Counter-Strike is a battle of minds as well as mechanics. In its storied history, there have been a plethora of mechanical demons and strategic innovators who have had their time in the sun. But for one man – once a star player, then the greatest IGL of all time – his story is one of mastering both sides of the game.
Finn “karrigan” Andersen, known for his exceptional adaptability, unmatched leadership, and longevity, has carved out one of the most enduring careers in professional Counter-Strike. From his early days in 1.6 to his reign as one of the most successful in-game leaders in CS:GO and beyond, karrigan’s journey is a testament to perseverance and strategic brilliance. It has not been an easy path, but sometimes the road less travelled leads us to the most beautiful destination. Let’s dive in, in our latest Profile Of A Legend.
Early Years & CS 1.6
karrigan has always had a self-proclaimed competitive nature. A lot of his childhood was spent playing football, before an injury forced him to sit on the sidelines. During this period of inactivity on the football pitch, he began to watch his older brother play video games (which appears to be the single best way to get into professional esports) and slowly developed a fascination with Counter-Strike.
Before long, young Finn was grinding 1.6 and getting good. In fact, he was getting very good. It didn’t take much time for karrigan to be found playing local LAN tournaments and outperforming people much older than him on the server. In many ways, Finn was a natural. Inspired by the 1.6 legends active at the time – the NEOs and F0rests of the world – Finn decided that he was going to grind the game and try to achieve as much as he could before the inevitable educational calling became too strong. Remember, this was at a time when esports was not a set-in-stone career choice. It was a passion and a risk, and one that karrigan began to slowly fall in love with.
Whilst he played in a smattering of stacks and teams in his early 1.6 days, it was his move to mousesports in 2011 that really began to solidify him as a major up-and-comer in the scene. In fact, he even netted himself eighth place in HLTV’s Top 20 in 2011, sharing a Top 10 position with such greats as Filip “Neo” Kubski, Yegor “markeloff” Markelov, Christopher “GeT_RiGhT” Alesund, and more.
Soon after his run on mousesports, karrigan got the opportunity to join Fnatic. It would be here that his 1.6 legacy would really cement itself. Prior to his move to Fnatic, karrigan had experienced every role in the game, and felt that he was a complete player. This confidence led to a very dominant run with Fnatic in 1.6, winning multiple LANs together, including a win against a strong NAVI in the grand final of Copenhagen Games (1.6). Karrigan had truly flowered into a rounded, experienced, and talented 1.6 demon. Then, CS:GO arrived on the scene.
Transition To Early CS:GO
When Counter-Strike: Global Offensive was released in 2012, karrigan transitioned smoothly, leveraging his experience and reputation from 1.6 to secure spots on teams such as n!faculty, Reason Gaming, and Playing Ducks. However, his first major breakthrough came with the legendary Danish squad, Copenhagen Wolves, where he played alongside future legends of the game like Nicolai “dev1ce” Reedtz and Peter “dupreeh” Rasmussen.
This lineup later evolved into Team Dignitas and eventually the core of what would become Astralis. karrigan’s leadership abilities began to shine, and he helped lay the foundation for Danish dominance in CS:GO. However, after internal struggles, he found himself replaced in Astralis in late 2016, opting to give up his part ownership of the project and move on to pastures new.
The First FaZe Era
After his time with Astralis came to an end, karrigan joined FaZe Clan in 2016, taking the reins of an international roster filled with potential. With a mixture of aggressive strategies and tactical depth, karrigan led FaZe to multiple victories, including ECS Season 4 Finals (2017), ELEAGUE CS:GO Premier (2017), IEM Sydney (2018), and ESL One Belo Horizonte (2018).
Despite these triumphs, the team suffered a heartbreaking loss in the ELEAGUE Boston Major 2018 final against Cloud9 – a match that is indelibly etched into CS:GO history. After a period of inconsistency, karrigan was benched from FaZe in 2018, marking a turning point in his career. It was a surprising move for some, but the general mood in the team was that a major change was needed, and the players landed on a change of leadership as their natural next step forward. For karrigan, this was a blow to his confidence, but not to his drive. He resolved to make his next venture a success, and to show the world that he had what it takes to be a truly great leader.
Back To Mousesports
Following his departure from FaZe, karrigan joined mousesports in early 2019, tasked with rebuilding the roster. Under his guidance, mousesports enjoyed something of a renaissance, winning tournaments like CS:GO Asia Championships 2019, ESL Pro League Season 10, and ICE Challenge 2020. Indeed, mousesports beat karrigan’s old team, FaZe, in the final of Pro League Season 10, offering a moment of true retribution for the kicked captain.
karrigan proved his ability to elevate younger players, particularly David “frozen” Čerňanský and Robin “ropz” Kool, shaping them into world-class competitors at the very top of the game. In mousesports, karrigan proved that he was not only a great leader when at the helm of a ‘superteam’, but was invaluable to any team, no matter the experience level and potential. It’s safe to say that the experienced caller continued to catch the eyes of the biggest teams in the world. But when other opportunities came calling, there was only one on Finn’s mind…
The Return To FaZe (2021-Present)
In 2021, karrigan returned to FaZe Clan with a significant amount of unfinished business. Whilst some may have questioned his decision to rejoin a team that had lost confidence in him once before, karrigan proved to have made a shrewd decision. In fact, returning to FaZe was one of the best decisions in his career, as he went on to lead the new roster to an unprecedented period of dominance. Throughout their time together, the new and improved FaZe roster (bolstered by explosive AWPer Helvijs “broky” Saukants, NA demon Russel “Twistzz” Van Dulken, and karrigan’s mousesports teammate Robin “ropz” Kool) went on to win IEM Katowice (2022), IEM Cologne (2022), ESL Pro League Season 15, and PGL Major Antwerp (2022) – karrigan’s first major.
Finally, the experienced IGL had reached the very, very pinnacle of the game, winning his first major, dominating the professional scene, and even closing out Pro League to secure the iconic Intel Grand Slam. In fact, with this run, karrigan became the oldest IGL to win a Major, cementing his legacy as one of the longest-standing players in the game, and arguably the greatest IGL of all time.
As Counter-Strike 2 ushered in a new era, karrigan continued to lead FaZe Clan with his signature strategic brilliance and adaptability. Under his guidance, FaZe Clan seamlessly transitioned into CS2, maintaining their competitive edge and making countless deep runs in important tournaments. Notably, on his 34th birthday, karrigan led the team to triumph at IEM Chengdu, ending a series of near-miss finishes and solidifying his status as the only CS player to clinch an S-tier trophy at such an age.
This victory is not only a testament to karrigan’s enduring skill, but also underscores FaZe Clan’s formidable presence in the CS2 landscape. With the addition of Jonathan “EliGE” Jablonowski to the FaZe roster after the departure of ropz to Vitality, FaZe are poised to make deep runs and high impact on the upcoming tournaments over the rest of 2025. The rest of the story karrigan’s career remains to be written, but one thing is for certain – Finn “karrigan” Andersen is truly one of the greatest of all time.
