Top 20 players of 2022: Twistzz (11)

A year full of individual accolades and consistent contribution to FaZe's four title wins and numerous other deep runs see Russel "⁠Twistzz⁠" Van Dulken clinch the 11th place of the Top 20 players of 2022 ranking, powered by 1xBet.

Top 20 players of 2022: Introduction

Twistzz's appearances in the Top 20 list date back to his second year in the top scene, as after joining Liquid in 2017 and quickly establishing himself as a staple player for the organization, he made it to the ranking for the first time in 12th place of 2018. After a year full of runner-up finishes, in 2019 the Canadian played a key role as part of the core fragging trio alongside Jonathan "⁠EliGE⁠" Jablonowski and Keith "⁠NAF⁠" Markovic in powering Liquid to unprecedented success for a North American team — five consecutive titles and a record-breaking Intel Grand Slam victory — and improved on his previous placing in the top 20 with ninth place in 2019.

This has remained his peak, as in 2020 he missed out on a place in the top 20 while Liquid mainly competed in North America amidst the shift to online play. In 2021 Twistzz left his long-time home to move to Europe and join up with FaZe, where he'd quickly find his place as one of their stars. The year was one to forget for the team, but Twistzz himself at least proved to himself he still belonged to one of the world's best, grabbing the 17th place on the top 20 that year. But the best of his stint with the FaZe organization was yet to come.

You can read a more in-depth look at Twistzz's career in his previous appearances on the top 20 list:
- Top 20 players of 2018: Twistzz (12)
- Top 20 players of 2019: Twistzz (9)
- Top 20 players of 2021: Twistzz (17)

Despite its hype Finn "⁠karrigan⁠" Andersen's arrival to FaZe in 2021 didn't bring the organization back to former glory right away. The Danish in-game leader's much-awaited reunion with Robin "⁠ropz⁠" Kool was just about to change that, however, as the team stepped into the new year with the signing of the former MOUZ closer to finally end the chapter of Olof "⁠olofmeister⁠" Kajbjer.

Though the fit was about as good as one could imagine, the newest arrival meant some changes for the team and Twistzz, who suddenly had another star player to share space with and as a result had to take somewhat of a step back. Nonetheless, he went on to have a great year as part of a deadly FaZe core quartet, which many saw as one of the most stacked to ever join together in one team.

"I think the addition of ropz brought a new level of confidence for the team. When you pick up a player of his caliber, it allows others to go for more ingame, especially broky and myself, we can take more risks early and mid round knowing that he’s an excellent closer. Obviously he’s a very hard worker and helped push myself this year to be better. He also likes to create things ingame, so when I’m in the practice room with him it’s fun to prepare or theorize."

This promise quickly came to fruition as, armed with their new player, FaZe entered 2022 with style. After warming up to the new year with a successful albeit unconvincing run through the online BLAST Premier Spring Groups, it was time for the new team to have its first real test at IEM Katowice. However, it wasn't quite the full team that got to play for most of that tournament. Two separate bouts of COVID, first on ropz's side to start and then Håvard "⁠rain⁠" Nygaard's to finish, meant the team called upon Justin "⁠jks⁠" Savage to stand in for them in a temporary partnership that would prove much more successful than ever anticipated.

Despite the woes before and during the tournament, FaZe went on a magnificent run with the Australian in tow. A match against some of his former Liquid teammates saw Twistzz get off to a good start, and he kept up a solid level throughout the event as FaZe ran rampant, with or without their main lineup. Only NAVI, who had been the previous year's clear No. 1 team, could stop them, and even then this was a hard-fought three mapper in the group stage. After that, Gambit and Heroic fell by the wayside in lopsided arena matches, and G2 bit the dust after a thriller of a grand final series featuring overtime on Inferno, quintuple overtime on Mirage, and a 30-round closing on Dust2. Though Helvijs "⁠broky⁠" Saukants stole the spotlight by winning the MVP, Twistzz came away with his first EVP on the back of a super-consistent showing and an impressive grand final display to boot.

