FaZe Clan enter CS:GO history books by becoming the fourth team to claim the Intel Grand Slam’s $1 million bonus prize.
ESL Pro League Season 17 title marked the fourth consecutive victory for FaZe Clan, who shut down critics with a commanding performance in Malta. They joined the race for Intel Grand Slam IV in February 2022, as they beat G2 Esports 3-0 and took home the coveted IEM Katowice trophy. They secured their second triumph shortly after, beating ENCE 3-1 and claiming the EPL Season 15 title. Finally, in July last year, their 3-2 victory over Natus Vincere at IEM Cologne 2022 left FaZe Clan only one win away from completing the Intel Grand Slam.
Taking down Cloud9 3-1 in the EPL Season 17 grand finals, FaZe joined the elite group of Astralis (IGS I winners, 2018), Team Liquid (IGS II winners, 2019), and Natus Vincere (IGS III winners, 2021) and registered a new record as well.
Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken becomes the first player ever to claim the Intel Grand Slam.
FaZe Clan Director of Esports Operations, Edward Han commented after the team’s win:
The team is incredibly proud to finally close out the Intel Grand Slam, especially in Malta at EPL Season 17. The team worked extremely hard to prepare for this game because they knew how important it was. We want to thank all the fans and the organization for supporting us. The next event will be the RMR and we hope to continue this streak at the Major.
Along with the EPL Season 17 title, FaZe also secured their presence at the $1,000,000 IEM Cologne 2023 which is set to begin on July 25 with the Play-In stage.
“This season has been a rollercoaster for fans here in Malta as well as those who tuned in on YouTube or Twitch,” said Alex Inglot, Commissioner of the ESL Pro League. “Not only did Valve drop Counter-Strike 2 and unleash havoc during our playoff week, we also saw our Partner Team FaZe Clan complete the Intel Grand Slam – a tremendous achievement. Furthermore, the whole team crafted and delivered a new proposition in the ecosystem, creating relentless drama and new content, bringing the players and their personalities to the fore, and, most importantly, giving Counter-Strike fans an upgraded ESL Pro League to enjoy twice a year.”
ESL Pro Tour schedule continues with ESL Challenger League Season 45 taking place online on April 4-May 28, and IEM Rio 2023 taking place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on April 17-23. ESL Pro League will return to Malta in the second half of August with Season 18.
