Trust and Belief — 04 & Crowder on FaZe Vegas' CDL Major 2 Victory

FaZe Vegas took DreamHack Birmingham by storm during Call of Duty League Major 2, once again planting a perennial powerhouse atop the league—but the roster looks a little different this time around. Long gone are the days of aBeZy and Cellium spawning next to Simp and Drazah. Now, newcomers 04 and Abuzah have cemented their place on the team and together are building their own legacy on the bones of what came before. 

Their victory was a joint effort from the old guard and the new stars. An unbelievable three-day performance from Simp was the primary engine that pushed the squad through bracket play, where a 1-3 loss to OpTic Texas proved to be nothing more than a minor setback. However, it was 04 who stepped into the Grand Finals and turned the entire series on its head. 

We caught up with the young star, as well as FaZe Vegas’ coach Crowder, to talk all about the journey from rebuilding in the off-season to taking home a trophy in only the second Major event of the year. 

FaZe 04’s Journey To Being CDL Major 2 MVP

How did you make the jump from athlete to Call of Duty pro?

I was having fun playing football—and then COVID happened. Nobody was going outside. So, I finally started to use my talents in CoD, which I knew I had because I would always play challs and beat pros. Then I turned 18, and my life did a full 360. 

What do you bring from that experience to your career now?

One thing I bring from football to CoD is grit. There are a lot more unfortunate things that happen in ball, and I always took it on the chin, and now in CoD, nothing can really faze me.

This was a huge off-season for the FaZe organization. Were you nervous at all about stepping into the lineup, knowing how much people would be talking about the end of one of the most iconic trios in esports?

Introducing FaZe Vegas

Yeah, it was definitely overwhelming at the start, filling shoes and replacing a long-time trio and duo with Simp and aBeZy. But after about a week, all the nervousness went away because I knew they chose me for a reason. All I had to do was come in and play my game.

Simp is one of the best SMGs ever, and you two seem to be in lockstep right now. What’s it like playing beside him? 

It has been amazing playing alongside Chris, learning stuff with him, and [about] how he plays. Considering he's a GOAT, I soak in everything he tells me. 

Have you had to change much about your gameplay to make things work?

I didn't really change my style. I think we honestly mesh really well together. As long as I keep blitzing, we should be good.

You and Abuzah have been knocking on the door for a year now. How good does it feel to get over the line together and win one after being so close so many times?

It feels amazing. It has been such a relief off my shoulders, because in the back of your head, you start questioning if you’re even good enough to win, and doubt yourself. Now that we won, it has unlocked a whole different confidence we didn't have.

It’s always great to win one, but all teams have bigger aspirations than a single Major. A lot of teams, though, can’t carry the momentum across the year. What do you feel a team like FaZe has to do to keep the edge for the rest of the season?

Keep doing us and don't get complacent, that's the worst thing that happens to teams.

What’s something you or your teammates do that doesn’t reflect on the stat sheet but still hugely impacts the game?

The biggest things we have that don’t reflect on the stats are trust and belief. We never doubt each other, no matter what, and truly believe we can win everything at all times.

Coach Crowder On Major 2 and Beyond 

You all went through a slump in the middle of this split and lost a few uncharacteristic matches. How did you turn things around, and is that something you can build off of as we enter the back half of the season?

I think slumps are bound to happen with every team. A big thing about becoming a championship-caliber player or team is learning how to lose. Every match you play, whether you win or lose, should be viewed as feedback on how to improve. Through the ups & downs as a team, the downs are what push you to become a better team and closer as teammates if you respond the right way and communicate properly with each other through the struggles. Keeping that attitude is very important for us this year, so we can keep the belief in ourselves as a team and continue to be our best and compete for a championship.

It’s early in the season, but this is shaping up to be one of Simp’s individual best seasons ever. How big has that been for the team’s rise this year? What is it like to coach a team with hall-of-fame talent like that in the back pocket?

It has been a great thing for us so far during the season. Simp is a huge asset to the team, and him being able to do what he does—and help us use his experience to help this team win—is exactly what we know he is capable of. Coaching a player with talent is always a good thing, but pairing that talent with a good attitude and work ethic is what you look for as a coach. He’s been working hard to continue to improve as a teammate, player, and person. It has been awesome to see.

I’ve been impressed by the fluidity of the squad’s comms every time I’ve listened in this season. How much of that is natural chemistry between teammates vs. intentionally working at the small things in practice?

I would say that this team naturally has pretty good communication as individuals, but it is also something heavily focused on during practices. During practice and even outside of practice, we try to give as much feedback to each other to keep pushing us to get better as players and as a team.

04 had a huge weekend. As a coach, what do you think brought him up to that level this Major run? And how do you approach when a player is on a hot streak? Does the plan change at all?

@OpTicTexas vs @FaZeVegas | Major II Grand Finals 

I think the belief that the players and coaches have in him goes a long way for him as a player. He is a great player, and I know the public had a lot to say about him at the beginning of the year, but he has been playing great in practice, which we knew as coaches and as a team. Being there to support him and show him we believe in him was all we could do. The rest was all on him, working hard and staying positive through the year to continue to try and reach his potential, which we got a glimpse of during the Major 2 tournament.

When it comes to approaching a player on a hot streak, you want to keep them confident for sure, but when you are feeling hot, it is easy to forget what got you there in the first place. There is a fine line of confidence and arrogance, so walking that line as a coach and making sure the players are making the right decisions is a big focus for us as a staff.

What do you think was the key to your hot start in the Grand Finals?

Reflecting on the success we have had as a team and watching what our game looks like when we are playing well. Confidence, and the routines to create that confidence, are a big part of what we choose to focus on.

There will surely be a little bit of a target on your back until the next Major. Does that impact the way you prepare for matches?

I think every time you win, it raises the expectations of the team. I wouldn’t say it “changes” how we prepare for matches because I am a big believer in setting a standard, no matter the opponent, and then making the disciplined decisions to follow that standard day to day. If anything, the standard in general needs to be pushed forward more after a win and then followed as individuals to continue being the best you can be in a league full of such high-level talent.