After 10 years of club loyalty, Counter-Strike professional Håvard “rain” Nygaard leaves FaZe Clan and is replaced by a younger player. In a lengthy message, he bids farewell to his club and announces what his future plans are.
Who is it about? Anyone who has seen a FaZe Clan game in Counter-Strike since 2016 has seen a game with Håvard “rain” Nygaard or “FaZe rain.” The eSports professional had been with the club since 2016 and was involved in winning over 20 tournaments and prize money amounting to $1.87 million (approximately €1.6 million).
For many fans, a FaZe Clan without “rain” was unimaginable. However, after some rumors, the professional officially confirmed his departure from the club on X.com.
Sad farewell, but not the end
Why is the professional stopping? Despite over 10 years of loyalty, the 31-year-old professional is being replaced by a statistically stronger player. The Canadian Twistzz had already been with FaZe Clan from 2021 to 2023 and is now returning. To make room on the roster, the club is sending the older professional to the bench.
For the team, the exchange may well have been the right decision on paper. According to Fragster.de, statistics indicate that Twistzz has performed better than “rain” in key areas such as “Average Damage per Round,” “Kills per Round,” and “Trade Percentage” in the last 6 months.
The new player is set to make his debut on October 4 in Stage 2 of ESL Pro League Season 22. FaZe “rain,” however, is already on the bench while the new player is being trained.
What’s next for “rain”? In his farewell post on X.com, the professional first thanks the fans, his clan, and everyone who has supported him on his journey. He further explains that he has no plans to retire anytime soon.
On the contrary: The player is now open to new offers from other teams in any position and emphasizes his willingness to take on a new challenge. He promises to bring the same ambition and dedication, even if it means a role swap to a different team position.
Team changes are frequent in eSports. However, taking a long-standing member out of the team after 10 years of club loyalty is something very special. This is also reflected in the reaction of the eSports world, which thanks the player for his performances over the last 10 years in the comments below his farewell post and wishes him all the best on his future path.
At 31 years old, the professional is already considered one of the older players in Counter-Strike, and an end to his career as a professional could have also been conceivable. All the better for the fans that “rain” wants to continue to be involved in eSports. A professional from Counter-Strike may not be active anymore, but he is certainly legendary: What happened to the legendary player whose biceps were too big for Counter-Strike?