"Katowice set the tone for our team, the environment and work ethic. Given our circumstances at the event, our mindset was to make the most out of the situation, that meant putting in a lot of effort to integrate jks into the team which was a fun process, I even created new setups that were first used with him. I don’t think any of us expected such big results early on, but that event showed how hungry everyone is to win."

This was the beginning of FaZe's early-year rampage and set the tone for the next few months, both for the team and for Twistzz. The Canadian was almost just as consistent in FaZe's run to their second consecutive title at ESL Pro League Season 15 the following month. While the team turned things around from a 0-2 start to the round robin group stage and beat teams such as the new Vitality, Vladislav "⁠nafany⁠" Gorshkov's team playing under the Players moniker, Natus Vincere, and the surging ENCE on the way to the trophy, Twistzz only had three dips into the red out of 23 maps. This spoke to his stable contribution as one of the three main cogs in FaZe's machine, and for that he was awarded his second EVP.

Qualifications for PGL Major Antwerp awaited FaZe next. A surprise resurgence from BIG saw the Germans take down the No. 1 team during the RMR, but otherwise the Bucharest tournament was a success; FaZe secured a Legends Stage spot with a 3-1 record.

After a month's worth of preparations, it was time for the Major itself. FaZe got off to the Antwerp tournament on the wrong foot with a loss to ENCE, but from there the rest of the first phase was mostly a formality. Copenhagen Flames put up quite some resistance in a playoffs-qualifying match but, after two close maps, FaZe ran out victors on the deciding Nuke. By this point Twistzz put up five decent maps in what was overall a solid team effort, and heading into the playoffs he continued to be a stable presence. His best map came in FaZe's most hard-fought win, a 1.22 rating in a triple-overtime affair on Dust2 against Spirit, but other than that it was rain who starred in the late stages of FaZe's championship run.

A lack of big peaks prevented Twistzz from keeping his streak of EVPs going, a solid yet unspectacular 1.06 rating a testament mostly to the same stability he had shown in Katowice and in Malta. Nonetheless, he came away with his first Major title, honored to be the first from his home country to win the coveted tournament.

"For me the Major final was the first time I have been nervous in a match in a long time, knowing what it means for my career. Everything about the Major was the perfect storyline for our team, being the first international team to win a Major and a team with accomplished players who were on the hunt for one. Four of us winning one for the first time for our respective countries. Canada isn’t so big in the CS scene, but it felt amazing knowing I was the first one."

Whether it was post-Major blues, a lack of the same preparation the team had put in for the first three tournaments, or just an off period, FaZe's winning streak came to an end as they traveled to Dallas. Their run began with convincing wins over Encore and Vitality and nothing seemed wrong, but a loss to an ENCE playing with Janusz "⁠Snax⁠" Pogorzelski instead of Lotan "⁠Spinx⁠" Giladi meant FaZe were on collision course with a strong-looking Cloud9 in the quarter-finals. The Russian side, powered by a superb display from Sergey "⁠Ax1Le⁠" Rykhtorov, ousted FaZe from the tournament in 5th-6th place after a narrow series. This time, Twistzz outshined everyone on FaZe, showcasing the peaks that he had previously been missing, earning his third EVP.

A flop at the BLAST Premier Spring Final followed, FaZe's first real stumble of the year. In Lisbon, the team only beat paiN before falling at the hands of G2 and Natus Vincere, losing the last three maps of their tournament without winning more than six rounds. The latter series in particular came as a shock, a sign that even a team as stacked with talent as FaZe can have a massive off day as a unit, winning only seven rounds across two maps against Oleksandr "⁠s1mple⁠" Kostyliev and company. Twistzz dropped below the 1.00 mark for the first and only time in 2022 after disappearances in those last three spankings.

Perhaps the flop served as a wake-up call, because before the end of the season FaZe got back on their feet and returned to the title-winning form from earlier in the year. The Roobet Cup, which was played online but despite that featured some solid competition, served as a chance to rediscover that level before the season grand finale in Cologne. karrigan and company seized the opportunity in what turned out to be a tough but successful tournament that was marred only by two separate losses to BIG — in the groups and in the grand final. This was the fourth of seven EVP-worthy displays from Twistzz, who showcased a floor as excellent as ever and stepped up at a couple of key points, though even his impressive series in the title decider wasn't enough to pull FaZe over the finish line in the close affair.

