Falcons sign karrigan as IGL following FaZe Clan departure

Fariha Bhatti Published 21/04/2026

Falcons have confirmed the signing of veteran in-game leader Finn “karrigan” Andersen, shortly after he announced his departure from FaZe Clan.

Earlier, Falcons announced that it had benched Damjan “kyxsan” Stoilkovski following the team’s third-place finish at IEM Rio on Sunday. That announcement was followed by one from FaZe Clan, who confirmed the end of karrigan’s five-year stint under the organization. Now, the Saudi-based organization has added one of Counter-Strike’s most decorated in-game leaders to their ranks, confirming the signing of karrigan.

Falcons brings together two familiar faces, as karrigan’s arrival sets up a reunion with Nikola “NiKo” Kovač, the two having previously shared a roster at FaZe Clan between 2017 and 2018.

Karrigan leaves FaZe in favor of Falcons

We previously reported rumours of karrigan leaving FaZe Clan, and Falcons’ benching of kyxsan only added fuel to the fire.

Falcons boasts one of the most decorated rosters in CS2, but despite that, the team has struggled to maintain consistency at S-tier events. Its last notable win came at PGL Bucharest 2025, and since then, the roster has repeatedly fallen short at the semi-final stage or earlier.

The pattern of Falcons falling just short of the grand stage hasn’t gone unnoticed, and the organization appears to be betting on stronger leadership as the antidote. On April 20, the Saudi-backed team announced that karrigan will be the one calling shots at PGL Astana 2026.

karrigan leaving FaZe Clan. Image credit: Karrigan

Combining both stints, karrigan spent over seven years with FaZe Clan, the first of which began in 2017. During that initial two-year run, he led the team to several S-tier victories, seven of them alongside NiKo, who he’s reuniting with at Falcons. It was also during his time at FaZe that karrigan claimed his first Major trophy at PGL Major Antwerp 2022, cementing his reputation as one of the most sought-after IGLs in the game.

With a Major-winning IGL now on board, Falcons will hope karrigan is the missing piece that finally takes them to, and beyond, the grand final stage. On paper at least, the roster now looks like one of the strongest in the sport and karrigan will soon be appearing at CS2 betting sites for a new team.

As for FaZe, the organization is going through a turbulent period, having dismantled its content division entirely late in 2025. However, the organization was quick to reassure fans that its esports operations would remain intact, a promise it backed up with the launch of FaZe Up Next, its own esports academy program.

Who steps into karrigan’s shoes at FaZe remains an open question, and given his influence on the team, it is far from a small one.

Featured image credit: karrigan

Fariha Bhatti

About Fariha Bhatti

Fariha Bhatti is a long-time gaming writer who loves competitive FPS games and slots with particularly fun themes. She got her start playing classic games developed by SNK, from legendary fighting game series The King of Fighters to challenging platform franchise Metal Slug. She now spends most of her time playing Valorant and Counter-Strike 2 while working her way through new slot releases to find her next favorite. Fariha has been published at PCGamesN, TalkEsport and ONE Esports.

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