-0 lead, Complexity headed to FaZe Clan's map pick of Nuke. Thanks to ropz, FaZe Clan made a comeback on the second map, winning Nuke with a 13-10 scoreline. With scores leveled 1-1, both the teams headed to the decider map of Ancient. On Ancient, FaZe Clan decimated Complexity in the first half with a 9-3 scoreline. While it seemed impossible for Complexity to make a comeback, hallzerk started righting Complexity's shit with an ace in the 15th round. After 24 rounds, the scores were tied at 12-12 and teams fought in two back-to-back overtimes. With a 19-16 scoreline, FaZe Clan finally solidified their victory over Complexity to win IEM Sydney 2023.

Intel Extreme Masters Sydney 2023 featured 16 teams and a prize pool of $250,000. Upon winning the first-ever CS2 LAN tournament, FaZe Clan grabbed their share worth $100,000 and booked a slot at IEM Katowice 2024. Complexity came second and won $42,000, followed by MOUZ and G2, who received $20,000 for qualifying for the semifinals.