Despite the grand final loss, it was apparent that FaZe were on the way to recovery at just the right time, with IEM Cologne around the corner. The group stage of the German tournament served as further proof that they were ready to challenge for the title again; a flawless run with wins over 00NATION, Spirit, and Astralis put them straight through to the semis and back in the seat as one of the main favorites. Natus Vincere were the other, sitting on the other side of the bracket following their win at the BLAST Premier Spring Final, and it was them that FaZe challenged in the best-of-five title decider after a formality of a semi-final against Movistar Riders.

The stage was set for a spectacular grand final between the two best teams of the year up to that point and delivered one of the best series of all time. After five grueling maps, in which the scores went 16-13, 13-16, 16-19, 16-9, and 16-14, FaZe emerged victorious, in no small part thanks to Twistzz's efforts in the last three maps. His play the team aptly named "Canada" and brought out in the late stages of Nuke will especially
remain etched in memory as the deciding moment that made the grand final go FaZe's way.

"If we’re going with the most difficult and satisfying [grand final], it's incredibly hard to choose between Katowice and Cologne, as those were the closest games. Both finals were very unique, but I would have to be the most proud of Cologne, as it may have been one of the most exciting finals in CS to date, a true test to determine the best team going into the break. I’m extremely proud of all of the finals we have played, though."

"[My best memories of the year?] The last moments of Katowice, Antwerp or Cologne. I can replay the moments in my head over and over again."

Just like that, FaZe were back in most people's minds as the world's best team and headed into the second part of the season with hopes of establishing an era. But some of the magic seemed to fade over the summer tournament break, as FaZe's form dwindled when they returned to play.

Despite losses to Heroic and OG during the tournament, FaZe entered the new season with a successful run through the BLAST Premier Fall Groups, while Twistzz added another superb event to his already impressive tally. A few weeks later they returned to Malta for the second ESL Pro League season hoping to defend their title from the first, but were ultimately unsuccessful. In the groups the team went 4-1, losing only to G2, but faltered in the playoffs two weeks later. A close call against Complexity in the Round of 12 was the first sign of trouble, and FaZe went on to concede another quarter-final series to Cloud9; the second after IEM Dallas.

In Malta, Twistzz's typically undwindling consistency faded, with six maps deep into the red, but he still came away with a valuable player nod. He followed that up with his third-lowest-rated event of the year at the IEM Rio RMRs, putting up an average 1.02 rating as FaZe struggled through three close matches against GamerLegion, fnatic, and Sprout to make it to the Legends Stage bruised but ultimately unscathed.

It had been obvious that FaZe had some proving to do before people could believe they were an ultimate favorite to clinch their second consecutive Major title and complete the Intel Grand Slam in Rio. Their shakiness leading up to it was some cause for concern, but nowhere near enough to expect the impending debacle. In Brazil, the team got off to a 0-2 start after tough seeding saw them face Cloud9 in the first round and lose a close Overpass before getting battered by Vitality. It was the third consecutive loss to a Bad News Eagles team that was far from a title contender that stunned the community, as the reigning Major champions bombed out of Rio in last place. Their Vertigo pick, a map they had nearly always permabanned before, backfired after overtime despite Twistzz's best efforts — a 33-19 score — and FaZe went out after another overtime affair on Mirage on the decider.

"[My worst memory?] Definitely Rio, which I can also replay in my head over and over again, lmao."

"Maybe it was too good to be true, winning the Grand Slam at one of the most anticipated events in CS. Ultimately, that’s all it was though, a disappointment and it’s something that we should keep in memory to give us fuel knowing that we’ve seen what the bottom looks like as a team. There is no excuse for not being able to convert our practice results into officials."

