NiKo is refusing to take blame for FaZe clan roster shuffles

Fariha Bhatti Published 18/09/2020

Nikola “NiKo” Kovač has recently been under siege for the changes in Counter-Strike: Global Offensive roster. The veteran has finally responded to critics in a series of tweets.

It hasn’t been long since NiKo last ranted on twitter about the community’s hate towards him and his team. The deteriorating condition of the team continues to draw criticism from fans and NiKo somehow always finds himself in hot water.

“I can’t believe that most of the community thinks that I’m the one who was/is in charge of all the changes happened in our team, even though Karrigan was/supposed to be removed from the lineup back in 2018 before I decided to stay within FaZe,” NiKo said.

Thorin’s analysis in his video “NiKo vs NiKo” regarding NiKo’s leadership and Faze’s imminent downfall made matters worse for the in-game-leader. His opinion only added fuel to the fire, causing a frenzy among fans.

The esports journalist gave voice to the thoughts of majority Faze fans who believe that the role of IGL damaged NiKo’s performance as an ace rifler. The fans also targeted NiKo and blamed him for constant changes in the team which included the dismissal of Finn “karrigan” Andersen and Aurimas “Bymas” Pipiras from the active roster.

Is NiKo a scapegoat for angry FaZe fans?

Conversations regarding Faze CSGO clan always end with debates over NiKo’s performance as an IGL. Fans keep coming up with new speculations, taking the attention away from real issues in the team. NiKo replied to one of the tweets highlighting the same problem.

“And you think my tweet is about me justifying myself as an IGL?” NiKo said.

It’s hard to blame the fans as Faze’s performance in recent tournaments under NiKo’s leadership has been subpar. The unfortunate run of results in tournaments including ESL One Cologne has ignited various discussions in the community.

NiKo took the wheel from NEO in 2019 and has remained the IGL since then. The fans also believe that NiKo is adamant on staying on the position of IGL when he’s failing to perform. On the contrary, the IGL has said in several instances that he doesn’t enjoy being an in-game-leader. Bymas, ex-lurker for Faze, also said that “NiKo wanted to give the IGL role to somebody else.” Regardless, the wavering condition of Faze’s lineup always saw NiKo taking matters in his own hands.

“I’m definitely open to going back to in-game leading because we don’t even have a lot of options right now for an IGL,” Niko said on NEO’s exit from the team.

It seems unlikely that NiKo had any part to play in Karrigan’s departure from the team, considering Karrigan’s stable position as an IGL. Whatever the case, NiKo is “open to do a podcast” and clear his stance once and for all.

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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