Though undoubtedly a tough blow, FaZe needed to shake it off, as they still had two more events to play before the end of the year and salvage what they could of the rest of the season. BLAST Premier Fall Final came first at the end of November, and in Copenhagen the team looked to be on course to recovery. Quick wins over OG and Heroic put them straight through to the semi-finals, where a battered Ninjas in Pyjamas recently bolstered by Aleksi "⁠Aleksib⁠" Virolainen proved a tougher nut to crack than expected. Heading into the grand final, karrigan's team had yet to lose a title decider this year, but that was about to change. Heroic broke through their LAN curse, coming out on top after three hard-fought maps and overtime on the last, as FaZe missed out on their fifth title of the year by just a few rounds.

Another heartbreaking loss followed a few weeks later at the BLAST Premier World Final in Abu Dhabi, UAE. This time, G2 eliminated FaZe in a semi-finals rematch. Taking revenge for their earlier loss in groups, G2 turned the second series on its head from a difficult position at 13-14 on Nuke and a 4-11 deficit on the T side of Inferno.

Present as always, Twistzz added two more Exceptionally Valuable Player awards to his resumé, the latter being one of his strongest awards of the year as he averaged a 1.22 rating in Abu Dhabi — the highest in FaZe — and topped the event leaderboards in ADR (83.5), KPR (0.79), and impact rating (1.30).

"[We dropped off because of] a loss of momentum, some teams worked throughout the break. I think that’s how it usually goes, a team starts off a bit slow after one of the player breaks after having success. Winning the last event before the break, teams will also look at you more, of course it also comes down to us finding the flow of the game again as a team and finding better consistency together. I think our recovery in the season was actually good, and to make the finals of one of the last two events was important for us."

Why was Twistzz the 11th best player of 2022?

Twistzz was a nearly ever-present force in what was an impressive year for FaZe, putting up standout performances in three of their four title runs, both runners-up finishes, and two more playoff appearances. With seven Exceptionally Valuable Player awards, and three that came at "Elite" events, a case could be made that he was the most consistent FaZe player on a tournament-to-tournament basis.

"It’s not top 5 and unfortunately not even top 10, which for me isn’t good enough. I have to do better than this, but it is a step in the right direction and an improvement from last year, given my new role from the beginning of the year."

Twistzz outdid his average when playing at the five "Elite" events (1.14 rating, 11th best), and his consistency was also excellent round-to-round, with a 73.4% KAST (11th best). Otherwise, though this exemplifies his mechanical ability rather than the reasoning for his placement, he stood out as always in headshots with 0.41 per round, only slightly lagging behind Mareks "⁠YEKINDAR⁠" Gaļinskis and Valeriy "⁠b1t⁠" Vakhovskiy.

"Personal goal [for 2023], the goal of being a top 5 player will never change. As for the team goal, I think we have a nice challenge ahead of us to be better than we were in 2022. The Grand Slam may appear close, but it will take a lot of work and we understand that. I think we want to win everything again and build a stronger era this time."

While arguably more consistent, Twistzz couldn't go any higher in part because he lacked the peaks that awarded his teammates MVPs, and he was rarely his team's best player at any given tournament. He was also the least impactful of the star quartet and generally less than players around him, both in terms of his impact rating (1.06) and more directly with a kill in just 58.6% of his team's round wins, the fewest of all players in the top 20.

Bold prediction by 1xBet

Products of NAVI Junior have been all the rage in Bold predictions in the past two years. Unlike many of his peers, however, Twistzz didn't opt for the Ninjas in Pyjamas-bound Daniil "⁠headtr1ck⁠" Valitov. The Canadian picked 14-year-old Adam "⁠froz1k⁠" Nagornyi from NAVI's academy team, who in his latest WePlay Academy League season averaged a 1.16 rating despite his ridiculously young age.

Adam "⁠froz1k⁠" Nagornyi

"This one was much harder to do than last year, I will not follow the trend of the other players and go with froz1k, I didn’t look at much but he’s very young and it seems like NAVI is good with raising young players."

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Stay tuned to our Top 20 players of 2022 ranking and take a look at the Introduction article to learn more about how the players were selected.